May Mei as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of May Mei

What is the meaning of the name May Mei ?

The baby name May Mei is a name , 11 syllables long and is pronounced {'May': '/meɪ/', 'Mei': '/meɪ/'}.

May Mei is Japanese in Origin.

May Mei unites English and Chinese layers of meaning. May derives either from the spring month (Latin Maius, linked to Maia, goddess of growth) or serves as a pet form of Mary or Margaret; through Margaret it carries the sense “pearl.” Mei, in Mandarin, commonly writes as 美 “beautiful” or 梅 “plum (blossom).” Together the double name suggests “beautiful plum in May,” “spring beauty,” or a luminous “pearl of May.” Both elements are pronounced “may,” giving a musical, emphatic pairing.

Used in the Anglophone world since the Victorian era, May peaked circa 1880–1910 and now reads as a vintage revival. Mei is widespread across Chinese-speaking communities and the diaspora, especially since the standardization of pinyin. Variants and forms include Mae Mei, May-Mei, Mei-May, and Mei-Mei (also a Chinese nickname meaning “little sister”). Related names: Maia, Mary, Margaret, Mae, Mai, and Meiling.

⚙ May Mei is a genuine rarity. We hold just 10 recorded uses of it, from 4 countries.