Total births
49,400
Girls' name · since 1880
May
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 49,400 babies named May, peaking in 1919. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1358
- among girls today
- 49,400
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- May is the #1358 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 49,400 recorded since 1880.
May has 49,400 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1358 as of the latest data, more common than 92% of girls, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1358 among girls today
- 49,400 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
May is currently the #1358 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 49,400 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1358
- among girls today
- 49,400
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
May vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1358
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1920s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named May was born in this single decade.
1919
Single peak year
981 babies were named May in 1919 - its busiest year on record.
How May compares
49,400 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
May's all-time total is 129x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | May | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 49,400 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 981 | 48 | 19,840 |
May's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting May's full recorded timeline at 1953, 17% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 83% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1998, with just 69 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1919 peak of 981 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
May at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1919
Current rank
#1,358
Active since
1880
May popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1919)
- 981
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
May popularity over time - boys
699 total births recorded since 1882 (May as boys' name)
May by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was May's strongest decade.
8,164 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
May births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s
1880s
5,881 births
- 1890s
1890s
6,880 births
- 1900s
1900s
5,546 births
- 1910s
1910s
8,096 births
- 1920s
1920s
8,164 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,743 births
- 1940s 2,319
1940s
2,319 births
- 1950s 1,724
1950s
1,724 births
- 1960s 1,111
1960s
1,111 births
- 1970s 911
1970s
911 births
- 1980s 1,223
1980s
1,223 births
- 1990s 815
1990s
815 births
- 2000s 884
2000s
884 births
- 2010s 1,199
2010s
1,199 births
- 2020s 904
2020s
904 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 8,164 births (17% of all-time use).
How May 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 May's total volume
May vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
May by state
Where May concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,474 | 7.0% |
| #2 | California | | 2,712 | 5.5% |
| #3 | Texas | | 1,582 | 3.2% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 1,520 | 3.1% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 1,050 | 2.1% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 901 | 1.8% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 846 | 1.7% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 798 | 1.6% |
New York share of May's total US births 7.0%
Even split
3,474 of 49,400 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 49 reporting states.
May appears in 49 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name May? ▼
May has been given to 49,400 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1358 as of the latest data. 981 babies were born in 1919, its single highest year.
When was May most popular? ▼
May was most popular in the 1920s decade with 8,164 total births. The single peak year was 1919.
Where is May most popular? ▼
The top states for the name May are New York (3,474 births), California (2,712 births), Texas (1,582 births).
How long has the name May been used? ▼
Records for May go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to May? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Maya, Mayra, Mayme, Maybelle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with May's data
- May's decade-level peak was the 1920s (8,164 total births); usage has since declined to 904 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Mays (3,474 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 May
Nearby Names Like May
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to May
Maya Girl
#51 123,587 births
Mayra Girl
#1585 33,217 births
Mayme Girl
#11123 10,928 births
Maybelle Girl
#4388 6,366 births
Maylee Girl
#1019 4,596 births
Compare May side by side: May vs Maya May vs Mayra May vs Mayme
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to May
Delainey #1357
2,092 births · Peak 2024
Evalyn #1359
9,567 births · Peak 2014
Hollyn #1356
2,090 births · Peak 2025
Nelly #1360
7,792 births · Peak 2007
Jayde #1355
8,647 births · Peak 2017
Ciara #1361
34,876 births · Peak 2005
Jasmin #1354
45,060 births · Peak 2006
Kelani #1362
1,708 births · Peak 2020
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. "May: #1358 Girls' Name - 49,400 Births, Peak 1919." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/may. 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 May 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.