Girl
May
maiden
About May
Simplicity at its finest, May captures pure, understated beauty. This single-syllable name proves that brevity can be powerful, offering clarity and elegance without embellishment. May feels fresh and wholesome, like spring mornings and new beginnings. Its straightforward nature makes it universally accessible while maintaining charm and sophistication. The name works beautifully as both a first name and in combination with others, offering flexibility that more complex names cannot provide. May has endured through generations precisely because it doesn't try too hard—it simply exists as a perfect, complete choice. For parents who appreciate minimalism and timeless style, May represents an ideal selection that will never feel outdated or excessive.
Popularity of the Name May
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #57 | ||||
| 1881 | #58 | ||||
| 1882 | #59 | ||||
| 1883 | #57 | ||||
| 1884 | #61 | ||||
| 1885 | #61 | ||||
| 1886 | #64 | ||||
| 1887 | #61 | ||||
| 1888 | #63 | ||||
| 1889 | #64 | ||||
| 1890 | #65 | ||||
| 1891 | #68 | ||||
| 1892 | #70 | ||||
| 1893 | #73 | ||||
| 1894 | #71 | ||||
| 1895 | #80 | ||||
| 1896 | #82 | ||||
| 1897 | #91 | ||||
| 1898 | #86 | ||||
| 1899 | #95 | ||||
| 1900 | #91 | #34 | |||
| 1901 | #95 | #29 | |||
| 1902 | #107 | #42 | |||
| 1903 | #107 | #43 | |||
| 1904 | #109 | #42 | |||
| 1905 | #119 | #43 | |||
| 1906 | #119 | #55 | |||
| 1907 | #120 | #41 | |||
| 1908 | #134 | #45 | |||
| 1909 | #146 | #41 | |||
| 1910 | #138 | #57 | |||
| 1911 | #149 | #45 | |||
| 1912 | #153 | #59 | |||
| 1913 | #167 | #57 | |||
| 1914 | #175 | #67 | |||
| 1915 | #175 | #75 | |||
| 1916 | #190 | #64 | |||
| 1917 | #195 | #84 | |||
| 1918 | #200 | #56 | |||
| 1919 | #194 | #72 | |||
| 1920 | #204 | #76 | |||
| 1921 | #205 | #84 | |||
| 1922 | #224 | #90 | |||
| 1923 | #220 | #86 | |||
| 1924 | #222 | #103 | |||
| 1925 | #221 | #79 | |||
| 1926 | #232 | #92 | |||
| 1927 | #236 | #90 | |||
| 1928 | #236 | #109 | |||
| 1929 | #267 | #102 | |||
| 1930 | #270 | #137 | |||
| 1931 | #285 | #121 | |||
| 1932 | #301 | #152 | |||
| 1933 | #309 | #134 | |||
| 1934 | #325 | #97 | |||
| 1935 | #338 | #100 | |||
| 1936 | #355 | #147 | |||
| 1937 | #379 | #118 | |||
| 1938 | #404 | ||||
| 1939 | #423 | #139 | |||
| 1940 | #408 | #135 | |||
| 1941 | #431 | #138 | |||
| 1942 | #435 | #160 | |||
| 1943 | #504 | #153 | |||
| 1944 | #473 | #155 | |||
| 1945 | #514 | #159 | |||
| 1946 | #572 | #230 | |||
| 1947 | #559 | ||||
| 1948 | #558 | #227 | |||
| 1949 | #579 | #189 | |||
| 1950 | #622 | #256 | |||
| 1951 | #576 | #244 | |||
| 1952 | #666 | #246 | |||
| 1953 | #699 | ||||
| 1954 | #675 | #254 | |||
| 1955 | #694 | ||||
| 1956 | #759 | #314 | |||
| 1957 | #842 | #298 | |||
| 1958 | #851 | ||||
| 1959 | #867 | ||||
| 1960 | #891 | ||||
| 1961 | #959 | ||||
| 1962 | #982 | ||||
| 1965 | #999 | ||||
| 1982 | #964 | #590 | |||
| 1997 | #604 | #649 | |||
| 1998 | #614 | #590 | |||
| 1999 | #558 | #600 | |||
| 2000 | #551 | #981 | |||
| 2001 | #542 | #428 | |||
| 2002 | #486 | #587 | |||
