What does Mei mean?
From Chinese 美 (měi) 'beautiful'. One of the most direct beauty characters used in given names (another 梅 means 'plum blossom'; this entry is for 美 'beautiful').
What does Yue mean?
Yue is commonly the character 月, “moon.”
Mei vs Yue
Which is more popular?
Mei is more popular than Yue today: about 117 US babies were given the name Mei in 2025, compared with 11 named Yue.
| Mei | Yue | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Beautiful | Moon (月) |
| Origin | chinese | Chinese |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MAY | yweh |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1947 | 2002 |
| Peak year | 2025 (117) | 2021 (15) |
| In 2025 | 117 | 11 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Mei
Yue
Source: US Social Security Administration.
Births by decade
| Decade | Mei | Yue |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 483 | 70 |
| 2010s | 483 | 67 |
| 2000s | 385 | 5 |
| 1990s | 191 | 0 |
| 1980s | 136 | 0 |
| 1970s | 110 | 0 |
| 1960s | 37 | 0 |
| 1950s | 16 | 0 |
| 1940s | 18 | 0 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Mei or Yue more popular?
Mei is more popular than Yue today: about 117 US babies were given the name Mei in 2025, compared with 11 named Yue.
What is the difference between Mei and Yue?
Mei means Beautiful (chinese origin), while Yue means Moon (月) (Chinese origin).
Which name is older, Mei or Yue?
In US records, Mei first appears in 1947 and Yue in 2002, so Mei has the longer recorded history.