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At a Glance: Name: Maeva – Meaning: welcome (a Tahitian greeting) – Origin: Tahitian/Polynesian – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: mah-AY-vah
Maeva is a Tahitian name that means "welcome" — it's the word used as a greeting in Tahiti. You may see it described elsewhere as meaning "the one who is loved," but that doesn't hold up against reliable sourcing; "welcome" is the meaning backed by independent sources. It's pronounced mah-AY-vah.
Meaning & Origin of Maeva
Meaning: Welcome (a tahitian greeting).
Origin: Tahitian/Polynesian.
A common claim: Maeva is often said to mean 'the one who is loved' Actually: This doesn't match reliable sourcing — 'Maeva' is the Tahitian word for 'welcome', as reflected in independent sources and its famous use as a greeting in Tahiti.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Maeva
Phonetic: mah-AY-vah IPA: /mɑːˈeɪvə/
Popularity of Maeva
Maeva peaked at #1288 in 2023 with 178 babies given the name, then slipped to #1318 in 2024 with 174 — a small dip year over year, based on Social Security data from 1940-2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1940–2024.
Make Maeva Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Maeva, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Maeva mean?
Welcome (a tahitian greeting). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Maeva)
How do you pronounce Maeva?
Maeva is pronounced mah-AY-vah (IPA: /mɑːˈeɪvə/).
Is Maeva a popular name right now?
Maeva is near its all-time peak (#1288 in 2023), ranked #1318 in 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1940–2024.)
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