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Home › Baby Names Directory › Mayo

Mayo

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Mayo

Pronounced MAY-oh /ˈmeɪ.oʊ/High

Meaning: Mayo is most plausibly a surname and place-name used as a given name; the Irish county Mayo is Maigh Eo, 'plain of the yew trees'. A few families may also have used it as a short form of names beginning May-.Low

In 30 seconds: Mayo is a rare surname-style boy's name from the early nineteen-hundreds, most often tied to Irish Mayo, 'plain of the yew trees' (said 'MAY-oh').
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Origin LowIrish, English
MeaningMayo is most plausibly a surname and place-name used as a given name; the Irish county Mayo is Maigh Eo, 'plain of the yew trees'. A few families may also have used it as a short form of names beginning May-.
U.S. rank (2005)#12686 ↘ Falling
2005 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1915
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,236

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191518932005

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Mayo reads today like the Irish county or an old family surname carried over as a first name, a common early-twentieth-century American habit. The county name, Maigh Eo, means 'plain of the yew trees'.

It was always scarce, cresting quietly around 1915 and lingering thinly across the century before fading. It has never been part of any revival, and its meaning is best treated as probable rather than certain.

Did you know? Mayo turned up in American birth records around the First World War as a spare surname-name, never given to more than a few dozen boys a year.
Overall data confidence 45%
References — Mayo — Irish place/surname Maigh Eo; given-name use

Variations

Mayho

Nicknames

May

Famous Bearers

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If you like Mayo…

Monroe— another Irish surname used as a modern given name
Murphy— a like Irish surname-name with an easygoing sound
Leo— a short vintage boy's name with the same open O ending
Milo— a two-syllable retro boy's name with a similar bright feel

Explore names like Mayo

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Mayo mean?

Mayo is most likely a surname and Irish place-name meaning 'plain of the yew trees', used as a first name.

How do you pronounce Mayo?

It's said MAY-oh /ˈmeɪ.oʊ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Mayo a boy or girl name?

Mayo is used here as a boy's name.

How popular is Mayo?

Mayo has always been a rare choice in the U.S., a modest early-twentieth-century surname-name that is very uncommon today.

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