Girl nameCurrently #1,357 in the USSteady
May
//ˈmeɪ//
1 syllablePeak year: 19193 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
We're still researching May's meaning
We don't have a verified origin story for this name yet — we'd rather leave it blank than make one up. Check back soon, or explore the popularity data below in the meantime.
May's popularity over time
| Year | Births named May |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 462 |
| 1881 | 451 |
| 1882 | 518 |
| 1883 | 538 |
| 1884 | 564 |
| 1885 | 612 |
| 1886 | 610 |
| 1887 | 653 |
| 1888 | 793 |
| 1889 | 732 |
| 1890 | 756 |
| 1891 | 701 |
| 1892 | 763 |
| 1893 | 699 |
| 1894 | 771 |
| 1895 | 691 |
| 1896 | 671 |
| 1897 | 603 |
| 1898 | 696 |
| 1899 | 571 |
| 1900 | 749 |
| 1901 | 556 |
| 1902 | 570 |
| 1903 | 548 |
| 1904 | 555 |
| 1905 | 536 |
| 1906 | 524 |
| 1907 | 552 |
| 1908 | 515 |
| 1909 | 488 |
| 1910 | 600 |
| 1911 | 546 |
| 1912 | 703 |
| 1913 | 706 |
| 1914 | 783 |
| 1915 | 990 |
| 1916 | 954 |
| 1917 | 962 |
| 1918 | 982 |
| 1919 | 991 |
| 1920 | 974 |
| 1921 | 989 |
| 1922 | 868 |
| 1923 | 872 |
| 1924 | 884 |
| 1925 | 871 |
| 1926 | 780 |
| 1927 | 755 |
| 1928 | 717 |
| 1929 | 594 |
| 1930 | 569 |
| 1931 | 495 |
| 1932 | 450 |
| 1933 | 413 |
| 1934 | 386 |
| 1935 | 361 |
| 1936 | 332 |
| 1937 | 303 |
| 1938 | 279 |
| 1939 | 267 |
| 1940 | 293 |
| 1941 | 259 |
| 1942 | 289 |
| 1943 | 219 |
| 1944 | 233 |
| 1945 | 208 |
| 1946 | 195 |
| 1947 | 233 |
| 1948 | 221 |
| 1949 | 205 |
| 1950 | 189 |
| 1951 | 222 |
| 1952 | 178 |
| 1953 | 171 |
| 1954 | 197 |
| 1955 | 189 |
| 1956 | 173 |
| 1957 | 146 |
| 1958 | 144 |
| 1959 | 141 |
| 1960 | 145 |
| 1961 | 136 |
| 1962 | 127 |
| 1963 | 114 |
| 1964 | 113 |
| 1965 | 116 |
| 1966 | 105 |
| 1967 | 97 |
| 1968 | 100 |
| 1969 | 93 |
| 1970 | 93 |
| 1971 | 113 |
| 1972 | 78 |
| 1973 | 98 |
| 1974 | 89 |
| 1975 | 89 |
| 1976 | 77 |
| 1977 | 85 |
| 1978 | 81 |
| 1979 | 108 |
| 1980 | 134 |
| 1981 | 145 |
| 1982 | 163 |
| 1983 | 139 |
| 1984 | 131 |
| 1985 | 135 |
| 1986 | 123 |
| 1987 | 107 |
| 1988 | 98 |
| 1989 | 107 |
| 1990 | 93 |
| 1991 | 94 |
| 1992 | 81 |
| 1993 | 79 |
| 1994 | 95 |
| 1995 | 83 |
| 1996 | 92 |
| 1997 | 85 |
| 1998 | 69 |
| 1999 | 73 |
| 2000 | 89 |
| 2001 | 91 |
| 2002 | 91 |
| 2003 | 92 |
| 2004 | 85 |
| 2005 | 95 |
| 2006 | 75 |
| 2007 | 92 |
| 2008 | 94 |
| 2009 | 80 |
| 2010 | 107 |
| 2011 | 88 |
| 2012 | 106 |
| 2013 | 109 |
| 2014 | 138 |
| 2015 | 130 |
| 2016 | 131 |
| 2017 | 128 |
| 2018 | 129 |
| 2019 | 133 |
| 2020 | 119 |
| 2021 | 122 |
| 2022 | 155 |
| 2023 | 156 |
| 2024 | 168 |
May through the decades
- May peaked in 1919, when 991 babies were named May in the US.
- The 1920s were May's strongest decade, averaging 830 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of May has risen 39% compared to the 10 years before that.
- May currently ranks #1,357 in the US and is holding steady.