How old is someone named May?
The average May is 48 years old.
Half of all living Mays are between 22 and 73. The average sits between a large young group and an older one, so many Mays are much younger than 48.
When was May popular?
May was at its most popular in the late 1910s. Parents have been moving away from it for decades, and 183 babies were named May in 2025.
Popular names of 1919 · The most popular names of the 1910s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 5,593 | 0 |
| 1910s | 8,217 | 0 |
| 1920s | 8,304 | 130 |
| 1930s | 3,855 | 730 |
| 1940s | 2,355 | 1,300 |
| 1950s | 1,750 | 1,400 |
| 1960s | 1,146 | 1,000 |
| 1970s | 911 | 860 |
| 1980s | 1,282 | 1,200 |
| 1990s | 844 | 830 |
| 2000s | 884 | 870 |
| 2010s | 1,199 | 1,200 |
| 2020s | 904 | 900 |
How many Mays are still alive?
About 10,000 Mays are alive in the US today. That's 21% of the roughly 50,000 babies named May since 1880.
Most Mays ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1919, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name May?
About one in four living Mays are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is May an old name?
Yes. May is older than 76 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical May will be 38 in 2056, so its average age will actually fall, as the youngest Mays make up more of the total.
Is May a boy or girl name?
Mostly girls: 98.5% of living Mays are women.
Names the same age as May
NAME TWIN
May's name twin is Alma. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Alma's age curve is the closest match to May's: 91% alike.
Other spellings: Mai (32)
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Questions about the name May
How old is the average May?
The average May in the US is 48 years old. The median is 48, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named May?
About 10,000 Mays are alive in the US today, out of roughly 50,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name May most popular?
In 1919, when about 990 baby girls were named May.
Is May a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 24% of living Mays, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this