girl's name
May
MAY
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 54,814
Northern Ireland
#428
2024 births
May has three separate sources that English cannot tell apart — the month, the hawthorn blossom that opens in it, and a short form of Mary and Margaret. Our data marks it reviving in five markets.
- May is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1919, when 991 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 18,117 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
May over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,933 |
| 1890s | 6,922 |
| 1900s | 5,593 |
| 1910s | 8,217 |
| 1920s | 8,304 |
| 1930s | 3,855 |
| 1940s | 2,355 |
| 1950s | 1,750 |
| 1960s | 1,146 |
| 1970s | 911 |
| 1980s | 1,282 |
| 1990s | 844 |
| 2000s | 884 |
| 2010s | 1,199 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 904 |
What May means
May means the month, the hawthorn blossom, or Mary, depending on which source is behind a given use. All three are live, and the spelling gives no way to distinguish them.
Where May comes from
May has three roots that converge. The month is named for Maia, an Italic goddess of growth whose name is related to the Latin maius, greater. The hawthorn is called may because it flowers then, giving the mayflower and the maypole. Separately, May served as a pet form of Mary and of Margaret, by the same route that turns Margaret into Meg. Nothing in the spelling separates them, so a nineteenth-century May could be any of the three.
May in use
May peaked in the United States in 1919, when 991 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 428th in Northern Ireland, 612th in England and Wales on 64 births, 760th in Ireland on 4, 1171st in France on 30 and 1230th in the United States on 183, across 54,814 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track. Ninety-nine percent of recorded births are female.
How popular is May?
In 2025, May was given to 183 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where May is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How May is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Mây | Mây is a rare spelling of May, written with a circumflex and recorded about 10 times, mostly in France. | 10 |
Names that peaked alongside May
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like May also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with May over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
May in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for May
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with May — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about May
What does the name May mean?
The month, the hawthorn blossom, or a short form of Mary — three separate sources.
Why is the month called May?
For Maia, an Italic goddess of growth, related to the Latin maius, greater.
Is the hawthorn connected?
It is called may because it flowers then, which gives mayflower and maypole.
Is May coming back?
Our data marks it reviving across five of our six markets.
How popular is the name May?
In 2025, May was given to 183 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is May a girl's or a boy's name?
May is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in May?
May has 1 syllable.
When was May most popular?
May peaked in 1919, when 991 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is May a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. May currently ranks #428 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.