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May as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of May

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The baby name May is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /meɪ/ (MAY).

May is English in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 1.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /meɪ/ (MAY)

What is the meaning of the name May ?

The baby name May is a Female name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /meɪ/ (MAY).

May is English in Origin.

May is an English given name with twin sources: the month name, from Latin Maius honoring the Roman goddess Maia ("great," linked to growth), and a longstanding pet form of Mary (Hebrew Miryam, often glossed as "beloved," "wished-for child," or "rebellious") and Margaret (Greek Margarites "pearl"). As such, May can carry senses of springtime renewal, greatness, and purity, depending on the root you favor.

It flourished in Victorian and Edwardian Britain and the United States, especially as a sweet, succinct middle name, then faded mid-century before today’s vintage revival. Common variants include Mae; related surnames Maye and Mays also appear as given names. In other languages, Mai or Mei are phonetic counterparts with separate etymologies. Diminutives or elaborations occasionally seen include Maybeth, Mary-May, and Mayella.

May has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name May

Sòng Měilíng Politician · Born 1898 · United States Sòng Měilíng, also known as Madame Chiang Kai-shek, was a significant political figure in the United States and China during the 20th century. She played a crucial role in Chinese politics as the First Lady of the Republic of China and was influential in promoting the Chinese cause during World War II. Her efforts in fostering US-China relations and her speeches advocating for China are well remembered.

May – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
HK Girls 0 #1 9,700 16,104
MO Girls 0 #2 831 7,056
FJ 0 #6 1 374
KH Girls 0 #6 1 148
SG Girls 0 #6 4,333 18,916
HK 0 #7 849 8,483
MO 0 #8 46 2,706
MY Girls 0 #12 8,243 24,821
KR Girls 0 #15 1 572
MV 0 #19 1 644
HN 0 #21 2 704
ET Boys 0 #27 1 678
PH 0 #29 70 5,607
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
SG 0 #32 353 11,010
TW 0 #32 72 4,523
HT Boys 0 #33 2 903
MY 0 #33 513 12,352
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
TW Girls 0 #35 455 8,139
PH Girls 0 #40 693 13,098
IL Girls 0 #41 2,557 11,648
AZ 0 #43 1 706
PS Girls 0 #45 1,573 10,981
BN Girls 0 #46 63 5,459
HN Boys 0 #52 1 749
CN Girls 0 #54 723 8,829
CN 0 #60 26 3,857
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
KW Girls 0 #62 882 19,177
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
QA Girls 0 #67 353 15,378
QA 0 #68 33 7,011
JP 0 #73 5 4,057
AF 0 #75 2 1,883
AZ Girls 0 #75 1 1,051
EG Girls 0 #75 15,230 14,742
KW 0 #82 35 5,216
ID Girls 0 #84 15 3,319
SA Girls 0 #87 2,848 25,931
SD 0 #87 14 2,130
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
AE Girls 0 #95 753 20,968
OM 0 #95 22 6,215
JO 0 #102 36 2,158
GE Girls 0 #108 1 1,564
IL 0 #111 207 6,291
JO Girls 0 #112 519 7,570
IQ 0 #113 17 3,533
PS 0 #115 108 5,692
EC 0 #116 6 2,502
AE 0 #117 61 10,220
BN Boys 0 #119 15 6,332
CY Girls 0 #121 5 3,755
SD Girls 0 #121 368 7,678
Norway Girls 2025 #122 5 453
OM Girls 0 #123 315 15,987
MT Girls 0 #124 28 3,773
IQ Girls 0 #127 701 11,303
Switzerland Girls 2024 #129 7 1,786
EG 0 #129 626 6,387
GR 0 #132 4 3,911
ID Boys 0 #132 4 4,130
PA 0 #132 7 3,797
TN 0 #136 4,080 13,765
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
CR 0 #144 15 5,526
BW Girls 0 #149 3 4,216
LB 0 #151 1,058 13,263
LT Boys 0 #151 1 2,166
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
RS Boys 0 #154 1 2,277
SA 0 #161 137 10,560
PR Girls 0 #164 4 3,171
AR 0 #170 17 2,915
SI Girls 0 #176 2 2,769
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
JP Girls 0 #177 69 6,592
UY 0 #178 5 2,477
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
CZ 0 #183 4 3,154
EC Girls 0 #185 55 3,650
LU Girls 0 #185 6 4,850
DK 0 #191 13 5,198
RU 0 #194 1 3,641
MO Boys 0 #195 29 5,842
LT Girls 0 #198 3 1,904
BD 0 #208 20 5,992
SI Boys 0 #211 1 3,402
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
HU Girls 0 #220 6 3,308
SY 0 #221 1,159 11,684
JM Girls 0 #224 36 7,507
AL Girls 0 #225 3 4,141
TW Boys 0 #225 17 7,111
BG Girls 0 #228 4 3,559
IR 0 #228 4 4,221
EC Boys 0 #229 11 3,322
GH 0 #229 15 5,396
NA Girls 0 #229 9 7,146
GH Girls 0 #244 82 6,973
GR Girls 0 #247 3 6,293
PT 0 #247 4 4,161
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
NG 0 #250 15 5,926
NA Boys 0 #251 3 6,830
HR Boys 0 #259 1 3,997
Canada Girls 2024 #261 25 2,795
DK Girls 0 #262 55 7,429
AF Boys 0 #272 3 3,535
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
GT 0 #278 37 5,948
MX 0 #279 139 8,339
Spain Girls 0 #283 1,563 5,561
HR Girls 0 #289 6 3,687
JM Boys 0 #291 3 6,876
KZ Boys 0 #293 4 6,578
PE 0 #296 15 6,350
BH 0 #301 269 17,937
JP Boys 0 #301 3 7,909
CZ Boys 0 #302 4 6,530
PA Girls 0 #302 187 9,861
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
CN Boys 0 #303 17 9,639
KZ Girls 0 #303 18 5,862
AR Girls 0 #318 379 8,289
MX Girls 0 #320 2,561 17,781
BR 0 #323 23 5,969
YE 0 #326 56 8,639
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
Spain 0 #335 118 2,326
Finland Girls 0 #335 57 1,368
GH Boys 0 #335 11 8,138
MU Girls 0 #336 16 8,539
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
GT Girls 0 #341 177 7,500
CZ Girls 0 #345 7 5,378
PH Boys 0 #346 38 11,440
BD Girls 0 #351 36 8,413
JO Boys 0 #357 21 7,057
NL 0 #358 34 2,481
BO 0 #359 23 6,868
PL Girls 0 #361 4 5,096
MU Boys 0 #368 2 8,477
EG Boys 0 #370 853 15,035
CL 0 #373 39 6,867
France Girls 2021 #374 32 3,185
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
HK Boys 0 #383 149 12,905
CO 0 #385 96 7,768
UY Boys 0 #386 14 5,922
CR Girls 0 #389 147 11,342
Austria Girls 0 #398 23 1,885
RU Girls 0 #401 98 11,913
LY 0 #406 132 12,703
SD Boys 0 #406 40 10,523
UY Girls 0 #417 94 6,731
Germany 0 #418 20 2,542
ZA 0 #423 25 14,421
GT Boys 0 #426 49 7,625
PT Girls 0 #432 20 7,952
CO Girls 0 #434 1,147 16,140
AR Boys 0 #440 28 7,628
PA Boys 0 #441 41 9,305
BO Girls 0 #453 165 9,488
CR Boys 0 #460 28 10,188
MX Boys 0 #460 750 16,355
PS Boys 0 #472 77 10,655
RU Boys 0 #472 34 12,621
CO Boys 0 #475 594 15,656
BR Girls 0 #476 645 12,708
IL Boys 0 #483 125 10,983
NG Girls 0 #484 352 15,093
IR Girls 0 #510 21 8,334
CM Girls 0 #525 16 11,671
IR Boys 0 #534 19 10,162
MA 0 #536 858 20,986
BD Boys 0 #550 27 10,045
CL Girls 0 #553 323 14,098
DZ 0 #561 837 20,130
Finland Girls 2026 #563 193 3,895
CM Boys 0 #567 9 12,054
BO Boys 0 #570 23 9,244
NL Girls 0 #583 400 5,933
SG Boys 0 #591 107 17,960
IN Girls 0 #606 26 13,121
CL Boys 0 #609 57 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #609 59 13,071
MY Boys 0 #642 523 25,439
IT 0 #657 58 4,183
QA Boys 0 #670 38 18,093
Germany Girls 0 #682 158 4,949
KW Boys 0 #706 64 18,755
PE Boys 0 #716 164 14,506
PE Girls 0 #722 226 14,861
BR Boys 0 #724 28 12,213
United States Girls 2024 #749 168 8,487
ZA Girls 0 #779 386 25,928
Spain Boys 0 #800 131 5,610
OM Boys 0 #829 53 17,948
NL Boys 0 #893 59 5,873
NG Boys 0 #902 50 16,906
Germany Boys 0 #926 27 5,697
ZA Boys 0 #953 227 25,619
IT Girls 0 #957 526 9,415
IN Boys 0 #965 37 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,026 67 22,615
TR 0 #1,104 108 19,440
SA Boys 0 #1,310 306 28,008
IT Boys 0 #1,408 64 10,046

May is popular in 94 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Norway
Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
Canada

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about May

May is predominantly a girl's name.
May is a one syllable name, pronounced /meɪ/ (MAY).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Mae, Maye and Mai.
Yes, very popular — May ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
May ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
May's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #393 in 2011 to #374 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named May are in our database, including Sòng Měilíng (Politician).