Imae as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Imae

What is the meaning of the name Imae ?

The baby name Imae is a Unisex name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced ee-MAY (IPA: /iˈmeɪ/ or /ɪˈmeɪ/).

Imae is in Origin.

Imae is a rare, modern given name with multicultural roots. In Japanese it matches the well-attested surname Imae (今江), built from kanji meaning “now” (ima) and “inlet/bay” (e), yielding an evocative sense of “the bay of the present” or “where the river meets now.” As a given name in English-speaking contexts, it often reads as a stylish blend of Ima and Mae: Ima echoes Hebrew ima, “mother,” while Mae is a vintage form of May, linked to the Roman Maia (“great”) and sometimes to Margaret (“pearl”). The result suggests warmth, timeliness, and grace.

Usage is very uncommon and largely 21st‑century, appearing in creative baby-name circles and, occasionally, as a surname adopted as a first name in Japanese diaspora families. Variants and near-forms include Mae, May, Ima, Imay, Imee, and the Japanese cognate surname Imai. Nicknames: Imi, Mae.