Total births
114,835
Girls' name · since 1880
Mae
Mae has 114,835 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #529
- among girls today
- 114,835
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Mae currently ranks #529 among girls' names in America, with 114,835 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Mae recorded 114,835 times among girls since 1880, holding rank #529 nationally today, ahead of 97% of girls, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #529 among girls today
- 114,835 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Mae is currently the #529 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 114,835 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #529
- among girls today
- 114,835
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Mae vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#529
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Mae was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
2,756 babies were named Mae in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Mae compares
114,835 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Mae's all-time total is 301x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mae | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 114,835 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,756 | 48 | 19,840 |
Mae's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Mae's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 15% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 85%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1993, with only 45 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 2,756, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Mae at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#529
Active since
1880
Mae popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 2,756
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Mae popularity over time - boys
606 total births recorded since 1885 (Mae as boys' name)
Mae by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Mae's strongest decade.
22,760 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Mae births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,647
1880s
5,647 births
- 1890s
1890s
10,918 births
- 1900s
1900s
12,711 births
- 1910s
1910s
21,530 births
- 1920s
1920s
22,760 births
- 1930s
1930s
12,859 births
- 1940s 8,947
1940s
8,947 births
- 1950s 5,542
1950s
5,542 births
- 1960s 2,172
1960s
2,172 births
- 1970s 830
1970s
830 births
- 1980s 606
1980s
606 births
- 1990s 654
1990s
654 births
- 2000s 1,714
2000s
1,714 births
- 2010s 4,427
2010s
4,427 births
- 2020s 3,518
2020s
3,518 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 22,760 births (20% of all-time use).
How Mae compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Mae's total volume
Mae vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mae by state
Where Mae concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 5,428 | 4.7% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,977 | 4.3% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 4,778 | 4.2% |
| #4 | New York | | 4,738 | 4.1% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 4,696 | 4.1% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 4,604 | 4.0% |
| #7 | Alabama | | 3,792 | 3.3% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 3,746 | 3.3% |
Pennsylvania share of Mae's total US births 4.7%
Even split
5,428 of 114,835 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Mae appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mae? ▼
114,835 babies have been named Mae since 1880. It currently ranks #529 among girls. The peak year was 1918 with 2,756 births.
When was Mae most popular? ▼
Mae was most popular in the 1920s decade with 22,760 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Mae most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mae are Pennsylvania (5,428 births), Texas (4,977 births), Georgia (4,778 births).
How long has the name Mae been used? ▼
Records for Mae go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Mae? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Maeve, Maegan, Maelynn, Maelyn, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Mae's data
- Mae's decade-level peak was the 1920s (22,760 total births); usage has since declined to 3,518 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Maes (5,428 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Mae
Nearby Names Like Mae
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mae
Maeve Girl
#75 29,608 births
Maegan Girl
9,171 births
Maelynn Girl
#992 2,916 births
Maelyn Girl
#1190 2,490 births
Maelee Girl
#2072 1,587 births
Compare Mae side by side: Mae vs Maeve Mae vs Maegan Mae vs Maelynn
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mae
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mae: #529 Girls' Name - 114,835 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mae. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Mae draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.