Mai
Mai is a name that is used as a given name and a surname.
Meaning & Origin of Mai
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mai is a name that is used as a given name and a surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Mai
Mai first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1990, when 254 Mais were born — ranking #793 that year. As of 2026, Mai ranks #3,199 for baby girls with 50 births, holding steady (+5%). In total, more than 6K Mais have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Mai
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Mai (Arabic name)
- Mai (Ra'iatean man) , also known as Omai, the first person from the Pacific Islands to visit Europe
- Mai (singer) (born 1984), formerly known as Ruppina, a J-Pop singer
- Mai Atafo , Nigerian fashion designer
- Mai Charoenpura , Thai pop singer from Bangkok
- Mai Fuchigami (born 1987), Japanese voice actress and singer
- Mai Fujisawa ( 藤澤 麻衣 ; born 1980) , Japanese singer and songwriter
- Mai Fukagawa (born 1991), Japanese actress and former singer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Mai
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mai is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mai
What does the name Mai mean?
How popular is Mai in 2026?
When was Mai most popular?
In which U.S. states is Mai most popular?
Is Mai a unisex name?
What names go well with Mai?
About the name Mai
Mai is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 6K births in the dataset. Mai's peak popularity came in 1990 when it ranked #738. Use the chart and map above to compare Mai's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1990 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.