Mayleen
A diminutive form of the name Madeleine, of French origin meaning "high tower" or "lofty".
Name Census estimates that about 868 living Americans carry the first name Mayleen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Mayleen today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Mayleen births was 2012 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Mayleen. 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
868
~ 1 in 394,878 Americans
Peak year
2012
65 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,107
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Mayleen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Mayleen from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 443 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mayleen 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 Mayleen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Mayleens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Mayleen, while Florida, Illinois, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 68 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Mayleen
The name Mayleen is a relatively modern combination of the names May and Leen. It does not have a direct linguistic origin or clear cultural roots. However, its components can be traced back to various sources.
The first part, May, is derived from the Latin name Maia, which was the name of the Roman goddess of spring and growth. The name Maia itself is believed to come from the Latin word "maiores," meaning "ancestors" or "elders." In ancient Roman culture, the month of May was named after this goddess, signifying the arrival of spring and the renewal of life.
Leen, the second part of the name, is a shorter form of the name Lena, which has its origins in the Greek name Helena. Helena was a popular name in ancient Greek mythology, most famously associated with Helen of Troy, whose abduction sparked the Trojan War. The name Helena is derived from the Greek word "helene," meaning "bright" or "shining."
While the name Mayleen itself does not have any specific historical references or appearances in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its components have been used in various forms throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name May can be found in the 13th century, when it was used as a diminutive form of the name Mary. A notable figure with the name May was May Morris (1862-1938), an English embroiderer and designer, and the daughter of the famous artist and writer William Morris.
As for the name Lena, it has been used in various cultures and time periods. One famous Lena was Lena Horne (1917-2010), an American singer, actress, and civil rights activist, known for her successful career in Hollywood and her advocacy for racial equality.
Other notable individuals with the name May or Leen include:
1. May Watts (1863-1940), a British suffragist and women's rights activist.
2. Lena Ashwell (1869-1957), an English actress and theater manager.
3. May Sinclair (1863-1946), a British novelist and literary critic.
4. Lena Horne (1917-2010), the American singer and actress mentioned earlier.
5. Lena Zavaroni (1963-1999), a Scottish singer and actress who achieved fame as a child star.
While the name Mayleen may not have a long and illustrious history, its components have been present in various cultures and have been borne by notable individuals throughout history, reflecting the diverse and rich tapestry of human names and their origins.
People
Mayleen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Mayleen 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
Mayleen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Mayleen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 868 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Mayleen 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 394,878 US residents.
Is Mayleen a common name?
We classify Mayleen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 880 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Mayleen most popular?
The single biggest year for Mayleen was 2012, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Mayleen is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Mayleen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Mayleen 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.