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I don't like it spelled that way because it looks trendier and it makes me want to pronounce it MAY-a. I do like Maia, though. I think it's very elegant. I think my opinion was mostly made because I'd never heard of that name before until college where I had a friend Maia.

I do quite like the name actually. I'd prefer to pronounce it as 'may-uh' rather than 'my-uh', but that's just because I prefer the may sound.

There was a dear little girl bee called Maya in an originally German TV cartoon for preschoolers! The Mayan empire is more interesting, but less lovable. And the pronunciation can be tricky, with the world divided between may and my.

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I know a woman named Moya who has a granddaughter Maya. It sounds fine to me.

I like it. I prefer Maia, but Maya is pretty as well. Maya is fairly popular where I live, so I wouldn't use it myself. I appreciate the name, though.

It's not bad; pretty, I suppose, but just very "now." Good namesake in Maya Angelou, though.

I like it, but only pn with a long i sound, and not with the long e sound. So I guess it all depends on how you pn it since I've seen it go both ways

It's ok. It's my preferred spelling because you can put kanji with it easily... and works in more than 1 language and culture. Not my fave but definitely pleasant. Has become a little trendy, but not as badly as some others.

I think it's all right. It's not something I would use. I prefer this spelling to Maja, Mya or Maia.

I love it spelt Maia, pron. MYuh :)

I like Maya a lot (preferably this spelling). It does seem pretty underappreciated here.

The only think I dislike about it is the possible problem with pronounciation (is it MAY-uh or MY-uh?) and also the different spellings (Maya, Maia, Mya).

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I quite like it, but only pronounced MAY-uh, as MY-uh sounds trendy and kind of spoilt-American-teen to me. My second cousin is called Maya (MAY-uh; she has a twin called Leonie) and she's a very sweet girl. It's sweet and girly, maybe a little childish but I think that's only cos it's only become popular recently, so all the owners are children.

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This message was edited 10/3/2011, 3:08 PM

It's not horrible, but I never particularly liked it either. I don't like long I sounds. But mostly, it makes me think of this girl I met once that I felt really sorry for, so when I see the name, I see her and feel pity.

I prefer the spelling Maia, personally. Or even Maja. It's nice (as long as it isn;t Mya...ugh). Only thing is it's mega popular here (Switzerland). Every second girl is called Maya. But apart from that, it is lovely.

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I'd use it as a middle name. I go back and forward between Elodie Maia Soleil & Elodie Maia Delphine (depending on whether I want to use Delphine as a fn or not!)

This message was edited 10/3/2011, 2:22 PM

I like Maya, though I vastly prefer Maia (and Maja, to a lesser degree).

I like Maya. I also like Maia. Maia reminds me of motherliness and Roman mythology, while Maya reminds me more of Mayans (I know the name has nothing to do with them, but it looks the same!) Although both have a very similar vibe.
Maya isn't on my "would use" list but if I had a kid and the other parent wanted to use Maya, I wouldn't veto it.
I prefer it with middle names that are sort of ancient and/or tomboyish (although there are probably a lot of exceptions).

I don't care for it. I think the main reason is I am never sure how to pronounce it. Is it MAY ah or MY ah?
It also feels like a bland 90's name to me. I'm not sure why; I don't think it was that popular.

Aw, I like Maya enough; you wouldn't find it on my list (not my style) but it's sweet, spunky, and stronger than Maia. So it's alright. I never got the impression that people here don't like it, but if it's true, it might be because Maya is really trending right now (it's in the Top 100 -- I never noticed that). Or perhaps it's because it might be suspected of using the "trendy y" substitution in place of Maia -- which would be unfounded, since it's a legitimate name on its own. (I suspect this may also be why Aria is more well-liked than Arya).

This message was edited 10/3/2011, 2:39 PM

It's not well-liked? Hmm. I think Maya is so pretty. The only drawback is what Bear already mentioned. This whole Mya thing makes it complicated. In any case, I actually like both Maya and Mia.

It's funny that you should post this. Just yesterday I was wondering why I don't suggest it more, or use in in my series of polls ("Ready-made combination(s) for a girl.") So I corrected that error this morning with the combo Maya Kateri. :-) [Please vote in my polls.]

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I tend to prefer Maia, which I pronounce exactly the same way, with a long "i" sound. It has the bonus attraction of ancient Rome, for me. (My stock combos: Maia Celeste and Ingrid Maia.)

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Perhaps what has turned me slightly off of Maya is the way parents here in the U.S. are beginning to muddy the waters with the spelling: Mya. Which is it supposed to be? Maya (long "i") or Mia (long "e")? Pet peeve of mine.

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Bottom line: Maya is a beautiful name. I must remember to not forget her as much. :-)

This message was edited 10/3/2011, 12:14 PM