How would you pronounce ...

[iwantknowyouropinion]

Mey/Mei

Would you pronounce it like May or My?

Which one do you prefer if you had to choose?

I would also assume there was a SE Asian connection for May to be spelt this way.

Is there? If not, just why?

Nothing more cringe than picking a name and spelling it ridiculously to be “younique”.

Mei, I'd assume you were Japanese. (And yes, mei mei means little sister in China so it's what people call females younger than themselves, within and even outside of their own family - every younger female. It isn't a given name).

Mey isn't good - sorry - is it even a name? I'd probably eventually pronounce it like 'Me' after much confusion and wondering if it was a typo.

That's not something I feel like sharing with such a judgy bunch.

Your username says otherwise. But seriously op, it's very difficult to say if we don't know what the given name will be

@PyjamaMamma

Mei is pronounced May and if I saw a child with this name I’d assume Japanese.

Same

Due to tradition we'll be naming her after my DH's deceased mother who had a long, non-English name so her nickname is important to us as it will be used for everyday use.

@iwantknowyouropinion you don't seem to like this name..... use it as a middle name instead!

@Strandliv

I know a Mae (girl) pronounced May. So there’s another spelling for you.

And it has the all important e.

Mey would be pronounced Me, I'd just alter it from the long version to Mei for a NN.

Try and remember that your child will live with this name. I have an oddly spelt name, I hate it and it's still a pain now,

I would pronounce it May and I prefer Mei.

Why all the angst over the spelling of a nickname ?! It won't be on official papers anyway surely?!

@QuestionEverythingBaby brilliant! 😂😂😂

OP, no one's being judgy. You asked for people's opinions, and you have a pretty definitive answer of how the names you want to call your daughter will be received.

And the answer is not great. Not because people are judgy. It's exactly what your daughter is going to encounter. A lifetime of having to correct, "no, not May" and an assumption she is Chinese when people see Mei written down.

If the full name (which you helpfully won't reveal ) starts M-e, then it kind of depends what the rest is, as to what her name will naturally be shortened too, as opposed to you trying to impose Mei/May/Mae.

To be fair it sounds as though maybe the OPs daughter will indeed have a different heritage since her name will be unusual and possibly difficult to pronounce.
Mei would seem intuitively the best to me OP. I think it's a name that everyone recognises and knows how to spell. I would assume Chinese heritage but I wouldn't be shocked to meet someone without that heritage but with that spelling.
Mey I think looks clunkier and less obvious and just not as attractive. Also I would look at it and wonder whether I should be saying My instead of May.
Of the "a" versions May is a million times better than Mai or Mae but if you feel strongly that it needs the M E start then Mei is definitely your best bet.

Mei is also Dutch for May (the month) and pronounced similarly. That's how I'd pronounce it.