| 2003 | #543 | #615 | #867 | ||
| 2004 | #577 | #646 | |||
| 2005 | #466 | #568 | |||
| 2006 | #443 | ||||
| 2007 | #350 | #986 | |||
| 2008 | #407 | #705 | |||
| 2009 | #397 | #521 | |||
| 2010 | #360 | #394 | #464 | ||
| 2011 | #431 | #387 | #386 | ||
| 2012 | #500 | #726 | |||
| 2013 | #519 | #450 | |||
| 2014 | #543 | #366 | |||
| 2015 | #627 | #419 | |||
| 2016 | #536 | #567 | |||
| 2017 | #632 | #297 | |||
| 2018 | #771 | #378 | |||
| 2019 | #678 | #335 | |||
| 2020 | #612 | #327 | #953 | ||
| 2021 | #616 | #314 | |||
| 2022 | #661 | #313 | #787 | ||
| 2023 | #671 | #275 | #837 | ||
| 2024 | #620 | #356 | |||
| 2025 | #566 | #786 | |||
| 1963 | #344 | ||||
| 1968 | #374 | ||||
| 1969 | #334 | ||||
| 1970 | #306 | ||||
| 1984 | #376 | ||||
| 1994 | #377 | #576 | |||
| 1967 | #338 | ||||
| 1971 | #536 | ||||
| 1976 | #568 | ||||
| 1980 | #619 | ||||
| 1985 | #408 | ||||
| 1991 | #902 | ||||
| 1993 | #961 | ||||
| 1995 | #842 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name May
Names Similar to May
Nicknames for May
- Mae
- Maymay
- Maysie
- Mazie
- Mimi
Famous People Named May
| May Jemison | American astronaut and physician |
| May Britt | Swedish actress |
| May Whitty | British actress |
| May Sarton | American poet and novelist |
| May Robson | Australian-American actress |
| May Allison | American silent film actress |
| May Warden | British actress |
| May Irwin | Canadian-American actress and singer |
| May Britt Posthuma | Dutch rower and Olympic champion |
| May Pyle | American actress and singer |
| May Britt Hontiveros | Filipino senator |
| May Chidiac | Lebanese journalist |
| May Sutton | American tennis champion |
| May Swenson | American poet |
| May Robson Taylor | American zoologist |
| May Willis | American pianist |
| May Wynn | American actress |
| May Gibbs | Australian children's author and illustrator |
| May Chinn | African-American physician and educator |
| May El-Khalil | Lebanese marathon runner |
Characters Named May
| May Parker | Aunt May - Spider-Man comics/movies |
| May Maxwell | "Downton Abbey" TV series |
| May Belle Aarons | "Bridge to Terabithia" novel/movie |
| May Welland | "The Age of Innocence" novel/movie |
| May Canary | "Ragtime" novel/movie |
| May Day | James Bond film "A View to a Kill" |
| May Lily | "The Night Circus" novel |
| May Whitty | "The Lady Vanishes" film |
| May Dodd | "One Thousand White Women" novel |
| May Boatwright | "The Secret Life of Bees" novel/movie |
| May Carleton | "Peaky Blinders" TV series |
| May Kasahara | "Norwegian Wood" novel |
| May Bird | "May Bird" book series |
| May Bertram | "Mansfield Park" novel by Jane Austen |
| May Lawrence | "Anna Karenina" novel by Leo Tolstoy |
| May Welland Archer | "The Age of Innocence" novel by Edith Wharton |
| May Morrison | "The Thorn Birds" novel by Colleen McCullough |
| May Chatham | "The Luxe" novel series by Anna Godbersen |
| May Kang | "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane" novel by Lisa See |
| May Beth Foster | "Walk Two Moons" novel by Sharon Creech |