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Original poster

What's behind this name trend?

69 replies

Phizzytails · 21/07/2023 22:45

What's behind the trend of calling girls something-May? With a hyphen? In the past few weeks alone at my work I've come across children called:

Chloe-May
Eva-May
Casey-May
Ava-Mae
Poppy-May
Amber-May

Also why never just 'May?' I don't think I've ever come across any young people or kids called just 'May.'

OP posts:
RitzyMcFitzy · 22/07/2023 01:37

Gemstonebeach · 22/07/2023 01:35

I’m 35 and I went to school with a girl called Megan-Hannah! And a Sarah-Louise but there is a reason why names like Louise/Rose/May/Jane are so popular, they do go well with most names.

Megan-Hannah is so clunky. Names like that make me think the parents met a stalemate and both refused to budge

Muhwanda · 22/07/2023 01:38

This was a 90s / noughties thing. Think it’s over now?

caringcarer · 22/07/2023 01:44

My Great Aunt was called Emily May and she died in her 80's about 5 years ago. So the middle name May has been around a long time.

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Families
Mothership4two · 22/07/2023 02:42

Around the time DS1 was born (24 years ago) I found it was exactly the same with Rose ie Molly Rose but I never met a Rose. The ones we still know have all dropped the Rose and just use their first Christian name.

MullerInk · 22/07/2023 06:14

Muhwanda · 22/07/2023 01:38

This was a 90s / noughties thing. Think it’s over now?

I teach primary and every year I've had a selection of hyphen names. Eight years ago it must have been having a moment because 8 of my girls had a hyphen this year. Most (but not all) ask to go by just the first part of their name. For some reason it feels more jarring with boys.

Heyhoherewegoagain · 22/07/2023 06:18

I have a hyphenated name (not May) and I’m in my 50s so it’s not a new thing

RoseAndRose · 22/07/2023 06:23

BlueKaftan · 21/07/2023 22:49

It’s been going on for years. There’s a girl called Molly Mae who’s very popular these days. Probably best to ignore it and let it have its time.

Yes, it's been around for ages - the "girl" Molly Mae (Hague) is now 24 and a mother

I guess it's an enduring naming style because people like how the names flow together

RosesAndHellebores · 22/07/2023 06:28

In my demographic, heading into mid 60s, the following were regularly used:

Sarah-Jane
Emma-Jane
Mary-Anne
Marie-Louise
Anne-Marie

May is a perfectly good name in its own right. It had a resurrection and people connected to its prettiness and simplicity.

Daffodilwoman · 22/07/2023 06:31

It does seem to be a trend with both boys and girls at the moment to hyphenate first names.
I think May/Mae just flows nicely as a middle name. I have never met anyone with the first name May though.

NotQuiteUsual · 22/07/2023 06:56

I know a few Lilly-Roses and Ella-Graces. It's definitely more common in some circles than others. It's not for me, but you know when you're a teenager and go through the phase of hating your name? They'll have a choice of two or three if they have middle names to go by instead. So in that respect it's a very smart idea.

BertieBotts · 22/07/2023 07:10

I think it's because May/Jane/Grace sound dated as first names but they sound timeless as middle names. They are often named after a grandmother.

Dupdupdup · 22/07/2023 07:14

My middle name is May, as is 10 of my cousins, 2 aunties, Grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother.

I was always proud of the family tradition, but the hyphen May on literally every child had put me off a bit, little bit trashy it seems now 😬

Dupdupdup · 22/07/2023 07:14

Dupdupdup · 22/07/2023 07:14

My middle name is May, as is 10 of my cousins, 2 aunties, Grandmother, great grandmother and great great grandmother.

I was always proud of the family tradition, but the hyphen May on literally every child had put me off a bit, little bit trashy it seems now 😬

I'm mid 30's btw

lavenderlou · 22/07/2023 07:18

Loads from when my DC were born too (13 years ago). Also know a few -Beaus too. I can think of a Lily-Beau and a Lulu-Beau. I've come across more than one hyphenated with Blue at the end. One of them irrationally irritated me because it was pronounced "blue" but spelled "Bleu".

Can't think of any make double-barrelled names, except from when I lived in France.

romdowa · 22/07/2023 07:20

In the 80s and 90s it was Louise 😲😲 where I am the trend is to double barrel with rae which is just as tacky as hell

CharlotteStreetW1 · 22/07/2023 07:33

Muhwanda · 22/07/2023 01:38

This was a 90s / noughties thing. Think it’s over now?

Nope. I know of a [totally made up name]-Mae born this year.

The oldest I know is an Elle-Mae born in the mid nineties.

Original poster
Phizzytails · 22/07/2023 10:17

Tibba · 21/07/2023 22:51

How old are these children? I thought the Something-Mae trend had long since passed.

Generally aged under 10/11 and as young as babies.

Also I don't have a problem with it, just wondering why May (and yes -Rose as well) but not Eve or Paige or Emily or Olivia or Sophia or another popular girls name as the second part.

OP posts:
Original poster
Phizzytails · 22/07/2023 10:20

Daffodilwoman · 22/07/2023 06:31

It does seem to be a trend with both boys and girls at the moment to hyphenate first names.
I think May/Mae just flows nicely as a middle name. I have never met anyone with the first name May though.

Exactly, May as an actual sole first name seems quite rare? But an explosion in -May. I think it's a lovely name by itself.

OP posts:
Carsarelife · 22/07/2023 11:53

I work with 2-5 year olds and there's loads. Also becoming super popular is Rae.
Olivia - Rae
Sophia - Rae
Bailey - Rae
Etc

JamSandle · 22/07/2023 11:55

May is a strong family name for me so quite a few relatives have it (either as a middle name or double barrelled).

x2boys · 22/07/2023 12:03

Well hyphened, names, are not a new thing I have one and I'm 50 this year the May,mae,has been popular for quite a free years now
And my cousins daughter is just called May .

Inkypot · 22/07/2023 12:09

My favourite book as a child in the 80s was Tales of Betsy-May by Enid Blyton.
I remember thinking Betsy-May would be the prettiest name a girl could have (when I was a child).
That book was originally published in 1940 so the hyphen and the May name trend is definitely not modern. It's been around for at least 80 years at this point and probably longer than that.
I still think Betsy-May is a lovely name but I wouldn't use it now as I know a hyphen would be a pain for them filling out online forms as an adult 😄

Dobbyatemysocks · 22/07/2023 12:18

Our family has the tradition of adding Jayne/Jane to girls middle names and Alexander/Alex/Xander to boys.

Although it gets a bit much when your name is Dobbyatemysocks-jayne Jane (surname-surname) which I was when I was younger.

I have since changed it and dropped a Jane and one of the surnames!

Much easier!!!!

PriamFarrl · 22/07/2023 12:19

I’m a primary school teacher and you always notice name trends. We don’t seem to have had any hyphens for a while. The name trends now seem to be very ordinary names to be fair. Solid names like Jack, Alfie, Max, Poppy, Megan, Amy. Very little ‘made up’ names or creative spellings. (Mainly white working class school)

As said above it was -Louise back in the 80s.

LoobyDop · 22/07/2023 12:25

Single syllable middle names like May, Rose, Grace and Jane flow nicely with longer first names. And they all start with consonants, so aren’t clumsy after names that end in a- which a lot of girls’ names do.

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