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Mai

Meaning: Varies with the kanji; often dance
Origin: Japanese

Meaning: Apricot blossom
Origin: Vietnamese

Meaning: Uncertain; possibly bitter or rebellious
Origin: Hebrew — Also a variant of Mae, a short form of Mary or Margaret

Girl's name · #3016 in the US (2025) · 80s wave

Popularity over time

Mai reached its best rank, #792, in 1881 and ranked #3016 in 2025. About 5,700 girls have carried it since 1880.

Across the states

See where Mai is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 3 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Mai ranks in other countries and regions.

#443 in Norway (2025) · #608 in Ireland (2025) · #1,004 in Sweden (2025) · #1,584 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,645 in Switzerland (2025) · #1,682 in France (2025) · #2,282 in Canada (2025) · #2,952 in Austria (2025) · #3,596 in Ecuador (2025) · #16,445 in Italy (2023) · #1,402 in Belgium (2015).

Famous Mais

Mai Nakachi — Japanese footballer (born 1980)
Mai Aizawa — Japanese footballer (born 1980)
Mai Kyokawa — Japanese footballer (born 1993)
Mai Zetterling — Swedish actress (1925–1994)
Mai Yamamoto — Japanese basketball player (born 1999)

As a surname

It is also an American family name — about 17,000 people carried it as a surname in the 2010 census.

Karl Mai — German footballer (1928–1993)
Lars Lukas Mai — German footballer (born 2000)
Angelo Mai — Italian cardinal and philologist (1782–1854)

In stories & tradition

Mai Shiranui — Fictional character from Fatal Fury
Mai — Avatar: The Last Airbender (comics)
Mai Valentine — Yu-Gi-Oh! (manga)

Where Mais come from

Among 544 notable bearers:

Japan 69%, Estonia 6%, Vietnam 4%, Denmark 3%, Egypt 2%, United States 2% and 33 more countries.

What Mais become

Among 586 notable people named Mai:

Entertainers appear 3.94× more often than among typical names — e.g. Mai Zetterling, Swedish actress (1925–1994).

Similar names: Rina · Maiya · Kaiah · Sena · Mari · Miya

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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