May
Girl name · #1229 in 2025 · Rare
May is currently the #1229 girl name in the United States — 183 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1643, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 9,836 girls born in 2025 was named May.
Babies named May per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
May first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 462 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1919, when 981 girls were named May — good for #194 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 May against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another May in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common May is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your May will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where May is most common
Geography matters for names, and May is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, May is most common in WA (0.4 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000), TX (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where May is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like May
Statistically, parents drawn to May tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Inez, Iva, Marian, Mattie, and Ida.
InezIvaMarianMattieIdaMollieLeoraOdessa
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named May | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 183 | #1229 |
| 2024 | 168 | #1358 |
| 2023 | 156 | #1430 |
| 2022 | 155 | #1443 |
| 2021 | 123 | #1680 |
| 2020 | 119 | #1704 |
| 2019 | 133 | #1598 |
| 2018 | 129 | #1640 |
| 2017 | 128 | #1677 |
| 2016 | 131 | #1649 |
| 2015 | 130 | #1643 |
| 2014 | 138 | #1569 |
| 2013 | 109 | #1849 |
| 2012 | 106 | #1886 |
| 2011 | 88 | #2156 |
| 2010 | 107 | #1886 |
| 2009 | 80 | #2396 |
| 2008 | 94 | #2137 |
| 2007 | 92 | #2163 |
| 2006 | 75 | #2459 |
| 2005 | 95 | #1993 |
| 2004 | 85 | #2117 |
| 2003 | 92 | #1970 |
| 2002 | 91 | #1934 |
| 2001 | 91 | #1901 |
Frequently asked questions
Is May a popular girl name?
May ranked #1229 among girls in 2025 with 183 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1643.
When was the name May most popular?
May peaked in 1919, when 981 American girls received the name (ranked #194 that year). Since 1919 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name May?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 9,836 newborn American girls was named May. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
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.