Mae
Girl name · #500 in 2025 · Uniqueness 50/100
Mae ranks #500 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 594 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #588, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,030 girls born in 2025 was named Mae.
Babies named Mae per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Mae first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 344 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 2,756 girls were named Mae — good for #95 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mae against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mae in class?
Mae scores 50 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mae is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mae is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Maes were TX (44), CA (34), IL (31), NY (31), MA (26). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Mae
Statistically, parents drawn to Mae tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Maxine, Adele, Hattie, Estelle, and Nellie.
MaxineAdeleHattieEstelleNellieLeonaOpalMavis
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mae | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 594 | #500 |
| 2024 | 578 | #529 |
| 2023 | 599 | #506 |
| 2022 | 614 | #511 |
| 2021 | 622 | #501 |
| 2020 | 511 | #572 |
| 2019 | 556 | #548 |
| 2018 | 561 | #553 |
| 2017 | 461 | #637 |
| 2016 | 535 | #579 |
| 2015 | 513 | #588 |
| 2014 | 413 | #686 |
| 2013 | 419 | #676 |
| 2012 | 373 | #746 |
| 2011 | 337 | #802 |
| 2010 | 259 | #979 |
| 2009 | 240 | #1063 |
| 2008 | 230 | #1123 |
| 2007 | 208 | #1205 |
| 2006 | 207 | #1173 |
| 2005 | 175 | #1277 |
| 2004 | 151 | #1380 |
| 2003 | 119 | #1612 |
| 2002 | 140 | #1376 |
| 2001 | 112 | #1627 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Mae a popular girl name?
Mae ranked #500 among girls in 2025 with 594 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #588.
When was the name Mae most popular?
Mae peaked in 1918, when 2,756 American girls received the name (ranked #95 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mae?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,030 newborn American girls was named Mae. It scores 50/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.