May
#1,229 for girls in 2025, 183 births · Last seen for boys in 1996 at #7,971
Given to girls 98.6% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1883 · 532 births
- Debut · girls
- 462 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 22 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 49,400since 1880
May over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #1,229 | 183 | — | |
| 2024 | #1,358 | 168 | — | |
| 2023 | #1,430 | 156 | — | |
| 2022 | #1,443 | 155 | — | |
| 2021 | #1,680 | 123 | — | |
| 2020 | #1,704 | 119 | — | |
| 2019 | #1,598 | 133 | — | |
| 2018 | #1,640 | 129 | — | |
| 2017 | #1,677 | 128 | — | |
| 2016 | #1,649 | 131 | — | |
| 2015 | #1,643 | 130 | — | |
| 2014 | #1,569 | 138 | — | |
| 2013 | #1,849 | 109 | — | |
| 2012 | #1,886 | 106 | — | |
| 2011 | #2,156 | 88 | — | |
| 2010 | #1,886 | 107 | — | |
| 2009 | #2,396 | 80 | — | |
| 2008 | #2,137 | 94 | — | |
| 2007 | #2,163 | 92 | — | |
| 2006 | #2,459 | 75 | — | |
| 2005 | #1,993 | 95 | — | |
| 2004 | #2,117 | 85 | — | |
| 2003 | #1,970 | 92 | — | |
| 2002 | #1,934 | 91 | — | |
| 2001 | #1,901 | 91 | — | |
| 2000 | #1,900 | 89 | — | |
| 1999 | #2,095 | 73 | — | |
| 1998 | #2,104 | 69 | — | |
| 1997 | #1,766 | 85 | — | |
| 1996 | #1,736 | 86 | #7,971 | 6 |
| 1995 | #1,746 | 83 | — | |
| 1994 | #1,594 | 95 | — | |
| 1993 | #1,830 | 79 | — | |
| 1992 | #1,894 | 74 | #6,670 | 7 |
| 1991 | #1,689 | 87 | #6,519 | 7 |
| 1990 | #1,733 | 84 | #5,382 | 9 |
| 1989 | #1,454 | 101 | #6,941 | 6 |
| 1988 | #1,533 | 87 | #4,162 | 11 |
| 1987 | #1,349 | 101 | #6,089 | 6 |
| 1986 | #1,210 | 115 | #4,853 | 8 |
| 1985 | #1,077 | 135 | — | |
| 1984 | #1,098 | 126 | #6,315 | 5 |
| 1983 | #1,067 | 130 | #4,141 | 9 |
| 1982 | #962 | 154 | #4,234 | 9 |
| 1981 | #1,004 | 145 | — | |
| 1980 | #1,087 | 129 | #6,250 | 5 |
| 1979 | #1,204 | 108 | — | |
| 1978 | #1,422 | 81 | — | |
| 1977 | #1,341 | 85 | — | |
| 1976 | #1,384 | 77 | — | |
| 1975 | #1,258 | 89 | — | |
| 1974 | #1,226 | 89 | — | |
| 1973 | #1,132 | 98 | — | |
| 1972 | #1,303 | 78 | — | |
| 1971 | #1,066 | 113 | — | |
| 1970 | #1,208 | 93 | — | |
| 1969 | #1,153 | 93 | — | |
| 1968 | #1,042 | 100 | — | |
| 1967 | #1,046 | 97 | — | |
| 1966 | #999 | 105 | — | |
| 1965 | #996 | 109 | #3,244 | 7 |
| 1964 | #1,009 | 113 | — | |
| 1963 | #1,022 | 109 | #4,048 | 5 |
| 1962 | #978 | 119 | #3,041 | 8 |
| 1961 | #957 | 127 | #2,900 | 9 |
| 1960 | #885 | 139 | #3,665 | 6 |
| 1959 | #866 | 141 | — | |
| 1958 | #850 | 144 | — | |
| 1957 | #841 | 146 | — | |
| 1956 | #757 | 165 | #2,969 | 8 |
| 1955 | #694 | 183 | #3,505 | 6 |
| 1954 | #676 | 190 | #3,176 | 7 |
| 1953 | #697 | 171 | — | |
