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At a Glance: Name: Mae – Meaning: a vintage spelling of May, linked to the Roman goddess Maia (spring/growth); also used as a pet form of Mary, Margaret, or Mabel – Origin: English (variant of May) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: MAY
Mae is pronounced MAY and comes from English as a variant of May, tied to the Roman goddess Maia and the idea of spring and growth; it's also been used as a short form of Mary, Margaret, or Mabel. You may have heard Mae translated as "pearl" or "goddess of spring," but those come from Margaret and from the goddess Maia by association, not from Mae's own sense as a May variant. It reads as both clean, modern and timeless, classic, a short name with a long paper trail.
Meaning & Origin of Mae
Meaning: A vintage spelling of may, linked to the roman goddess maia (spring/growth); also used as a pet form of mary, margaret, or mabel.
Origin: English (variant of May).
A common claim: Mae is often said to mean 'pearl' or 'goddess of spring.' Actually: These come from separate uses, not from Mae's core sense as a variant of May — 'pearl' reflects its role as a nickname for Margaret, and 'goddess of spring' reflects the Roman goddess Maia, not a meaning of the May-variant itself.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Mae
Phonetic: MAY IPA: /ˈmeɪ/
Popularity of Mae
SSA records for Mae run from 1880 to 2024, with the name at its most popular in 1892 at #52 (1,101 babies) and, more than a century later, sitting at #530 in 2024 with 574 babies given the name.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make Mae Name Art
Free printable nursery art for Mae, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.
Names With a Similar Story
Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.
FAQ
What does the name Mae mean?
A vintage spelling of may, linked to the roman goddess maia (spring/growth); also used as a pet form of mary, margaret, or mabel. (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Mae)
How do you pronounce Mae?
Mae is pronounced MAY (IPA: /ˈmeɪ/).
Is Mae a popular name right now?
Mae peaked at #52 in 1892 and is ranked #530 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is Mae? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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