Female Polish given name · 4640 births in 2024 (rank 1)
/ˈma.ja/ · MY-ah
Maja has several roots: it is associated with the Roman goddess of spring and growth Maia, who gave her name to the month of May, and it is sometimes felt to be a short form of names such as Maria or Magdalena. In Poland it additionally evokes the season of teeming spring nature.
The name has ancient roots — in Roman mythology Maia was a goddess of fertility and renewal, while in Greek myth she was one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes. In Poland it took hold mainly in the twentieth century, and its real surge in popularity came in recent decades, when it became one of the most frequently chosen names for girls.
The Latin Maia is linked to a root meaning "greater, growing" (from mag-, as in maius), hence the connection with spring growth and the month of May.
| Nominative | Maja |
| Genitive | Mai |
| Dative | Mai |
| Accusative | Maję |
| Instrumental | Mają |
| Locative | Mai |
| Vocative | Majo |
In Poland, Maja celebrates its name day on 15 May.
Majka, Majeczka, Majunia, Majeńka.
Related and similar-sounding forms in other languages include Maia (e.g. Basque, English), Maya (English) and Maja as used in the Scandinavian languages, German and the South Slavic languages.
For several years Maja has held the top spot among names given to newborn girls in Poland.