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Mae Name Meaning & Historical Trends

Mae

Pronunciation: MAY

Meaning From the month of May Gender Girl
GIRLS RANK
#501
TREND
29
Peak Years
1918, 1920, 1919
Lowest Years
1993, 1986, 1992
Energy Archetype
Hardworking & Dutiful

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of girls named Mae in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Mae

  • An established favorite: Mae held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 41 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1920.
  • More than 115 thousand babies named Mae: U.S. records list 115,435 babies given the name Mae from 1880 through 2025. Even 606 boys received the name Mae - about 1 boy for every 189 girls.

What Does the Name Mae Mean?

Mae is an English given name used mainly as a variant spelling of May. The usual explanation traces it to the name of the fifth month: Latin Maius, in full Maius mensis, the "month of Maia." Maia was a Roman goddess, but the sense of her name is not settled. The Roman writer Varro connected it with Latin maior, "greater," while the Greek word maia (μαῖα) means "mother" or "nurse," and the Greek Maia, mother of Hermes, bears that name. So the literal sense behind the month, and therefore behind the name, is disputed; the name's practical association is with the month and with spring.

A second route to the name is separate from the month. In English, May was long used as a pet form of Mary and of Margaret, and Mae has served the same purpose - the actress Mae West, for instance, was born Mary Jane West. In that use the name comes from those names, not from the month.

Mae Name History & Origins

The word for the fifth month entered English from Latin Maius by way of Old French mai, and in Middle English it was spelled Mai or May. The same word worked as a common noun for the hawthorn blossom that opens in that month. In England, May and Maye are found as female given names by the sixteenth century, and the name kept its springtime associations afterward. The Welsh form of the month name, Mai, is also used as a girl's name in Wales.

The spelling Mae developed as an English variant of May. By the late nineteenth century it was well established in the United States, where it also served as a short form of Mary and was often placed in the middle-name position. Well-known bearers include the actress Mae West, the silent-film actress Mae Marsh, and Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space. In recent fiction, Mae Borowski is the central character of the 2017 video game Night in the Woods.

How Popular is the Name Mae?

Mae remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1920. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.

U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.

Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.

Explore Name Lists Featuring Mae

Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.

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How the Name Mae Shapes Your Personality and Life?

You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.

You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.

✦ Mae's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mae's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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