May is a distinctive choice, ranked #610 in 2025. Your child is likely to be the only May in their class.
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UK Rank 2025
#610
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About the Name May
May ranked #610 in 2025, down from its peak of #325 in 2007 — still a familiar name, but past its high point. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
May is uncommon in the UK, so your child is very likely to be the only May in their class.
⭐ Famous People Named May
Theresa May — Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead, is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name May
Unlikely. With around 64 UK babies named May per year, your child will almost certainly be the only May in their class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
May has been fairly steady, ranked #610 in 2025 against #631 in 2020. Its best recorded position was #325 in 2007.
May is a distinctive choice sitting outside the mainstream UK top names. Parents choosing less common names often find their children appreciate the individuality as they grow up, rarely needing to add an initial to distinguish themselves.
Notable people named May include: Theresa May, Isabel May and May Day. Short summaries for each appear below.
May does not appear in the US top 1,000 baby names, making it a distinctively British choice — your child is unlikely to encounter American Mays in the wild.
64
UK babies named May (2025)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.0
In a school of 600
↑ 21 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name May
Almost certainly the only May in the class
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UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
No US data available for this name
✨ Similar names to May
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Theresa Mary May, Baroness May of Maidenhead, is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2016 to 2019.
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on May 1, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox and midsummer solstice.