| 1952 | #664 | 178 | — | |
| 1951 | #577 | 222 | — | |
| 1950 | #622 | 184 | #3,681 | 5 |
| 1949 | #579 | 205 | — | |
| 1948 | #557 | 221 | — | |
| 1947 | #557 | 233 | — | |
| 1946 | #572 | 195 | — | |
| 1945 | #514 | 203 | #3,338 | 5 |
| 1944 | #472 | 227 | #3,109 | 6 |
| 1943 | #503 | 219 | — | |
| 1942 | #433 | 280 | #2,523 | 9 |
| 1941 | #431 | 251 | #2,656 | 8 |
| 1940 | #407 | 285 | #2,671 | 8 |
| 1939 | #423 | 257 | #2,288 | 10 |
| 1938 | #403 | 274 | #3,534 | 5 |
| 1937 | #379 | 292 | #2,197 | 11 |
| 1936 | #355 | 318 | #1,872 | 14 |
| 1935 | #337 | 352 | #2,529 | 9 |
| 1934 | #324 | 371 | #1,860 | 15 |
| 1933 | #309 | 404 | #2,542 | 9 |
| 1932 | #301 | 440 | #2,465 | 10 |
| 1931 | #285 | 481 | #2,003 | 14 |
| 1930 | #270 | 554 | #1,964 | 15 |
| 1929 | #267 | 579 | #2,002 | 15 |
| 1928 | #236 | 705 | #2,387 | 12 |
| 1927 | #236 | 744 | #2,523 | 11 |
| 1926 | #232 | 767 | #2,302 | 13 |
| 1925 | #221 | 849 | #1,628 | 22 |
| 1924 | #221 | 868 | #2,043 | 16 |
| 1923 | #220 | 864 | #3,175 | 8 |
| 1922 | #224 | 855 | #2,347 | 13 |
| 1921 | #205 | 977 | #2,502 | 12 |
| 1920 | #204 | 956 | #1,885 | 18 |
| 1919 | #194 | 981 | #2,665 | 10 |
| 1918 | #200 | 961 | #1,648 | 21 |
| 1917 | #194 | 945 | #1,815 | 17 |
| 1916 | #190 | 938 | #1,849 | 16 |
| 1915 | #175 | 974 | #1,782 | 16 |
| 1914 | #175 | 769 | #1,687 | 14 |
| 1913 | #167 | 695 | #1,676 | 11 |
| 1912 | #153 | 698 | #2,544 | 5 |
| 1911 | #149 | 541 | #1,740 | 5 |
| 1910 | #138 | 594 | #1,421 | 6 |
| 1909 | #146 | 483 | #1,440 | 5 |
| 1908 | #134 | 515 | — | |
| 1907 | #120 | 544 | #999 | 8 |
| 1906 | #119 | 524 | — | |
| 1905 | #119 | 530 | #1,091 | 6 |
| 1904 | #109 | 555 | — | |
| 1903 | #107 | 541 | #910 | 7 |
| 1902 | #107 | 560 | #744 | 10 |
| 1901 | #95 | 550 | #943 | 6 |
| 1900 | #91 | 744 | #1,310 | 5 |
| 1899 | #95 | 571 | — | |
| 1898 | #86 | 696 | — | |
| 1897 | #91 | 595 | #787 | 8 |
| 1896 | #82 | 671 | — | |
| 1895 | #80 | 691 | — | |
| 1894 | #71 | 763 | #787 | 8 |
| 1893 | #73 | 693 | #907 | 6 |
| 1892 | #70 | 753 | #688 | 10 |
| 1891 | #68 | 696 | #963 | 5 |
| 1890 | #65 | 751 | #994 | 5 |
| 1889 | #64 | 723 | #673 | 9 |
| 1888 | #63 | 782 | #609 | 11 |
| 1887 | #61 | 648 | #921 | 5 |
| 1886 | #63 | 602 | #694 | 8 |
| 1885 | #60 | 607 | #936 | 5 |
| 1884 | #61 | 564 | — | |
| 1883 | #57 | 532 | #799 | 6 |
| 1882 | #59 | 510 | #691 | 8 |
| 1881 | #58 | 451 | — | |
| 1880 | #57 | 462 | — | |
First appearance
1880
In the first year the SSA published name data, May was already there! It came in at #57, and was given to 462 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1987–2009, when fewer than 110 girls a year got the name.
