Abbie vs May

Abbie and Maycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.

Head to head

Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.

Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Abbie was ranked #160 and May #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Abbie was ranked #227 and May #407 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Abbie was ranked #1302 and May #610 among girls in England and Wales.

Abbie and May over time

Abbie and May appear together in 3 published lists, across 65 years of shared records. Abbie held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, May in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Abbie reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and May in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.

Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Abbie held the stronger position in 24 of those years, May in 5.
Highest recorded here: Abbie #38 in 2003, May #325 in 2007.
The order changed in 2020: May moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #651 and #737; by 2020 that had become #1127 and #631.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abbie #1302, May #610.
Republic of Ireland · Girls28 shared years, 1994–2025
Abbie held the stronger position in 28 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abbie #27 in 2005, May #262 in 2023.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Abbie #160, May #718.
Northern Ireland · Girls8 shared years, 2009–2024
Abbie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, May in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abbie #45 in 2009, May #276 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Abbie #227, May #407.

Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving May

Pairs where May shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Anna vs May
In 1945 they stood at #38 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 5 places apart; by 2025 they were #23 and #481.
Anna · May · 80 shared years, 1945–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Elisabeth vs May
In 1945 they stood at #50 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #171 and #481.
Elisabeth · May · 80 shared years, 1945–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2025 Norway ranking
Gunn vs May
In 1945 they stood at #53 and #43 in Norway · Girls, 10 places apart; by 2005 they were #546 and #244.
Gunn · May · 60 shared years, 1945–2005 · Started together, ended far apart
See the 2005 Norway ranking
Laila vs May
Laila and May changed places 18 times in Norway · Girls between 1945 and 2025, ending at #408 and #481.
Laila · May · 79 shared years, 1945–2025 · Repeatedly exchanged positions
See the 2025 Norway ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Abbie, May
Field	Abbie	May
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	female
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation	Not yet recorded
Syllables	2	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE	GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO
Most recent popularity observation	Republic of Ireland · Girls #160 (2025)	Norway · Girls #481 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	94/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Abbie has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for May.
Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.

How each name got here

Abbie

Popularity journey

First recorded1993
First recorded at #448 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2025
Highest recorded position: #27 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2005 (recorded 1993–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #160 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls

May

Popularity journey

First recorded1945
First recorded at #43 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #24 among girls in Norway, in 1956 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #481 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls