May Name Popularity

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is May?

In 2018 the uncommon name May, ranked the 1,645th Most Popular Girls Name in the United States.

This once, top 1000 name, May is currently less popular.

Its highest popularity RANKING of #57 was reached for the first time in 1880 and as recently as 1883.

Nonetheless, the name was given to the greatest number of children in 1919 with 981 occurrences.

The least number of children given the name May was 69 in 1998.

Approximately during the years 1911-1915, 1976-1981, and 2011-2014, the name May took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas 1954-1957 were years of successive downward movement.

For a number of years, the name May has been moving upward in popularity. , continuing the trend, the number of children named May lately has risen.

What does the future hold for the popularity of May?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

The name May is still rare but will probably continue to rise upward in popularity.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

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for Percentages.

		May (Girl)		May (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		128	1,645	< 5	--
2017		127	1,685	< 5	--
2016		131	1,648	< 5	--
2015		130	1,648	< 5	--
2014		138	1,575	< 5	--
2013		108	1,870	< 5	--
2012		106	1,899	< 5	--
2011		88	2,167	< 5	--
2010		107	1,892	< 5	--
2009		80	2,413	< 5	--
2008		94	2,149	< 5	--
2007		92	2,171	< 5	--
2006		75	2,473	< 5	--
2005		95	2,000	< 5	--
2004		85	2,127	< 5	--
2003		92	1,978	< 5	--
2002		91	1,944	< 5	--
2001		91	1,917	< 5	--
2000		89	1,917	< 5	--
1999		73	2,108	< 5	--
1998		69	2,114	< 5	--
1997		85	1,778	< 5	--
1996		86	1,744	6	8,623
1995		82	1,771	< 5	--
1994		95	1,602	< 5	--
1993		78	1,848	< 5	--
1992		74	1,903	7	7,152
1991		87	1,699	7	7,016
1990		84	1,751	9	5,660
1989		101	1,458	6	7,586
1988		86	1,543	11	4,357
1987		101	1,356	6	6,657
1986		115	1,213	8	5,157
1985		134	1,087	< 5	--
1984		126	1,100	5	6,977
1983		130	1,068	9	4,366
1982		154	964	9	4,463
1981		145	1,008	< 5	--
1980		129	1,087	5	6,909
1979		108	1,207	< 5	--
1978		81	1,430	< 5	--
1977		85	1,342	< 5	--
1976		77	1,388	< 5	--
1975		88	1,273	< 5	--
1974		89	1,231	< 5	--
1973		98	1,135	< 5	--
1972		78	1,309	< 5	--
1971		113	1,069	< 5	--
1970		93	1,210	< 5	--
1969		93	1,155	< 5	--
1968		101	1,038	< 5	--
1967		97	1,053	< 5	--
1966		105	1,005	< 5	--
1965		108	1,005	7	3,448
1964		113	1,013	< 5	--
1963		109	1,026	5	4,428
1962		119	984	8	3,212
1961		127	959	9	3,026
1960		139	890	6	3,921
1959		141	870	< 5	--
1958		144	851	< 5	--
1957		147	840	< 5	--
1956		165	760	7	3,424
1955		182	696	7	3,395
1954		190	678	7	3,354
1953		172	694	< 5	--
1952		177	667	< 5	--
1951		222	577	< 5	--
1950		184	623	5	4,015
1949		205	580	< 5	--
1948		221	559	< 5	--
1947		234	557	< 5	--
1946		194	575	< 5	--
1945		204	513	5	3,620
1944		226	473	6	3,332
1943		219	504	< 5	--
1942		280	435	9	2,646
1941		251	431	8	2,804
1940		285	409	8	2,791
1939		257	423	10	2,391
1938		274	404	5	3,860
1937		292	379	11	2,292
1936		318	355	14	1,936
1935		352	339	9	2,651
1934		371	325	15	1,908
1933		404	309	9	2,667
1932		440	301	10	2,569
1931		481	285	14	2,069
1930		554	270	15	2,033
1929		579	267	15	2,071
1928		705	236	12	2,480
1927		744	236	11	2,640
1926		767	232	13	2,378
1925		849	221	22	1,660
1924		869	221	16	2,101
1923		864	220	8	3,358
1922		855	224	13	2,433
1921		977	205	12	2,583
1920		955	204	18	1,934
1919		981	194	10	2,803
1918		961	200	21	1,690
1917		945	195	17	1,875
1916		938	190	16	1,915
1915		974	175	16	1,854
1914		769	175	14	1,741
1913		695	167	11	1,765
1912		698	153	5	2,781
1911		541	149	5	1,916
1910		594	138	6	1,527
1909		483	146	5	1,618
1908		515	134	< 5	--
1907		544	120	8	1,065
1906		524	119	< 5	--
1905		530	119	6	1,187
1904		555	109	< 5	--
1903		541	107	7	981
1902		560	107	10	778
1901		550	95	6	1,020
1900		744	91	5	1,434
1899		571	95	< 5	--
1898		696	86	< 5	--
1897		595	91	8	834
1896		671	82	< 5	--
1895		691	80	< 5	--
1894		763	71	8	836
1893		693	73	6	987
1892		753	70	10	732
1891		696	68	5	1,066
1890		751	65	5	1,103
1889		723	64	9	705
1888		782	63	11	631
1887		648	61	5	1,011
1886		602	64	8	736
1885		607	61	5	1,039
1884		564	61	< 5	--
1883		532	57	6	856
1882		510	59	8	734
1881		451	58	< 5	--
1880		462	57	< 5	--

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.