Where May is popular in 1953
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Tennessee#332 · 1 in 3,151
- Arkansas#350 · 1 in 2,776
- Mississippi#378 · 1 in 3,096
- Louisiana#426 · 1 in 3,704
- Alabama#445 · 1 in 5,192
Best ever in a state: #36 in Utah, 1912.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | #332 | 12 | 1 in 3,151 |
| Arkansas | #350 | 7 | 1 in 2,776 |
| Mississippi | #378 | 9 | 1 in 3,096 |
| Louisiana | #426 | 10 | 1 in 3,704 |
| Alabama | #445 | 7 | 1 in 5,192 |
| South Carolina | #451 | 6 | 1 in 4,809 |
| Georgia | #456 | 9 | 1 in 4,952 |
| Florida | #509 | 6 | 1 in 5,955 |
| California | #648 | 16 | 1 in 8,678 |
| Pennsylvania | #649 | 8 | 1 in 13,840 |
| Illinois | #655 | 8 | 1 in 11,804 |
| New York | #697 | 12 | 1 in 12,820 |
| Ohio | #817 | 5 | 1 in 19,285 |
| Texas | #960 | 7 | 1 in 15,831 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Jersey | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| Wyoming | — | — | — |
Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.
See more about May
Momentum · girls
Rising
- 129 spots since 2024 (#1,358 → #1,229)
- 475 spots since 2020 (#1,704 → #1,229)
- 414 spots since 2015 (#1,643 → #1,229)
- Biggest jump: 45 spots in 1951 (#622 → #577)
- Biggest drop: 105 spots in 1983 (#962 → #1,067)
Rise & fade · girls
3 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1883 at #57 (532 births)
- Births halved by 1939, 56 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 22 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 22 yrs · run 1880–1901
- Top 1,000: 86 yrs · run 1880–1962
Share of babies · girls
1 in 197
- Highest: 1 in 197 girls born in 1880 were named May (0.51%)
- Latest: 1 in 8,783 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
- Its best rank, #57 in 1883, was only 1 in 211 (0.47%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1920s
- 16.5% of all girls named May (8,164) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,881 | #57 (1883) | #60 |
| 1890s | 6,880 | #65 (1890) | #78 |
| 1900s | 5,546 | #91 (1900) | #115 |
| 1910s | 8,096 | #138 (1910) | #174 |
| 1920s | 8,164 | #204 (1920) | #227 |
| 1930s | 3,743 | #270 (1930) | #339 |
| 1940s | 2,319 | #407 (1940) | #503 |
| 1950s | 1,724 | #577 (1951) | #724 |
| 1960s | 1,111 | #885 (1960) | #1,009 |
| 1970s | 911 | #1,066 (1971) | #1,254 |
| 1980s | 1,223 | #962 (1982) | #1,184 |
| 1990s | 815 | #1,594 (1994) | #1,819 |
| 2000s | 884 | #1,900 (2000) | #2,097 |
| 2010s | 1,199 | #1,569 (2014) | #1,755 |
| 2020s | 904 | #1,229 (2025) | #1,474 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
May in 1953
girls
#697
171 births · 1 in 11,002 girls
Top girls' names in 1953
More about 1953
girls
1,881,301 girls got a published name in 1953; 1 in 11,002 of them was named May, which outranked 89.3% of the 6,497 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).