Maya
A surname found in several traditions, often linked to the ancient name Maya or to local place and personal-name usage.
The #3,466 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 29,938 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The excerpt does not give a surname entry, but it does point to the classical name Maya, the mother of Mercury, as the source of the related month-name Mayo (May). As a surname, Maya may therefore sometimes reflect a personal name, a place-name, or a later adoption of a word already current in Spanish and other languages. Because the provided source is incidental rather than a direct surname explanation, the etymology should be treated cautiously.
History
Maya appears as a surname in more than one linguistic and geographic setting, which makes a single origin unlikely. In Spanish-speaking contexts it can be influenced by the personal name Maya or by local toponymic use; elsewhere it may reflect an unrelated indigenous or family-name tradition. The modern U.S. bearer count suggests a relatively uncommon but established surname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The same classical name Maya lies behind the name of the month May in Romance-language traditions.
From the historical record
“'vios a las puertas de sus norias.—MAYO. Mayus. Tercer mes del calendario romano, 5.2 del grevyoriano.—MAYO. Mayus. Tiene 31 dias. Su nombre proviene de Maya, madre de Mercurio, o mas bien porque los romanos le consagra- ban a los ancianos (mayores), por oposicion al mes de Junio, que era atribuido a los jovenes…”
— Diccionario de los apellidos