Maija: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

At a Glance: Name: Maija – Meaning: bitter, or beloved (from Maria/Miriam) – Origin: Finnish (form of Maria) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: MY-yah


Maija is a Finnish (form of Maria) girl's name meaning “bitter, or beloved (from Maria/Miriam)”. It appears in our list of 175+ Scandinavian Baby Girl Names That Are Beautifully Strong.

Meaning & Origin of Maija

Meaning: Bitter, or beloved (from Maria/Miriam).

Origin: Finnish (form of Maria).

A common claim: Pearl, or beloved Actually: Maija is sometimes said to mean 'pearl,' but that's not its real root — 'pearl' belongs to Margaret, a different name. Maija comes from Maria/Miriam, whose meaning is disputed between 'bitter' and 'beloved.'

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Maija

Phonetic: MY-yah   IPA: /ˈmɑi̯jɑ/

Popularity of Maija

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1952–2024.

Lists That Include Maija

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Minna · Marjatta · Maaria · Miia · Lyyti · Liisa

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