Mays
A surname most likely meaning “son of May,” with May originally used as a short form of Matthew or as a nickname.
The #854 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 7,641 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Mays is usually explained as a patronymic built from the nickname May, itself a shortened form of Matthew in medieval English usage. In that tradition, Mays means “son of May” or “belonging to May.” Some older writers also connected May with other surname sources, but this derivation is the one most often given for Mays and its close spellings Mayes and Mayse.
History
Bardsley treats Mays, Mayes, and Mayse together and explains them as descendants of the nickname May. The name is established in English records by the 16th century at the latest, and modern bearers are especially common in English-speaking countries, including the United States. The spelling with -s fits a broader English pattern of surnames formed from a parent’s name or nickname.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The surname is part of a larger family of names built from the medieval nickname May, which could function much like Will in Williamson or Wills.
From the historical record
“Uayea.— Bapt. 'the son of Matthew.' from the nick. Hay; V. May and Mays. Hay^r. — Bapt.; v. Major. 1568. Buried — Arthore, hki of John Mayger, delkworktrx St. Mary Alder-”
— A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with special American instances