Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Maia

Meaning — From the Ancient Greek Maia, possibly from a root meaning "great" or related to the Latin mater meaning "mother". In Greek mythology Maia was the eldest and most beautiful of the Pleiades, the seven daughters of Atlas, and the mother of Hermes by Zeus. The Roman goddess Maia, associated with spring and growth, gave her name to the month of May.·Ancient Greek origin·Female·MAY-ah

Maia Maia carries the stellar mythology of the Pleiades — the seven sisters transformed into stars, who mark the beginning of the sailing season and the agricultural year in the Mediterranean calendar. As the eldest Pleiad and mother of Hermes, Maia is associated with the quicksilver intelligence she transmitted to her son, and with a quality of hidden depth: she lived in a cave, away from divine society, raising a god who would become the cleverest of all Olympians. A character named Maia is often defined by what she nurtures and what she conceals.

Best genres for Maia

MythologyFantasyHistorical FictionLiterary FictionRomance

Famous characters named Maia

Maia

The Pleiades (various classical sources) Hesiod, Ovid (Fasti)

The most beautiful of the seven Pleiades, mother of Hermes, who lived hidden in a cave with the infant god before his divine paternity was revealed.


Variations & nicknames

MaiaMayaMajaMaye

Pairs well with

Maia CraneMaia AshfordMaia VossMaia MercerMaia WhitmoreMaia Davenport

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More Ancient Greek names

Olimpia

The Italian form of Olympia, from the Ancient Greek Olympia, meaning "of Olympus" — referring to Mount Olympos, the home of the Greek gods, from a pre-Greek root possibly meaning "luminous" or "sky". Olympia was the site of the ancient Olympic Games, held in honor of Zeus, and the name carries associations with divine presence, athletic excellence, and sacred ritual.

Doriana

An Italian feminine elaboration of Dorian, from the Greek Dorios meaning "of the Dorians" — the ancient Greek people who settled the Peloponnese and Crete. The Dorians were associated with a spare, austere aesthetic in music and architecture that gave rise to the Doric architectural order. The name gained literary resonance through Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel.

Zetta

Possibly derived from the Greek letter zeta (Ζ), the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, from the Hebrew zayin. Alternatively it may be a diminutive of Rosetta or Elizabetta in Italian naming tradition, or related to the Sicilian and Southern Italian feminine naming pattern that creates independent diminutives. It is rare and carries a distinctive classical brevity.

Thaddeus

From the Greek Thaddaios, itself likely an Aramaic name meaning "heart" or "courageous heart" — from the Aramaic tad meaning "heart". Some scholars derive it from a Hebrew root meaning "praise". Thaddaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, also identified with Jude the Apostle, which made the name common in Catholic countries through the medieval period.

Nicoletta

An Italian diminutive of Nicola/Nicole, from the Greek Nikolaos composed of nike meaning "victory" and laos meaning "people" — thus "victory of the people" or "people's champion". Nicholas was the name of the patron saint of sailors, merchants, and children, whose legend of generosity gave rise to the Santa Claus tradition. The -etta suffix adds Italian diminutive affection.

Corrine

A variant spelling of Corinne, from the Ancient Greek Korinna, derived from kore meaning "maiden" or "girl". The original Korinna was a celebrated lyric poet of ancient Boeotia who was said to have competed against — and defeated — Pindar. The name entered modern European usage partly through Germaine de Staël's influential 1807 novel.


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