Meaning: Its source is an English expression meaning "The fifth month."

Languages: This girl's name is used in English.

Nickname For: Margaret and Mary

Compound Forms: Hanamay and Williemae

Alternative Spellings: Mae and Maye

Variant Forms: Mayola

Popularity: The name May ranked 472nd in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.

Narrative: The month of May was named for Maia, the Roman earth goddess. However, the popularity of the name May before the 20th century probably owed more to its use as a short form of the names Matthew and Mary, which led to its use as a surname.

It is also a Sanskrit word meaning ''Illusion.''