Updated October 2026
Across 2 pages
of 2
Tupi
"maize or immaculate"
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. The…
Variation of May of Mei-Lin, English, Chinese
"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved; beautiful jade"
Maylin is following in the footsteps of Maelynn and Maelyn — two modern invented Mae and Lynn compounds that are on the rise. Maylin could also be considered an Anglicized spelling variation of…
Variation of Mabel; combination of May and Belle; "loveable"
"loveable"
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…
Japanese, French, Welsh, Vietnamese, Navajo
"dance; May; cherry blossom; coyote"
Cross-cultural winner.
Welsh
"May hawk"
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…
English, modern invented name combining "May" and "Bree"
"Bree"
"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.
Compound name, blending Willa and Mae
"resolute protection + beloved, pearl, may"
A smoosh name with plenty of both vintage and Southern charm. It combines the familiar Mae with up and coming Willa, and might remind people of jazz dancer Willa Mae Ricker.
English
"rose of May"
An unusual modern combination name, reminiscent of quirky choices like Primrose or Penrose, which put the "Rose" part at the end.
Irish; Scottish Gaelic
"May Day festival"
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…
Variation of Gawain, Popular Culture, Welsh
"may hawk"
A variation of the Arthurian Gawain, this form appears in the popular high fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin. Names from this series like Arya and Daenerys have already…
Hyphenated name
"pearl + bitter, beloved. drop of the sea;; may"
A playful double-barrel name, given to round 20 babies in England and Wales each year, Maggie-Mae is simply, spunky, and sweet. Also spelled as Maggie-May, it could mean "pearl of May", "beloved…
"May breast; May hill"
A rare and whimsical Welsh name, Bronmai is made up of the elements bron meaning "breast" and mai meaning "(the month of) May", which could then have the poetic interpretation of "one with May in her…
"like May"
Briefly popular in New Zealand back in the 1930s, Valmai is a literary invention derived from the Welsh phrase fel Mai translating to "like May". It was created by the best selling Welsh author,…
Igbo
"may my strength not be in vain, let my strength not be wasted"
Predominantly used in Nigeria, Ikemefuna is a name of Igbo origin, with a hopeful and determined meaning. It appears in Chinua Achebe's classic novel, Things Fall Apart , borne by an ill-fated boy…
Unusual yet familiar in sound, the name Gwaine appeared in the BBC TV series Merlin , in which the character was an adaptation of Gawain, one of King Arthur's loyal knights in the Arthurian legends.…
Variation of Gawain, Welsh
The name of a loyal knight in Arthurian legend and the hero of the 14th century anonymous poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , Gawaine is the spelling chosen by Sir Thomas Malory in his…
Italian
"May"
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…
English word or surname name
"May plus river bank"
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. Maybanke Anderson was a notable…
Slovene
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.
French
"May or strength"
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".