Mae
Girl name · #500 in 2025 · Distinctive
How old is the name Mae? In official American birth records, Mae has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Mae ranks #500 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 594 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #588, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 3,030 girls born in 2025 was named Mae.
Babies named Mae per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Mae first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 344 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 2,756 girls were named Mae — good for #95 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Mae against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Mae in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Mae is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "distinctive". That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Mae is most common
Geography matters for names, and Mae is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Mae is most common in UT (1.5 per 1,000), MS (1.1 per 1,000), MA (1.1 per 1,000), MN (1 per 1,000), IA (0.8 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.5 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Mae is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Mae
Statistically, parents drawn to Mae tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Maxine, Adele, Hattie, Estelle, and Nellie.
MaxineAdeleHattieEstelleNellieLeonaOpalMavis
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Mae | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 594 | #500 |
| 2024 | 578 | #529 |
| 2023 | 599 | #506 |
| 2022 | 614 | #511 |
| 2021 | 622 | #501 |
| 2020 | 511 | #572 |
| 2019 | 556 | #548 |
| 2018 | 561 | #553 |
| 2017 | 461 | #637 |
| 2016 | 535 | #579 |
| 2015 | 513 | #588 |
| 2014 | 413 | #686 |
| 2013 | 419 | #676 |
| 2012 | 373 | #746 |
| 2011 | 337 | #802 |
| 2010 | 259 | #979 |
| 2009 | 240 | #1063 |
| 2008 | 230 | #1123 |
| 2007 | 208 | #1205 |
| 2006 | 207 | #1173 |
| 2005 | 175 | #1277 |
| 2004 | 151 | #1380 |
| 2003 | 119 | #1612 |
| 2002 | 140 | #1376 |
| 2001 | 112 | #1627 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Mae?
In official American birth records, the name Mae first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 344 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Mae a popular girl name?
Mae ranked #500 among girls in 2025 with 594 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #588.
When was the name Mae most popular?
Mae peaked in 1918, when 2,756 American girls received the name (ranked #95 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Mae?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 3,030 newborn American girls was named Mae. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "distinctive".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.