May
Meaning
the month of May; also a diminutive of Mary/Margaret
The formal names behind May
May is an established short form of this name.
Mary · Hebrew origin · bitter; beloved
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. May peaked in the 1890s and the 1900s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
484 people · the #13,708 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 500,000 · median age 26
Among people named May living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 71 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet May
People given the name May in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1940 to 2009. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The May deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where May truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how May fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where May travels
Chinese American · A documented choice in Chinese American families.
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