Girl name · English
Mae
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: the month of May; also a pet form of Mary or MargaretMae is a girl's name that comes from English and means "the month of May; also a pet form of Mary or Margaret". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- The month of May; also a pet form of Mary or Margaret
- Origin
- English
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #501 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Mae
As a girl's name, Mae comes from English and means "the month of May; also a pet form of Mary or Margaret". It is used in English.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
Mae on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Mae on 2 lists.
“Variant of May, named for the spring month; a favorite middle name”
From Country girl names, classic Southern girl names
“The month of May, or a pet form of Mary; English. Peaked in 1892”
From Vintage girl names, cute old fashioned nickname names
How popular is Mae?
- US rank in 2025
- #501
- 594 babies, 370 per million girls
- Best rank
- #52 in 1892
- Most babies: 2,756 in 1918
- Babies since 1880
- At least 114,835
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 4,302 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 4,915 per million |
| 1900s | 4,342 per million |
| 1910s | 2,640 per million |
| 1920s | 1,904 per million |
| 1930s | 1,206 per million |
| 1940s | 618 per million |
| 1950s | 288 per million |
| 1960s | 119 per million |
| 1970s | 54 per million |
| 1980s | 35 per million |
| 1990s | 36 per million |
| 2000s | 93 per million |
| 2010s | 253 per million |
| 2020s | 362 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #579 | #640 | #553 | #549 | #576 | #502 | #511 | #506 | #529 | #501 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Mae
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- MafePet form of María Fernanda (Spanish, girl)
- MaiDance (depends on characters) (Japanese, girl)
- MarSea (Latin, girl)
- MoeBudding, sprouting (Japanese, girl)
- MaudStrength in battle (Germanic, girl)
- MaeveShe who intoxicates (Irish Gaelic, girl)
- MaiaGood mother (Greek, girl)
- MarieFrench form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
- MiaPet form of Maria (Hebrew, girl)
Names with a similar meaning
- MiriamForm of Mary, meaning uncertain; perhaps Egyptian beloved (Hebrew, girl)
- AntonellaPet form of Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius (Latin, girl)
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- KaiaPet form of Katarina, the Scandinavian Katherine (Greek, girl)
- TanyaPet form of Tatiana (Latin, girl)
- AinhoaFrom a Basque town with a famous image of the Virgin Mary (Basque, girl)
- AllisonVariant of Alison, a pet form of Alice, noble kind (Germanic, girl)
- ArantxaPet form of Arantzazu, from arantza, thornbush (Basque, girl)
- BetoPet form of Alberto or Roberto (Spanish, boy)
- BognaPet form of Bogdana and other Bog- names (Polish, girl)
- CalliePet form of Caroline, or of names beginning with Cal (Germanic, girl)
- CataPet form of Catalina (Spanish, girl)
- ChabucaPet form of Isabel (Spanish, girl)
- CharoPet form of Rosario (Spanish, girl)
- ChayoPet form of Rosario (Spanish, girl)
Middle names for Mae
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from English
- LilianaLatinate form of Lillian, probably from Elizabeth or Lily (English, girl)
- LilyLily flower (English, girl)
- SamanthaPerhaps a feminine form of Samuel with the suffix antha (English, girl)
- AinsleyFrom a place named for a solitary or hermitage clearing (English, unisex)
- CataleyaFrom cattleya, an orchid named for William Cattley (English, girl)
- EvelynFrom a surname derived from the given name Aveline (English, girl)
- HeatherHeather plant (English, girl)
- LillyVariant of Lily, the flower (English, girl)
- AdairFrom a surname derived from Edgar (English, unisex)
- AddisonSon of Adam (English, girl)
- AloraVariant of Elora, probably invented; used in the film Willow (English, girl)
- AmoraApparently a modern coinage based on Latin amor, love (English, girl)
- AutumnFall season (English, girl)
- BayA sheltered curve of coast (English, unisex)
- BriarThorny wild shrub (English, girl)
- BrynleeVariant of Brinley, a blend of Bryn and lee (English, girl)
- CallaCalla lily (English, girl)
- DarleneDarling (English, girl)
Mae: common questions
What does the name Mae mean?
Mae comes from English and means "the month of May; also a pet form of Mary or Margaret". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Mae a boy or girl name?
Mae is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Mae come from?
Mae comes from English and means "the month of May; also a pet form of Mary or Margaret". Today it is used in English.
How popular is the name Mae?
Mae ranked #501 in the US in 2025, with 594 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Mae?
Names spelled like Mae include Mafe, Mai, Mar, Moe and Maud.
What middle names go with Mae?
Middle names that flow well with Mae include Angelina, Colette, Crystal, Evangeline and Faith. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.