Is May a boy or girl name?
May is a girl name in the US. In 2024, 168 girls and 0 boys were named May, so 100% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 98.6% of the 49,915 US babies named May were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- #1,357
- Babies named May since 1880
- 49,915
- Most popular year
- 1919
- 991 babies
Boys and girls named May, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 52 | 5,881 | 99.1% |
| 1890s | 42 | 6,880 | 99.4% |
| 1900s | 47 | 5,546 | 99.2% |
| 1910s | 121 | 8,096 | 98.5% |
| 1920s | 140 | 8,164 | 98.3% |
| 1930s | 112 | 3,743 | 97.1% |
| 1940s | 36 | 2,319 | 98.5% |
| 1950s | 26 | 1,724 | 98.5% |
| 1960s | 35 | 1,111 | 96.9% |
| 1970s | 0 | 911 | 100% |
| 1980s | 59 | 1,223 | 95.4% |
| 1990s | 29 | 815 | 96.6% |
| 2000s | 0 | 884 | 100% |
| 2010s | 0 | 1,199 | 100% |
| 2020s | 0 | 720 | 100% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 168 | #1,357 |
| 2023 | 0 | – | 156 | #1,433 |
| 2022 | 0 | – | 155 | #1,446 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 122 | #1,705 |
| 2020 | 0 | – | 119 | #1,712 |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 133 | #1,601 |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 129 | #1,645 |
| 2017 | 0 | – | 128 | #1,681 |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 131 | #1,651 |
| 2015 | 0 | – | 130 | #1,652 |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 138 | #1,575 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 109 | #1,859 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 106 | #1,899 |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 88 | #2,169 |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 107 | #1,892 |
| 2009 | 0 | – | 80 | #2,413 |
| 2008 | 0 | – | 94 | #2,149 |
| 2007 | 0 | – | 92 | #2,170 |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 75 | #2,476 |
| 2005 | 0 | – | 95 | #2,000 |
| 2004 | 0 | – | 85 | #2,130 |
| 2003 | 0 | – | 92 | #1,980 |
| 2002 | 0 | – | 91 | #1,947 |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 91 | #1,917 |
| 2000 | 0 | – | 89 | #1,917 |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 73 | #2,110 |
| 1998 | 0 | – | 69 | #2,115 |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 85 | #1,778 |
| 1996 | 6 | #8,623 | 86 | #1,744 |
| 1995 | 0 | – | 83 | #1,757 |
| 1994 | 0 | – | 95 | #1,602 |
| 1993 | 0 | – | 79 | #1,839 |
| 1992 | 7 | #7,152 | 74 | #1,903 |
| 1991 | 7 | #7,017 | 87 | #1,699 |
| 1990 | 9 | #5,662 | 84 | #1,751 |
| 1989 | 6 | #7,587 | 101 | #1,458 |
| 1988 | 11 | #4,357 | 87 | #1,537 |
| 1987 | 6 | #6,659 | 101 | #1,358 |
| 1986 | 8 | #5,164 | 115 | #1,213 |
| 1985 | 0 | – | 135 | #1,079 |
| 1984 | 5 | #6,980 | 126 | #1,100 |
| 1983 | 9 | #4,367 | 130 | #1,069 |
| 1982 | 9 | #4,461 | 154 | #964 |
| 1981 | 0 | – | 145 | #1,006 |
| 1980 | 5 | #6,907 | 129 | #1,087 |
| 1979 | 0 | – | 108 | #1,207 |
| 1978 | 0 | – | 81 | #1,430 |
| 1977 | 0 | – | 85 | #1,342 |
| 1976 | 0 | – | 77 | #1,388 |
| 1975 | 0 | – | 89 | #1,263 |
| 1974 | 0 | – | 89 | #1,231 |
| 1973 | 0 | – | 98 | #1,135 |
| 1972 | 0 | – | 78 | #1,310 |
| 1971 | 0 | – | 113 | #1,069 |
| 1970 | 0 | – | 93 | #1,210 |
| 1969 | 0 | – | 93 | #1,156 |
| 1968 | 0 | – | 100 | #1,049 |
| 1967 | 0 | – | 97 | #1,054 |
| 1966 | 0 | – | 105 | #1,007 |
| 1965 | 7 | #3,448 | 109 | #999 |
| 1964 | 0 | – | 113 | #1,013 |
| 1963 | 5 | #4,427 | 109 | #1,025 |
| 1962 | 8 | #3,214 | 119 | #982 |
