Mayce
A feminine variant of the name Mace, derived from the Latin name Matthaeus meaning "gift of God".
Name Census estimates that about 470 living Americans carry the first name Mayce. It is a predominantly female name (95.4% of registrations). The average person named Mayce today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mayce births was 2001 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mayce. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
470
~ 1 in 729,265 Americans
Peak year
2001
35 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,646
Tracked since 1990
Gender
Gender distribution for Mayce
Mayce leans heavily female at 95.4% of total registrations, but 22 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Mayce as a male name
- Ranked #13,646 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 2020 (7 births)
Mayce as a female name
- Ranked #16,759 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2001 (35 births)
Popularity
Mayce: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mayce from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 252 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mayce by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Mayce during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mayce
The name Mayce is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to have roots in ancient Celtic languages, where it may have derived from the word "magh," meaning field or plain. This suggests that the name was initially associated with agricultural communities or those living in open, rural areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Mayce can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In these annals, a man named Mayce mac Fergusa is mentioned as a prominent chieftain in the year 1022 AD, suggesting that the name held significance among the nobility of that era.
In the Middle Ages, the name Mayce appears to have been particularly popular in Scotland and northern England, where it was likely influenced by the influx of Celtic settlers and the intermingling of cultures. One notable figure bearing this name was Mayce of Fyvie, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the early 14th century.
As time progressed, the name Mayce began to spread across Europe, although it remained relatively uncommon. In the 16th century, a French philosopher and mathematician named Mayce de L'Hôpital made significant contributions to the field of calculus, further adding to the name's historical significance.
In the realm of literature, Mayce also found its place. Mayce Rendal, an English author born in 1801, wrote several acclaimed novels and plays during the Victorian era, including the popular work "The Mistress of Windfell Hall."
Another prominent figure bearing the name Mayce was Mayce Newbold, an American explorer and archaeologist born in 1888. Her groundbreaking excavations in Egypt and the Middle East shed light on ancient civilizations and contributed greatly to our understanding of human history.
While the name Mayce has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, each leaving their mark on the world in their own unique way. From chieftains and knights to philosophers and authors, the name has transcended time and cultures, imbuing it with a sense of mystery and intrigue.
People
Mayce + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mayce as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Mayce: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mayce?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 470 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mayce going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 729,265 US residents.
Is Mayce a common name?
We classify Mayce as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 478 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mayce most popular?
The single biggest year for Mayce was 2001, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mayce is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mayce a female name?
Yes, 95.4% of people registered as Mayce in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.