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Maui as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Maui

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The baby name Maui is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MOW-ee (IPA: /ˈmaʊ.i/; Hawaiian spelling: Māui).

Maui is Hawaiian, Polynesian in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Hawaiian, Polynesian
Pronunciation: MOW-ee (IPA: /ˈmaʊ.i/; Hawaiian spelling: Māui)

What is the meaning of the name Maui ?

The baby name Maui is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced MOW-ee (IPA: /ˈmaʊ.i/; Hawaiian spelling: Māui).

Maui is Hawaiian, Polynesian in Origin.

Maui is a Polynesian name found in Māori, Hawaiian, Tahitian, and Samoan, best known for the pan-Polynesian culture hero Māui, the deft trickster who snared the sun, lifted the sky, and fished up islands. Its etymology is debated: some linguists connect it to Proto-Polynesian mau “to grasp, hold, persist,” while in Māori mauī can mean “left(-handed),” an epithet sometimes applied to the hero. The name thus carries connotations of clever strength and transformative skill.

Attested in oral tradition and among navigators, the name also gave the Hawaiian island Maui its appellation. Used primarily for boys but increasingly unisex in modern contexts, it appears among Māori, Native Hawaiian, and wider Pacific families, and has gained broader visibility in the 21st century through popular culture. Variants and forms include Māui (with macron), Maui-tikitiki and Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga (Māori), and cognates across Tahitian and Samoan storytelling.

Maui has the following similar or variant Names

Maui – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
MV 0 #19 1 644
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
PH 0 #103 8 5,607
QA 0 #104 3 7,011
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
Switzerland Boys 2024 #136 2 1,769
Sweden Boys 2021 #182 2 1,578
AE 0 #186 2 10,220
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
AR 0 #193 1 2,915
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
MO Girls 0 #241 11 7,056
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
SG 0 #278 5 11,010
TW Girls 0 #287 3 8,139
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
QA Girls 0 #301 16 15,378
Canada Boys 2022 #303 8 2,557
SA 0 #310 3 10,560
PH Girls 0 #340 51 13,098
MY 0 #354 1 12,352
HK 0 #357 1 8,483
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PH Boys 0 #365 19 11,440
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
France Boys 2021 #383 5 2,865
OM Girls 0 #386 11 15,987
YE 0 #398 1 8,639
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
MX 0 #442 4 8,339
AR Boys 0 #482 2 7,628
KW Girls 0 #496 20 19,177
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #509 2 10,188
PA Girls 0 #518 1 9,861
AE Girls 0 #534 20 20,968
UY Girls 0 #536 1 6,731
PS Girls 0 #547 1 10,981
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
SG Girls 0 #577 10 18,916
BH 0 #582 6 17,937
BO Boys 0 #617 6 9,244
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
HK Girls 0 #643 8 16,104
IL Girls 0 #644 2 11,648
CL Boys 0 #646 20 13,390
BO Girls 0 #651 1 9,488
LB 0 #689 2 13,263
SG Boys 0 #731 9 17,960
QA Boys 0 #740 4 18,093
SY 0 #767 1 11,684
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
KW Boys 0 #798 9 18,755
TN 0 #863 3 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #876 17 7,044
SA Girls 0 #900 36 25,931
United States Girls 2024 #911 6 8,487
CL Girls 0 #914 2 14,098
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Boys 0 #924 3 14,506
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
Germany Boys 0 #938 15 5,697
Spain Girls 0 #968 16 5,561
CO Boys 0 #979 3 15,656
EG Girls 0 #1,008 2 14,742
PE Girls 0 #1,010 1 14,861
MX Boys 0 #1,025 9 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
MY Girls 0 #1,069 4 24,821
MY Boys 0 #1,093 19 25,439
AE Boys 0 #1,138 6 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,152 1 16,140
MA 0 #1,196 4 20,986
DZ 0 #1,233 2 20,130
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,259 9 17,781
IT Boys 0 #1,428 44 10,046
IT Girls 0 #1,432 15 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,592 23 28,008

Maui is popular in 54 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Switzerland
France
Canada
AE

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Maui

Maui is predominantly a boy's name.
Maui is a 2 syllable name, pronounced MOW-ee (IPA: /ˈmaʊ.i/; Hawaiian spelling: Māui).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Māui and Māui-tikitiki-a-Taranga.
Across languages, Maui has these equivalents: Māui (Māori), Maui (Hawaiian).
Yes — Maui ranked #136 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Maui ranks highest in Switzerland (#136 in 2024).
Maui's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #886 in 2014 to #876 in 2024 in United States.