May: name meaning, origin & popularity
- Meaning
- “month of May”
- Origin
- English
- Say it
- MAY · 1 syllable
- Used for
- Girls
From the English month name May, ultimately connected with Maia in Roman tradition. It is also used as a short form of Mary, Mabel, or Margaret in some cases.
How popular is May?
Babies named May in 2024168
2024 rank#1,350 girls
Peak year1888
Total US babies since 188049,915
May is steady now but far below its 1888 peak.
Names like May
Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.
May questions
What does the name May mean?
May means "month of May". It comes from English. From the English month name May, ultimately connected with Maia in Roman tradition. It is also used as a short form of Mary, Mabel, or Margaret in some cases.
Is May a boy or girl name?
May is mainly a girl's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).
How popular is May?
168 US babies were named May in 2024. Its peak year was 1888.
How do you pronounce May?
May is usually pronounced MAY.
Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.