Ma
Feminine
Ma is two letters on an American birth certificate, and behind many of them is a whole Filipino naming habit: Maria written as 'Ma.' in front of a second name. Others are East Asian names. The two letters alone cannot say which.
How old is the name Ma?
Ma first appears in US birth records in 1924 — 101 years ago. The typical Ma alive today was born around 1991, making them about 34 years old. About 600 people named Ma are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Ma most popular?
Ma peaked in 1990, reaching #3436 nationally. See the whole 1990 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Ma
In the Philippines, where Maria so often opens a girl's name that it is written in short — Ma. Cristina, Ma. Luisa, Ma. Theresa — the abbreviation is part of the name on official papers. When those names meet an American form, the period can drop away and the second name can land in the middle-name box, leaving a first name of two letters. Other girls named Ma carry a Chinese or Vietnamese name. Either way, the shortest name in the record is a doorway to a longer one.
Meaningnot established
Not established
In Filipino usage Ma. is the standard abbreviation of Maria, especially in double names such as Ma. Theresa. Ma is also a Chinese and Vietnamese name element with several meanings. The record holds only the two letters.
Pronouncing Ma
MAH
One syllable; a Filipino Ma. is usually read aloud as Maria.
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1924
- Most girls named
- 199031 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3436reached in 1990
- Change vs 2012
- +40.0%7 in 2018, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Mas among us
people named Ma are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Ma sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- As short as a name can be.
- For Filipino families it is an established form of Maria.
- Easy to write in any language.
- In English it is also the word for a mother, which will come up constantly.
- Forms and systems may treat it as an initial or reject it as too short.
- People will ask what it stands for; having the answer ready helps.
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Ma
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Mas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Ma are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Ma in 2025?
- Ma is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Ma with classmates?
- Ma will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More M names
The most-given names starting with M, all years combined.
Mary#125 · Margaret#112 · Michelle#465 · Melissa#419 · Maria#87 · Martha#712 · Marie#617 · Mildred#1962
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Ma? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Ma and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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