May Girl

Popularity: #765 · Trend: ↗ Rising

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: May //meɪ//

Origin: English; Latin; Hebrew

Meaning: English: the month of May; Latin: great; Hebrew: spring

Historical & Cultural Background

The name May has its roots in the Latin word "maius," which refers to the month of May, named after the Roman goddess Maia, associated with growth and fertility. The name entered the English language through Old French in the medieval period, where it was used both as a given name and as a reference to the spring month.

The transition from Latin to Old French and then to Middle English illustrates the linguistic evolution influenced by the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, which brought significant French influence into English vernacular. Historically, the name May has been borne by various notable figures, including saints and queens.

One prominent example is Saint May, a lesser-known figure in Christian hagiography. The name also appears in literature and folklore, often symbolizing youth, renewal, and the beauty of spring.

The association with the month of May has led to its use in various cultural traditions, such as May Day celebrations, which have roots in ancient pagan festivals celebrating the arrival of spring. Culturally, the name May carries connotations of freshness and vitality, often linked to the blossoming of flowers and the rejuvenation of nature.

This symbolic resonance has contributed to its enduring presence in various cultures and languages. Additionally, diminutive forms like "Mae" have emerged, further enriching the name's historical tapestry.

Overall, the name May encapsulates a blend of linguistic heritage, historical significance, and cultural symbolism that has allowed it to persist through the centuries.

Famous people named May

In this section, you will find notable people named May. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named May who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named May who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

May Whitty is an actress best known for her performances in Night Must Fall, The Lady Vanishes, and The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Fictional characters named May

The following list of fictional characters named May is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

May Parker is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe. She is the aunt of Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, and serves as a maternal figure in his life.

May is a fictional character from the animated series and film franchise Pokémon. They are a Pokémon Trainer from the Hoenn region and a key rival to the player character in the games.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with May, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JuneAprilRoseClaireEllaLily

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with May. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MiaMaeveMayaMabelMaraMinaMira

U.S. Historical Usage

The name May was first seen in the United States in 1880.

May has ranked as high as #343 nationally, which occurred in 1919, and has been most popular in New York, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Mississippi.

In the past 5 years the name May has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name May is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when May was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for May.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 183 0 183
2024 168 0 168
2023 156 0 156
2022 155 0 155
2021 123 0 123
2020 119 0 119
2019 133 0 133
2018 129 0 129
2017 128 0 128
2016 131 0 131
2015 130 0 130
2014 138 0 138
2013 109 0 109
2012 106 0 106
2011 88 0 88
2010 107 0 107
2009 80 0 80
2008 94 0 94
2007 92 0 92
2006 75 0 75
2005 95 0 95
2004 85 0 85
2003 92 0 92
2002 91 0 91
2001 91 0 91
2000 89 0 89
1999 73 0 73
1998 69 0 69
1997 85 0 85
1996 92 6 86
1995 83 0 83
1994 95 0 95
1993 79 0 79
1992 81 7 74
1991 94 7 87
1990 93 9 84
1989 107 6 101
1988 98 11 87
1987 107 6 101
1986 123 8 115
1985 135 0 135
1984 131 5 126
1983 139 9 130
1982 163 9 154
1981 145 0 145
1980 134 5 129
1979 108 0 108
1978 81 0 81
1977 85 0 85
1976 77 0 77
1975 89 0 89
1974 89 0 89
1973 98 0 98
1972 78 0 78
1971 113 0 113
1970 93 0 93
1969 93 0 93
1968 100 0 100
1967 97 0 97
1966 105 0 105
1965 116 7 109
1964 113 0 113
1963 114 5 109
1962 127 8 119
1961 136 9 127
1960 145 6 139
1959 141 0 141
1958 144 0 144
1957 146 0 146
1956 173 8 165
1955 189 6 183
1954 197 7 190
1953 171 0 171
1952 178 0 178
1951 222 0 222
1950 189 5 184
1949 205 0 205
1948 221 0 221
1947 233 0 233
1946 195 0 195
1945 208 5 203
1944 233 6 227
1943 219 0 219
1942 289 9 280
1941 259 8 251
1940 293 8 285
1939 267 10 257
1938 279 5 274
1937 303 11 292
1936 332 14 318
1935 361 9 352
1934 386 15 371
1933 413 9 404
1932 450 10 440
1931 495 14 481
1930 569 15 554
1929 594 15 579
1928 717 12 705
1927 755 11 744
1926 780 13 767
1925 871 22 849
1924 884 16 868
1923 872 8 864
1922 868 13 855
1921 989 12 977
1920 974 18 956
1919 991 10 981
1918 982 21 961
1917 962 17 945
1916 954 16 938
1915 990 16 974
1914 783 14 769
1913 706 11 695
1912 703 5 698
1911 546 5 541
1910 600 6 594
1909 488 5 483
1908 515 0 515
1907 552 8 544
1906 524 0 524
1905 536 6 530
1904 555 0 555
1903 548 7 541
1902 570 10 560
1901 556 6 550
1900 749 5 744
1899 571 0 571
1898 696 0 696
1897 603 8 595
1896 671 0 671
1895 691 0 691
1894 771 8 763
1893 699 6 693
1892 763 10 753
1891 701 5 696
1890 756 5 751
1889 732 9 723
1888 793 11 782
1887 653 5 648
1886 610 8 602
1885 612 5 607
1884 564 0 564
1883 538 6 532
1882 518 8 510
1881 451 0 451
1880 462 0 462

Top States for May (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 21
17%
TX 13
10%
IL 10
8%
NY 9
7%
WA 8
6%
VA 8
6%
CO 7
6%
GA 7
6%
TN 7
6%
UT 7
6%
NC 6
5%
PA 6
5%
MD 6
5%
MN 6
5%
OH 5
4%