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The short answer
Mae is a feminine name used in English. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary." It ranked #501 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, variant of May. A famous bearer was the American actress Mae West (1893-1980), whose birth name was Mary. The entry lists its usage as English.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Mae ranked #501 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #501 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Mae in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Mae mean?
Behind the Name does not give Mae a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: variant of May.
Is Mae a popular name?
Mae ranked #501 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Mae a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Mae appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Mae — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.
