May
A pet form of Mary and Margaret, reinforced by the month of May.
Popularity, 1880–2025
May appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1880 to 1901. Its biggest year was 1919, when 981 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 194 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1880, at No. 57. All told, 50,099 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Mae (115,441), Mai (5,697), Maha (2,019), Maye (1,956), Mahi (1,285), Ma (631) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Mary, Margaret, Mae
Explore May interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,881 | No. 57 |
| 1890s | 6,880 | No. 65 |
| 1900s | 5,546 | No. 91 |
| 1910s | 8,096 | No. 138 |
| 1920s | 8,164 | No. 204 |
| 1930s | 3,743 | No. 270 |
| 1940s | 2,319 | No. 407 |
| 1950s | 1,724 | No. 577 |
| 1960s | 1,111 | No. 885 |
| 1970s | 911 | No. 1066 |
| 1980s | 1,223 | No. 962 |
| 1990s | 815 | No. 1594 |
| 2000s | 884 | No. 1900 |
| 2010s | 1,199 | No. 1569 |
| 2020s | 904 | No. 1229 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.