Names That Mean May

With a noble air and a distinctive yet familiar sound, Gawain is drawn from Arthurian legend, in which he is one of King Arthur's loyal knights and his nephew. Also appearing as the hero of the 14th century poem, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, his name is possibly borrowed from the Welsh Gwalchmai, meaning "May hawk".

The name of a Guaraní princess killed by Spanish conquistadors in Tupi-Guarani legend. A Ceibo tree – the national flower of Argentina – is said to have bloomed in the spot where she died.

This spelling variation of Mabel clears up the pronunciation — "may-belle", as opposed to "may-bull". Maybelle is packed with Southern charm, and like sister name Mabel is on the rise, but still on a much smaller scale.

Cross-cultural winner.

While the name for May is used as a feminine name in many languages, the Slovene word, Maj, is considered a masculine name. Both Maj and the Mai variation are in the Slovenian Top 100.

Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise.

Also spelled Beltane and Beltain, this festival on May 1 marks the beginning of summer. It was described in old Irish and Scottish texts, and has been revived as a cultural festival, and by neopagans. It is often celebrated with bonfires and greenery, and would be an inventive name for a baby born at this time of year. The name is thought to derive from an old Celtic word meaning "bright fire".

"May" is a hot sound in girl names — just look at the rise of Maeve — which makes it ripe for creative new inventions. This cheerful, breezy number has been low-key on the US charts since 2011.

A quirky twist on Rosemary or a combo of the popular elements Rose and May, this would make a lovely traditional yet surprising middle name. It also works the other way around: Mayrose.

Interesting last-name-first possibility, evoking the springtime month; also a sports-hero connection to baseball great Joe DiMaggio. Could make an interesting way to honor Grandma May or Mary with a boy's name.

The Slovene name for the month of May. It is used as a male name, which is unusual given that most translations are connected to the goddess Maia and considered to be feminine.

This name of a 10th-century abbot which ranks among the Top 500 in France is of debated origin. It may derive from the Latin name for the month of May, or else from a Germanic root meaning "strength".

An unusual modern combination name, reminiscent of quirky choices like Primrose or Penrose, which put the "Rose" part at the end.

Maybanke is an Australian name that has a sort of Southern charm that could appeal to many US parents - and is refreshing and unusual without being too challenging.