Fun Facts About the Name Mame
- 672 babies named Mame: U.S. records list 672 babies given the name Mame from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Mame Mean?
Mame is an English pet form, or diminutive, of Mary, the name given in the New Testament to the mother of Jesus. Mary goes back to the Hebrew name Miryam, whose meaning is not settled: proposed explanations include a derivation from a root meaning "bitter," as well as other Semitic roots, and no single account is accepted by all scholars. Partly for that reason, the meaning of Mame is best described as inherited from Mary and therefore uncertain. Mame has also been used occasionally as a pet form of Margaret, a name of Greek origin (from margaritēs, "pearl"), though this use is less common than the Mary connection. A similar-looking Yiddish word, mame ("mother"), is a separate word and not the source of the personal name.
Mame Name History & Origins
Mame belongs to the large group of English pet forms of Mary that also includes Mamie, Molly, Polly, and May. In the 18th and 19th centuries, English-speaking families commonly shortened and reshaped Mary for everyday use, and spellings such as Mamie and Mame were recorded as given names in their own right, especially in the United States and Britain. These short forms often stood alone on official documents, with the longer name Mary used only in formal contexts.
Two similar words are unrelated to the personal name. The Yiddish mame means "mother" and is related to German Muhme; dialect words such as mam or mame for "mother" in parts of Britain and the United States are likewise independent. Neither accounts for the given name, which follows the pattern of Mary's other pet forms.
The spelling gained wide attention in the 20th century as the name of the title character of Patrick Dennis's 1955 novel Auntie Mame, the 1956 Broadway adaptation, and the 1966 musical Mame, in which she is called Mame Dennis. That stage and film use made the spelling familiar to a broad audience, but it followed an existing pet form rather than introducing the name.
How Popular is the Name Mame?
Mame recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2002. Its best rank was #463 in 1881.
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.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,503 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2024 | #6,809 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 2023 | #10,057 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2022 | #10,903 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #9,331 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #14,472 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #8,002 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2018 | #9,576 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2017 | #8,123 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #7,478 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2015 | #11,512 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #8,784 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2013 | #8,024 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #9,500 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #10,161 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #8,150 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2009 | #7,563 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #7,619 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2007 | #8,379 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #8,098 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #6,159 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #6,129 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #5,531 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 2002 | #4,347 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2001 | #5,734 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2000 | #8,358 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #9,228 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1998 | #15,628 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1997 | #9,511 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #14,919 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1995 | #12,734 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1992 | #14,620 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1991 | #11,007 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1914 | #2,370 | 10 | 0.0013% |
| 1899 | #1,521 | 6 | 0.0026% |
| 1898 | #1,228 | 9 | 0.0035% |
| 1897 | #1,704 | 5 | 0.0021% |
| 1896 | #1,515 | 6 | 0.0025% |
| 1895 | #1,175 | 9 | 0.0039% |
| 1894 | #1,432 | 6 | 0.0027% |
| 1892 | #944 | 11 | 0.0052% |
| 1891 | #685 | 16 | 0.0086% |
| 1890 | #915 | 10 | 0.0053% |
| 1889 | #782 | 12 | 0.0067% |
| 1888 | #680 | 15 | 0.0084% |
| 1887 | #578 | 16 | 0.0110% |
| 1886 | #683 | 12 | 0.0083% |
| 1885 | #531 | 17 | 0.0128% |
| 1884 | #515 | 17 | 0.0132% |
| 1883 | #476 | 17 | 0.0151% |
| 1882 | #554 | 12 | 0.0111% |
| 1881 | #463 | 14 | 0.0152% |
| 1880 | #512 | 12 | 0.0132% |
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.
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How the Name Mame 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 seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Mame's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mame's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.