Mae

Mae is a female first name, considered a variant of May, a diminutive of Mary, which has its origin in Mirjam. Figuratively, the name means 'the beloved of God', 'the bitter', 'the plump', 'the untamed', 'the beautiful', 'the drop of the sea', or 'the star of the sea'.

What does the name Mae mean?

The first name Mae is a form of May, regarded as a short form of Mary, originally derived from Mirjam. In a figurative sense, meanings associated with this name include 'the beloved of God', 'the bitter', 'the plump', 'the untamed', 'the beautiful', 'the drop of the sea', or 'the star of the sea'. The exact origin is unclear, but an ancient Egyptian derivation from mry meaning 'beloved' is suspected. Sometimes, Mae is also used as a pet form of the English Margaret ('the pearl') or Mabel ('the lovable'). The spellings Maé and Maë are French-Breton variants of the name Mael, meaning 'the princess' or 'the daughter of the king'. The English month name May has also been used as a first name since the late 19th century, especially for girls born in May. Additionally, Mae means 'mother' in Portuguese and represents 'beauty' in Chinese.

How do you pronounce Mae?

The pronunciation of Mae is monosyllabic and phonetically reduced. In German pronunciation, the name is usually pronounced in English as 'Mei' [meɪ]. The diphthong has a soft, bright sound that gives the short name a certain expansiveness. Due to its brevity, Mae radiates clarity and conciseness – the sound is soft in tone, light in ending, and modern in its simplicity.

When is the name day of Mae?

The name day for Mae falls on January 1, January 30, February 2, February 11, July 6, August 15, and September 12.

Popularity

In Germany, the name Mae enjoys great popularity. Currently, it ranks 1,107 on the list of the most common female first names. The name achieved its best ranking in 2012 at position 543. Over the last ten years, Mae has been chosen as a first name approximately 260 times, placing it at 1,336 in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, the name ranks 1,073.

Nicknames & pet names

Dae / Ma / Maech / Maechen / Maelein / Maeli / MaeMae / Maemio / Maesche / Mary / May / Me / Mi / Mila

Famous people

• Algia Mae Hinton (American musician)
• Allie Mae Carpenter (American artist)
• Anna Mae Bullock (known as singer: Tina Turner)
• Anna Mae ODowd (American baseball player)
• Corra Mae Harris (American writer)
• Debi Mae West (actress from the USA)
• Doris Mae Akers (American singer)
• Eartha Mae Keith (American singer)
• Ella Mae Johnson (American writer)
• Emily Mae Young (American actress)
• Essie Mae Washington-Williams (American writer)
• Fannie Mae Goosby (Blues musician from America)
• Jessie Mae Hemphill (composer from the USA)
• Lula Mae Hardaway (musician from America)
• Mae Bacon (actress from England)
• Mae Busch (actress)
• Mae Carol Jemison (astronaut (NASA))
• Mae Costello (American actress)
• Mae Dahlberg (actress from Australia)
• Mae Giraci (American actress)