An English, Dutch, German, French, Danish and Scottish surname is May. It is short form of the personal name Matthias. The Norman French form was Maheu. It is used as a given name, surname and refers to the month of May on a calendar. The Irish term Miadhach, means honorable or proud.

Various other spellings include , Mayes and Mays.

Those with the May surname originate from England, Ireland and Germany.

Located in England along the southern end, mostly in Gloucestershire and Sussex counties and in London. In Scotland the higher population with the surname May are in Lanarkshire and Aberdeenshire counties. The states with higher numbers of May families are Ohio, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Alabama and Illinois.

Most with this surname were farmers in the 1880s.

Famous: Dave and Darrell May (both professional baseball players), Sir Francis Henry May (Governor of British Hong Kong from 1912 - 1919), Jack May (English actor), Julian May (fiction author), Mathilda May (French actress), Sean May (professional basketball player), Thomas May (17thcentury English poet), Graham May (New Zealand weightlifter), Bob May (professional golfer), Jonathan May (cellist and conductor), Elaine May (screenwriter and director) and Hugh May (17thcentury English architect).