May
May was given to 183 girls in 2025, #1,233 among girls’ names; 50,099 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 10,400 Americans named May and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (21% of everyone recorded); the median is 49 years old and half are between 23 and 74.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of May by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does May mean?
Wiktionary, English section
May is “a female given name, usually pet name for Mary and Margaret, reinforced by the month and plant meaning.” Its etymology gives the sense “Maia's month” (Maius).
From Middle English May, Mai, from Old French mai, from Latin Maius (“Maia’s month”), from Maia, a Roman earth goddess.
/meɪ/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is May?
#1,233 among girls’ names, 2025
May rose from #1,652 in 2015 to #1,233 in 2025 among girls’ names; its share of girls born rose from 0.07 to 0.11 per 1,000.
991 babies in 1919, the peak
May peaked in 1919, when 991 babies were given it (981 girls, #194 among girls’ names). The 183 births of 2025 are 18% of that peak.
Births by sex.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 183 | #1,233 | 0.11 |
| 2024 | 168 | #1,361 | 0.10 |
| 2023 | 156 | #1,437 | 0.10 |
| 2022 | 155 | #1,446 | 0.09 |
| 2021 | 123 | #1,690 | 0.07 |
| 2020 | 119 | #1,714 | 0.07 |
| 2019 | 133 | #1,602 | 0.08 |
| 2018 | 129 | #1,645 | 0.08 |
| 2017 | 128 | #1,682 | 0.07 |
| 2016 | 131 | #1,651 | 0.07 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 130 | #1,652 | 0.07 |
| 2014 | 138 | #1,575 | 0.08 |
| 2013 | 109 | #1,859 | 0.06 |
| 2012 | 106 | #1,900 | 0.06 |
| 2011 | 88 | #2,170 | 0.05 |
| 2010 | 107 | #1,892 | 0.06 |
| 2009 | 80 | #2,412 | 0.04 |
| 2008 | 94 | #2,150 | 0.05 |
| 2007 | 92 | #2,171 | 0.05 |
| 2006 | 75 | #2,476 | 0.04 |
| 2005 | 95 | #1,999 | 0.05 |
| 2004 | 85 | #2,129 | 0.05 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1,979 | 0.05 |
| 2002 | 91 | #1,945 | 0.05 |
| 2001 | 91 | #1,913 | 0.05 |
| 2000 | 89 | #1,913 | 0.05 |
| 1999 | 73 | #2,107 | 0.04 |
| 1998 | 69 | #2,112 | 0.04 |
| 1997 | 85 | #1,776 | 0.05 |
| 1996 | 86 | #1,742 | 0.05 |
| 1995 | 83 | #1,753 | 0.05 |
| 1994 | 95 | #1,597 | 0.05 |
| 1993 | 79 | #1,835 | 0.04 |
| 1992 | 74 | #1,898 | 0.04 |
| 1991 | 87 | #1,693 | 0.05 |
| 1990 | 84 | #1,747 | 0.04 |
| 1989 | 101 | #1,455 | 0.05 |
| 1988 | 87 | #1,536 | 0.05 |
| 1987 | 101 | #1,357 | 0.06 |
| 1986 | 115 | #1,213 | 0.07 |
| 1985 | 135 | #1,079 | 0.08 |
| 1984 | 126 | #1,100 | 0.07 |
| 1983 | 130 | #1,069 | 0.08 |
| 1982 | 154 | #964 | 0.09 |
| 1981 | 145 | #1,006 | 0.09 |
| 1980 | 129 | #1,087 | 0.08 |
| 1979 | 108 | #1,207 | 0.07 |
| 1978 | 81 | #1,430 | 0.05 |
| 1977 | 85 | #1,342 | 0.06 |
| 1976 | 77 | #1,388 | 0.05 |
| 1975 | 89 | #1,262 | 0.06 |
| 1974 | 89 | #1,231 | 0.06 |
| 1973 | 98 | #1,135 | 0.07 |
| 1972 | 78 | #1,309 | 0.05 |
| 1971 | 113 | #1,069 | 0.07 |
| 1970 | 93 | #1,210 | 0.05 |
| 1969 | 93 | #1,158 | 0.06 |
| 1968 | 100 | #1,049 | 0.06 |
| 1967 | 97 | #1,055 | 0.06 |
| 1966 | 105 | #1,007 | 0.06 |
| 1965 | 109 | #999 | 0.06 |
| 1964 | 113 | #1,013 | 0.06 |
| 1963 | 109 | #1,025 | 0.06 |
| 1962 | 119 | #982 | 0.06 |
| 1961 | 127 | #959 | 0.06 |
| 1960 | 139 | #891 | 0.07 |
| 1959 | 141 | #867 | 0.07 |
| 1958 | 144 | #851 | 0.07 |
| 1957 | 146 | #842 | 0.07 |
| 1956 | 165 | #759 | 0.08 |
| 1955 | 183 | #694 | 0.09 |
| 1954 | 190 | #675 | 0.10 |
| 1953 | 171 | #699 | 0.09 |
| 1952 | 178 | #666 | 0.10 |
| 1951 | 222 | #576 | 0.12 |
| 1950 | 184 | #622 | 0.11 |
| 1949 | 205 | #579 | 0.12 |
| 1948 | 221 | #558 | 0.13 |
| 1947 | 233 | #559 | 0.13 |
| 1946 | 195 | #572 | 0.12 |
| 1945 | 203 | #514 | 0.16 |
| 1944 | 227 | #473 | 0.17 |
| 1943 | 219 | #504 | 0.16 |
| 1942 | 280 | #435 | 0.21 |
| 1941 | 251 | #431 | 0.21 |
| 1940 | 285 | #408 | 0.25 |
| 1939 | 257 | #423 | 0.23 |
| 1938 | 274 | #404 | 0.25 |
| 1937 | 292 | #379 | 0.27 |
| 1936 | 318 | #355 | 0.31 |
| 1935 | 352 | #338 | 0.34 |
| 1934 | 371 | #325 | 0.36 |
| 1933 | 404 | #309 | 0.40 |
| 1932 | 440 | #301 | 0.41 |
| 1931 | 481 | #285 | 0.45 |
| 1930 | 554 | #270 | 0.49 |
| 1929 | 579 | #267 | 0.52 |
| 1928 | 705 | #236 | 0.61 |
| 1927 | 744 | #236 | 0.62 |
| 1926 | 767 | #232 | 0.65 |
| 1925 | 849 | #221 | 0.70 |
| 1924 | 868 | #222 | 0.70 |
| 1923 | 864 | #220 | 0.72 |
| 1922 | 855 | #224 | 0.71 |
