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At a Glance: Name: May – Meaning: traditionally a pet form of Mary or Margaret, reinforced by the spring month (named for the Roman goddess Maia) – Origin: English (pet name, reinforced by the month name) – Gender: Girl – Pronunciation: MAY
May (pronounced MAY, /ˈmeɪ/) is an English pet name, traditionally a shortened form of Mary or Margaret. You'll often hear it linked to the spring month and the Roman goddess Maia, but that's not quite how it started — the month connection reinforces the name rather than being its source.
Meaning & Origin of May
Meaning: Traditionally a pet form of mary or margaret, reinforced by the spring month (named for the roman goddess maia).
Origin: English (pet name, reinforced by the month name).
A common claim: Said to mean 'the month of May' or to honor the goddess Maia Actually: May is usually a pet form of Mary or Margaret rather than a direct reference to the month or goddess — the month association reinforces rather than founds the name.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce May
Phonetic: MAY IPA: /ˈmeɪ/
Popularity of May
May peaked at #57 in 1880 with 462 babies given the name, and by 2024 it had fallen to #1357 with just 168, based on Social Security data spanning 1880 to 2024.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Make May Name Art
Free printable nursery art for May, 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 May mean?
Traditionally a pet form of mary or margaret, reinforced by the spring month (named for the roman goddess maia). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/May)
How do you pronounce May?
May is pronounced MAY (IPA: /ˈmeɪ/).
Is May a popular name right now?
May peaked at #57 in 1880 and is ranked #1357 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)
📊 How popular is May? See the full popularity history, trend data, and ranking since 1880 with our free Baby Name Popularity Checker.
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