Origins of the May surname

What does the name May mean?

May is an English surname with a few possible sources of origin. It is believed by some to be a derivation of the Middle English 'may' (warrior or kinsman) and be given to those who descend from someone with this occupation or responsibility. Others say that it is patronymic and stems from someone who is the son or descendant of 'Matthew' or 'May' (the diminutive form of the same name).

Alternative variations of the name May

May, Mays, Maye, Mayes, Maiy

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Delve deeper into the May family's history

OrkneyShetlandHighlandsWestern IslesGrampianTaysideCentralStrathclydeFifeLothianBordersDumfriesNorth East 428North West 285Isle of Man 24Yorkshire 1247East Midlands 337West Midlands 449East 1552London 5408South East 2886South West 1648South Wales 217Mid Wales 57West Wales 1North Wales 23Republic of IrelandNorthern Ireland

In 1921, most Mays lived in london

Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

39,000 May Travel & migration records
190,000 Mays found in all Census records

Interesting facts about May

How common is your surname?

186th most common surname in the UK

We have for the May surname. The oldest one dates back to 1538.

Who were Mays most likely to marry?

Our tell us which families married Mays.

What are the most common May first names?

John

William

Mary

Elizabeth

Our tell us the names of May family members
Man with milk churns and census card collage
Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

Common jobs for Mays

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common female occupations for Mays in 1921

Dressmaker

998

Laundress

680

Domestic Servant

502

General Servant Domestic

494

General Servant

391

Common male occupations for Mays in 1921

Agricultural Labourer

972

General Labourer

801

Carpenter

630

Farm Labourer

523

Tailor

447

We found over 360,000 family trees with the May surname

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