Mae

Meaning and origin

Mae is a spelling of May, with several strands of history behind its short form. It can be a calendar name referring to the month of May. It can also be a familiar form of Mary, Margaret, or Mabel, so its meaning depends on the longer name or association from which it comes.

The month takes its name from the Roman goddess Maia, who was associated with spring. Her name is probably connected with the Latin word maior, meaning “greater.” May is also an English name for the hawthorn blossom, adding a flowering seasonal association to the calendar name.

The longer-name connections bring other meanings. Margaret comes from a Greek word for “pearl,” while Mabel developed from Amabilis, a Latin name meaning “lovable.” Mary belongs to the Hebrew Miryam family, whose original meaning is uncertain. A connection with Egyptian words for “beloved” or “love” is one possibility; traditional interpretations include bitterness, rebelliousness, and a wished-for child. Mae can therefore have a family connection to one of these names as well as a connection with spring.

Sound and spelling

Mae is pronounced MAY, exactly like the month. Its three letters form a single syllable, making it brief in both writing and speech. May is its closest alternative spelling, while Mary, Margaret, and Mabel are longer names from which it can develop.

The spelling is familiar as a complete given name, even when there is no longer name behind it. Its calendar and familiar-name histories sit comfortably together: the same short sound can honor a relative, refer to a birth month, or stand on its own.

Mae Jemison

Physician and astronaut Mae Jemison gives the name an important place in the history of space exploration. Before joining NASA, she worked as a doctor and served as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia. NASA selected her for astronaut training in 1987.

In September 1992, Jemison flew aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on STS-47, becoming the first African American woman in space. The mission carried Spacelab-J, a joint American and Japanese research program devoted to materials science and life science in microgravity. Her work on the flight included investigations connected with motion sickness, frog fertilization, and bone cells. Her career connects the name with medicine as well as spaceflight.

Popularity in the United States

Mae has a long record of use for American girls. Its highest rank was number 52 in 1892, while its largest annual count came in 1918, when 2,756 girls received the name.

After becoming less common, Mae has gained ground again in recent records. It ranked number 588 in 2015, number 576 in 2020, and number 501 in 2025. Those figures track Mae as a first name; May is counted separately.

How popular is Mae?

In 2025, Mae ranked #501 among girls in the United States, with 594 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for girls in 1880; its largest annual count was 2,756 in 1918. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.