2000
#270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101,726
First available Census row
Per 100,000 37.71
Common Last name
May
Derived from the name of the month, likely referring to someone born or baptized in May.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116,474 Americans carry the last name May. That puts it at #304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 33.98 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,943 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the May surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for May with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
116K
1 in 2,943
Census rank
#304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
34.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101,571 bearers of the surname May in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 33.98 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname May, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of May
The surname May originated in England and has its roots in the Old English word "maeg" or "mæg," which meant "kinsman" or "blood relative." It was often used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was considered part of the family or clan.
In medieval times, surnames were adopted as a way to distinguish individuals within a community. The name May was likely derived from this Old English term, indicating a familial or kinship connection. It could have been given to someone who was closely associated with a particular family or group.
The name May appears in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. One notable mention is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which document the names of landowners and tenants in different counties of England. This record includes individuals with the surname May, indicating the name's early use and presence in different regions of the country.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname May was John May, who was born around 1330 in Yorkshire, England. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local council during the reign of Edward III.
Another notable figure was Sir Humphrey May, born in 1520 in Wiltshire, England. He was a respected military commander who served under Queen Elizabeth I and played a crucial role in the English campaigns against the Spanish Armada in 1588.
In the 17th century, Thomas May (1595-1650) was an English poet and historian who wrote extensively about the English Civil War. His works, such as "A History of the Parliament of England," provided valuable insights into the political turmoil of that era.
The surname May was also associated with several place names in England, such as May Hill in Gloucestershire and May Green in Shropshire. These place names may have influenced the adoption or spread of the surname in those regions.
Another prominent individual with the surname May was Joseph May (1760-1812), an English agriculturist and writer. He authored several influential works on farming and agricultural practices, contributing significantly to the advancement of agriculture during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Throughout its history, the surname May has been borne by numerous individuals from various walks of life, including politicians, military leaders, writers, and intellectuals. Its enduring presence in England serves as a testament to its deep-rooted origins and the significance of kinship and family ties in the development of surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for May
Among Census respondents with the surname May, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how May bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the May surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 81,656
- Black or African American9.4% · 9,573
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 4,105
- Two or more races3.8% · 3,878
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 1,564
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 795
Timeline
Historical Census data for May
May appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103,306
+1,580 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 35.02
Rank movement Down 34 places
2020
#304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101,571
-1,735 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 33.98
Rank movement No rank change
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #270 | 101,726 | 37.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #304 | 103,306 | 35.02 | +1,580 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 34 places |
| 2020 | #304 | 101,571 | 33.98 | -1,735 bearers (-1.7%) | No rank change |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the May surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #304 | #304 | 0.0% |
| Count | 103,306 | 101,571 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 35.02 | 33.98 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of May bearers went from 103,306 to 101,571 (-1.7% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, remaining at #304.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname May
FAQ
May surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname May?
Name Census estimates that about 116,474 living Americans carry the surname May. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,943 residents.
How common is May?
May ranks #304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 33.98 per 100,000 residents, which is about 34 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 101,571 people with the surname May. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116,474), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 33.98 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 33.98 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 34 of them to have the surname May.
Has May become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname May went from 103,306 recorded bearers to 101,571. That is a decrease of 1,735 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it stayed at #304.
What does the Census say about the background of May?
Among Census respondents with the surname May, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (9.4%) and Hispanic (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname May in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (81,656 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
May appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Black (9.4%), Hispanic (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for May (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does May mean?
Derived from the name of the month, likely referring to someone born or baptized in May. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for May (33.98 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called May?
Find out how many people have the surname May on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.