Mai
Mai: name meaning, origin and popularity
Meaning and origin of Mai
Root meaning: “wheat”
- A female given name, a rare spelling variant of Mae/May, or borrowed from Scandinavia, with the same ultimate origin.
Etymology
Chinese surname with several origins: * from Mandarin 麥 /麦 (“wheat”), * from Mandarin and Cantonese 買 /买 (maai⁵, “buy”) * Cantonese form of 米 (see Mi). * Romanized from 马 (mǎ) (see Ma) * Romanized from 梅 (méi) (see Mei) As a German surname, variant of May.
How popular is Mai?
Since 1880, 5,677 girls and 20 boys in the U.S. have been named Mai (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #792 in 1881. Its highest rank for boys was #4552 in 1985. In 2025, 55 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Names similar to Mai
Names that start with the same letters, most popular first.
Sibling name ideas for Mai
Names that peaked around the same time as Mai and are still in the U.S. top 1,000.
Mai FAQ
What does the name Mai mean?
Mai traces back to a root meaning "wheat". A female given name, a rare spelling variant of Mae/May, or borrowed from Scandinavia, with the same ultimate origin. Chinese surname with several origins: * from Mandarin 麥 /麦 (“wheat”), * from Mandarin and Cantonese 買 /买 (maai⁵, “buy”) * Cantonese form of 米 (see Mi). * Romanized from 马 (mǎ) (see Ma) * Romanized from 梅 (méi) (see Mei) As a German surname, variant of May.
How popular is the name Mai?
Since 1880, 5,677 girls and 20 boys in the U.S. have been named Mai (100% girls). Its highest rank for girls was #792 in 1881. Its highest rank for boys was #4552 in 1985. In 2025, 55 babies were given the name, outside the top 1,000.
Is Mai a boy or girl name?
Mai is mostly a girl name in the U.S.: 5,677 girls and 20 boys since 1880.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2025 (names given to 5+ babies per year). Origin and etymology text: Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.