Mei
Mei was the 1744th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 117 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,832 places. More babies were named Mei in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Mae) pet form of Mary or Margaret · English
- Rank in 2025
- #1,744 girls, up 875 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 117girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025117 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,859babies recorded
What does the name Mei mean?
Mei is a spelling of Mae, pronounced the same way, so it shares Mae's meaning and origin.
Mae is a spelling of May, a pet form of Mary or Margaret, as Wiktionary notes; the Random House dictionary calls it a form of Mary. It is popular as a middle name and was fashionable as a first name in the US around 1900, a style the actress Mae West made famous. DMNES notes that the meaning of Mary's Hebrew original is uncertain.
How sure is this? Well established. Mae is a pet form; its parent names have uncertain (Mary) or Greek ('pearl', Margaret) meanings.
Related names: May, Mary, Margaret, Maisie.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Mae', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Mae', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Mary', DMNES, Durham University
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Mei popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,744 | 117 |
| 2020 | #2,619 | 65 |
| 2010 | #4,465 | 33 |
| 2000 | #3,320 | 41 |
| 1990 | #4,626 | 21 |
| 1980 | #4,245 | 18 |
| 1970 | #6,153 | 8 |
| 1960 | #5,520 | 7 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Mei, counting every spelling?
Mei is a spelling of Mae, a name family that ranked #366 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,744 for Mei on its own. Together these spellings went to 903 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mae | 594 | #501 | 3,007 |
| May | 183 | #1,233 | 785 |
| Mei | 117 | #1,744 | 418 |
| Maye | 9 | #10,614 | 50 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Mei?
117 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Mei (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Mei born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 72 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Mei.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Mei?
About 1,800 people born in the US named Mei are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 6 and 28. That makes Mei mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Mei by state
How common Mei was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (3.0×), California (1.8×). In 43 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Mei: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Mei, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Mei
What does Mei mean?
Mei is a spelling of Mae, which means “pet form of Mary or Margaret” (English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Mei?
Mei was the 1744th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 117 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 1,832 places. More babies were named Mei in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Mei a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Mei in the US.
Where is Mei most popular?
In 2021–2025, Mei was most common in Washington (0.15 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Utah.