| 1961 | 9 | #3,030 | 127 | #959 |
| 1960 | 6 | #3,919 | 139 | #890 |
| 1959 | 0 | – | 141 | #869 |
| 1958 | 0 | – | 144 | #852 |
| 1957 | 0 | – | 146 | #843 |
| 1956 | 8 | #3,114 | 165 | #760 |
| 1955 | 6 | #3,753 | 183 | #695 |
| 1954 | 7 | #3,354 | 190 | #676 |
| 1953 | 0 | – | 171 | #700 |
| 1952 | 0 | – | 178 | #667 |
| 1951 | 0 | – | 222 | #577 |
| 1950 | 5 | #4,017 | 184 | #623 |
| 1949 | 0 | – | 205 | #580 |
| 1948 | 0 | – | 221 | #559 |
| 1947 | 0 | – | 233 | #559 |
| 1946 | 0 | – | 195 | #572 |
| 1945 | 5 | #3,620 | 203 | #514 |
| 1944 | 6 | #3,334 | 227 | #473 |
| 1943 | 0 | – | 219 | #504 |
| 1942 | 9 | #2,645 | 280 | #435 |
| 1941 | 8 | #2,806 | 251 | #431 |
| 1940 | 8 | #2,793 | 285 | #408 |
| 1939 | 10 | #2,392 | 257 | #423 |
| 1938 | 5 | #3,859 | 274 | #404 |
| 1937 | 11 | #2,290 | 292 | #379 |
| 1936 | 14 | #1,937 | 318 | #355 |
| 1935 | 9 | #2,650 | 352 | #338 |
| 1934 | 15 | #1,906 | 371 | #325 |
| 1933 | 9 | #2,666 | 404 | #309 |
| 1932 | 10 | #2,571 | 440 | #301 |
| 1931 | 14 | #2,069 | 481 | #285 |
| 1930 | 15 | #2,032 | 554 | #270 |
| 1929 | 15 | #2,069 | 579 | #267 |
| 1928 | 12 | #2,481 | 705 | #236 |
| 1927 | 11 | #2,641 | 744 | #236 |
| 1926 | 13 | #2,377 | 767 | #232 |
| 1925 | 22 | #1,660 | 849 | #221 |
| 1924 | 16 | #2,101 | 868 | #222 |
| 1923 | 8 | #3,358 | 864 | #220 |
| 1922 | 13 | #2,434 | 855 | #224 |
| 1921 | 12 | #2,583 | 977 | #205 |
| 1920 | 18 | #1,934 | 956 | #204 |
| 1919 | 10 | #2,803 | 981 | #194 |
| 1918 | 21 | #1,690 | 961 | #200 |
| 1917 | 17 | #1,875 | 945 | #195 |
| 1916 | 16 | #1,915 | 938 | #190 |
| 1915 | 16 | #1,854 | 974 | #175 |
| 1914 | 14 | #1,741 | 769 | #175 |
| 1913 | 11 | #1,765 | 695 | #167 |
| 1912 | 5 | #2,781 | 698 | #153 |
| 1911 | 5 | #1,916 | 541 | #149 |
| 1910 | 6 | #1,527 | 594 | #138 |
| 1909 | 5 | #1,618 | 483 | #146 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 515 | #134 |
| 1907 | 8 | #1,065 | 544 | #120 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 524 | #119 |
| 1905 | 6 | #1,187 | 530 | #119 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 555 | #109 |
| 1903 | 7 | #981 | 541 | #107 |
| 1902 | 10 | #778 | 560 | #107 |
| 1901 | 6 | #1,020 | 550 | #95 |
| 1900 | 5 | #1,434 | 744 | #91 |
| 1899 | 0 | – | 571 | #95 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 696 | #86 |
| 1897 | 8 | #834 | 595 | #91 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 671 | #82 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 691 | #80 |
| 1894 | 8 | #836 | 763 | #71 |
| 1893 | 6 | #987 | 693 | #73 |
| 1892 | 10 | #732 | 753 | #70 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,066 | 696 | #68 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,103 | 751 | #65 |
| 1889 | 9 | #705 | 723 | #64 |
| 1888 | 11 | #632 | 782 | #63 |
| 1887 | 5 | #1,011 | 648 | #61 |
| 1886 | 8 | #736 | 602 | #64 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,039 | 607 | #61 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 564 | #61 |
| 1883 | 6 | #856 | 532 | #57 |
| 1882 | 8 | #734 | 510 | #59 |
| 1881 | 0 | – | 451 | #58 |
| 1880 | 0 | – | 462 | #57 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, May reached #632 in 1888. As a girl name, it reached #57 in 1880. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1910s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like May
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.