Might be from Old English maeg, male kinsman (Redin), and warrior (Harrison). Lower says Le May is common in the English Hundred Rolls. William May rendered homage at Berwick, 1291 (RR.). David May had a feu of the lands of Chapeltoun of Both from the Abbey of Culross, 1587 (PSAS., LX, p. 81). Alexander May appears in Bourhillis, Aberdeenshire, 1597 (SCM., I) and John Maii in Harvestoun in Tillycultrie, 1638 (Inquis., 2347), and Robert Maii in Dunglas, 1640 (ibid., 2529). (2) Associated with Clan Macdonald it is a form of Omay, which see.

(English) 1 Man, Warrior; Kinsman, Son [Middle English may, Old English mága, mǽ(c)g] Byrhtnóðes mǽg.—The Battle of Maldon, 114.

2 Young Girl, Maid [Middle English mai, may, Old English mǽg(þ] That has na barn, ne mai ne knave.— Cursor Mundi, 12067. Thow glorie of wommanhede, thow faire may.—Chaucer, Cant. Tales, B 851.

(Anglo-Hebrew) dims, of Matthew, q.v.; also of Mary [Hebrew Máráh, bitterness]

The English name May has several different derivations.

In mediaeval Westmeath we find May as a Gaelic sept, viz Ó Miadhaigh, which survives as Mea as well as May. MIF 175

(English, French) Descendant of May, a pet form of Matthew (gift of Jehovah).

Has certainly no connection with the month of flowers, as it is commonly written in records Le Mai. It may be the same as the Old Scottish, maich, Anglo-Saxon, mceg, Old English mei, son-in-law, son, or generally, any relative. Le May is common in H.R.

Good, pleasant.

Probably given to a child bom in that month. May, in the Saxon, is a daisy, a flower; the fifth month in the year, beginning with January. Gaelic, mai or maith, good, pleasant, fruitful; Mad, Welsh. From Ma we have mai, the earth, the producer; ma, mother, tender, kind.

In records, Le Mai; in H.R. Le May. Lower thinks it may be the same as the Old Scottish, maich, Anglo-Saxon mœg, Old English met, son-in-law, son, or, generally, any relative. May is the name of an islet of Scotland, at the mouth of the Firth of Forth; and of a rivulet co. Perth; and of a rivulet of Wales, co. Carnarvon; and Le May is the appellation of a comm, and village of France, dep. Maine-et-Loire. But May is doubtless generally the same as Mee; from mee, a provincialism for a meadow; from Anglo-Saxon made, meedewe. Hence the compound names Mildmay (Mildmé), Youngmay (H.R. Yungemay). Ferguson renders Mildmay "mild maiden;" and Arthur, "a tender judge." A lady informs me she has known the Christian name May to represent three different female names. It is perhaps most usually from Mary.

Robert, Ralph de Mai, Robert Mai, Normandy 1180-98 (Magni Rotuli Scaccarii Normanniae). Henry de May, Hugh Mey, Engl. c. 1272 (Rotuli Hundredorum).

From the Dutch, Maij, Mee, Mei; from the Flemish, Mahy, May; from the Swedish, May; personal name Mays; a location name in France.