May-Themed Baby Names
May baby names represent spring at its best. Those born between May 1 and 20 are Taureans who are ambitious, smart, and trustworthy. Babies born after May 21 are Geminis, who are more dynamic and passionate. Check these unique baby names for girls and boys inspired by the 5th month of the year and get great inspiration. May is one of the seven months with 31 days and is the last month before summer. This fact alone can relax the mind and get you in a holiday mood. However, you must be expecting a baby, so it’s no time for vacation dreaming. Time to get real; you need cool May baby names to celebrate the arrival of your cute little angel. A name that will symbolize the romantic period of the year when mother Earth is full of magnificent colors.
May baby names are designed primarily for baby girls. This comes as no surprise as flowers are considered a feminine thing. However, inspiration for May baby names can be found in any name that starts with May- or sounds like May. You will find many examples in our creative list of May baby names below. We have added inside information on each name we picked. As you will see, the meaning and the origin of these May baby names are so diverse that they can be linked with any cultural background.
Top May Baby Names for Girls
- Emerald: Every month has its own birthstone, and May’s gem is the emerald. The precious green stone is a symbol of success and love in many cultures worldwide. These two attributes are the perfect recipe for an inspirational baby name with a hidden secret power. The origin of Emerald is, in fact, Persian, and its literal meaning is green. It has been treasured in Egypt like a jewel since the age of the pyramids. People believed that its intriguing deep green color had the magical ability to open your heart to love and wisdom. Thus, Egyptians carried it with them to strengthen their relationships. As Em-starting names become more popular, Emerald could be targeted as one of the lesser-known May baby names that could become a great success story in the next few years.
- Esmeralda: moving on to some exotic May baby names for girls that will surprise you! Spanish people loved the name more than anyone. So they created one of the most romantic May baby names for girls, Esmeralda. Once popular only among the Latin-American community in the US, Esmeralda has now gone mainstream and climbed to the 358th spot in baby name charts. We suspect that Disney had something to do with this trend, as the spike in popularity was initiated by the 1996 animated movie. Streetwise and fearless, Esmeralda is a gypsy with a golden heart. One of her most admirable characteristics is that she can look deep into anyone’s heart and love them for who they are, not what they look like. Thus, she was the only friend of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, also known as Quasimodo.
- Mae: it sounds like May but has a totally different interpretation. The meaning of Mae is bitter and is one of the old-fashioned May baby names that made a remarkable come back in the baby names charts. Since 2010, Mae has been posing at the top 750 baby names, and we expect to rise even higher. The rising popularity of Mae is backed by a trend that favors vintage girl names that sound cooler than ever. Actress Kathryn Hahn, born in 1973, has chosen Mae as a name for her baby girl.
- Maia: May’s baby names are a bit cheeky because most of them sound like May, but they have a different meanings. Take Maia, for example. The origin of this spring-like girl’s name is Greek. Maia’s meaning is the mother and surrounded by a mystical aura. According to ancient Greek mythology, Maia was the fair-haired daughter of the mighty Atlas who had a child with the legendary god Hermes, son of Zeus. Later, the Romans had a different story to tell about Maia. She was considered the goddess of spring and Mother Earth. The Romans named the month May after this goddess as it was the month that most flowers used to blossom, so they believed that she was raised back from the dead every year to bring life. Maia is a relatively popular girl name holding the 722nd spot across US baby names.
- May: it can’t get more straightforward than this. If you prefer uncomplicated and easy-to-understand May baby names, you can stick with May. It’s a lovely name that reminds everyone of the year’s fifth month. However, May is a short version of Margaret, which comes from the Greek word margarita, a beautiful flower blossoming in May. Other baby name experts suggest that May comes from the Greek word margaritari, which means pearl. Both interpretations are wonderful as both flowers and precious stones are exquisite and lovely. And we can’t find a reason why any parent wouldn’t like to pass such attributes to their baby girl. Celebrities like Emily Morton and Madeline Stowe have chosen May as the name of their daughters. Legendary singer and composer Eric Clapton has also picked May as a middle name for his baby girl. Maybe you will be next?
- Maya: let’s have a look in May baby names of Hebrew origin. Maya is one of the most popular May baby names. Thanks to American author and poet Maya Angelou, the name got mega-popular during the ’90s. Today, it stands proudly within the top 75 baby names. The story behind the famous writer of seven autobiographies is that her birth name was Marguerite. Maya was later coined by Angelou’s brother, who used to say “mya sister.” The real meaning of the name Maya is water.
- Mayra: an uncommon yet sophisticated alternative of Maria, which is the Latin equivalent of Mary. The name comes from the original Aramaic name Miriam, which is found in the Bible. Though it has nothing to do with the month of May, it has a bitter-sweet melody that can be music to your ears.
Top May Baby Names for Boys
- Mace: May baby names that keep it short be the ones that will prevail. Mace is a cute boy name of English origin that means heavy club. Mace is also a known fire weapon, so it can be associated with a confident and strong type of man who is not afraid of danger. For Star Wars die-hard fans, Mace Windu was also a character that made a brief appearance in George Luca’s epic sci-fi saga. He was a Jedi master that possessed a powerful lightsaber of amethyst color.
- Fidel: as you probably know, May 1 is International Worker’s Day and is honored as a public holiday in most countries worldwide. It is also known as Labour Day, but what is less known about May 1 is that it also happens to be Fidel Castro’s birthday. Castro is a legendary politician that played a pivotal role in the Cuban revolution and served as the country’s Prime Minister. He is the symbol of resistance and pride for democratic people. Fidel’s meaning is faithful and comes from the Latin word Fidelis.
- Hawthorn: One of May flowers that makes for a cool male moniker.
- Flint: since May baby names for boys are not so easy to find compared to the girl names, we have to introduce some new ones inspired by nature. After all, May was the Roman goddess of Mother Earth, as we explained in our introduction. Flint is a macho name of English origin. It was used to describe babies born near the outcrop of a flint. Rebellious and tough-looking teenagers would love this unique name. Steel-strong baby names are on the rise, so Flint might be one of the great May baby names that could become a parents’ favorite. For comic enthusiasts, Marvel gave one more reason to love this name: Flint Marko, better known as his superhero name Sandman, a close ally of Spider Man. The notorious 18th-century pirate Captain Flint also adds to the ultra-macho image of this strong and confident boy name.
- Maison: May baby names of French origin are always popular among American parents. Maison is the lesser-known cousin of the no.1 baby name in the United States, Mason. The meaning of Maison is house, and it can be used for both girls and boys.
- Quentin: Means “fifth” in French for the year’s fifth month.