| 1921 | 977 | #205 | 0.79 |
| 1920 | 956 | #204 | 0.80 |
| 1919 | 981 | #194 | 0.87 |
| 1918 | 961 | #200 | 0.83 |
| 1917 | 945 | #195 | 0.87 |
| 1916 | 938 | #190 | 0.90 |
| 1915 | 974 | #175 | 1.0 |
| 1914 | 769 | #175 | 1.0 |
| 1913 | 695 | #167 | 1.1 |
| 1912 | 698 | #153 | 1.3 |
| 1911 | 541 | #149 | 1.3 |
| 1910 | 594 | #138 | 1.5 |
| 1909 | 483 | #146 | 1.4 |
| 1908 | 515 | #134 | 1.5 |
| 1907 | 544 | #120 | 1.7 |
| 1906 | 524 | #119 | 1.8 |
| 1905 | 530 | #119 | 1.8 |
| 1904 | 555 | #109 | 2.0 |
| 1903 | 541 | #107 | 2.1 |
| 1902 | 560 | #107 | 2.1 |
| 1901 | 550 | #95 | 2.3 |
| 1900 | 744 | #91 | 2.5 |
| 1899 | 571 | #95 | 2.5 |
| 1898 | 696 | #86 | 2.7 |
| 1897 | 595 | #91 | 2.5 |
| 1896 | 671 | #82 | 2.8 |
| 1895 | 691 | #80 | 3.0 |
| 1894 | 763 | #71 | 3.4 |
| 1893 | 693 | #73 | 3.3 |
| 1892 | 753 | #70 | 3.5 |
| 1891 | 696 | #68 | 3.8 |
| 1890 | 751 | #65 | 3.9 |
| 1889 | 723 | #64 | 4.1 |
| 1888 | 782 | #63 | 4.4 |
| 1887 | 648 | #61 | 4.4 |
| 1886 | 602 | #64 | 4.2 |
| 1885 | 607 | #61 | 4.6 |
| 1884 | 564 | #61 | 4.4 |
| 1883 | 532 | #57 | 4.7 |
| 1882 | 510 | #59 | 4.7 |
| 1881 | 451 | #58 | 4.9 |
| 1880 | 462 | #57 | 5.1 |
Ranks and shares: girls’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all girls SSA recorded that year.
Is May a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Of the 50,099 Americans recorded as May, 99% are girls and 1% boys. In 2025 it went to 183 girls; SSA lists no boys with it that year (fewer than 5, or none).
Years with fewer than 20 babies given the name are left blank.
Girls and boys named May: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named May, and how old are they?
10,400 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 21% of the 50,099 Americans ever recorded as May. The median May alive today is 49 years old; half are between 23 and 74.
The 2020 Census counted 22,045 people named May (21,515 women and girls, 530 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 11,552 born in the U.S. The Census count is 1.9 times that prediction. Possible reasons: the Census counts people born abroad, whom SSA’s files leave out, and it records the name people give, which SSA may have recorded under another spelling or as part of a compound name.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 1,560 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 2,460 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 1,440 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 1,710 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 1,400 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 1,790 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named May born?
The states with the most babies named May are New York, California and Texas, with 30% of its births recorded by state since 1910.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, girls | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 3,474 | #1,479 | 1.2× |
| California | 2,712 | #1,214 | 1.6× |
| Texas | 1,582 | #1,511 | 0.8× |
| Pennsylvania | 1,520 | #1,075 | 0.6× |
| Mississippi | 1,050 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| Illinois | 901 | #1,553 | 0.5× |
| New Jersey | 846 | #1,295 | 0.9× |
| Georgia | 798 | not ranked | 0.8× |
| Louisiana | 787 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| North Carolina | 780 | not ranked | 0.7× |
Where May is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, May is most over-represented in Hawaii: since 1910 it was given 3.6 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among girls’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of May with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 8 names spelled alike, given to 331,454 babies since 1880, May is the third most given (15% of them). In 2025 it was given to 183 of their 5,395 babies (3.4%), the fourth most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as May
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about May and names like it
- Compare May and MayaBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1910sMay peaked in 1919.
- New York’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named May since 1910.
- The top names of 1919The year the most babies were named May.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named May alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with MMost given first.