mai

Mai is a name and term that appears in several languages and cultures. It is used as a given name in East and Southeast Asia and as a surname in Chinese, Vietnamese, and related communities. It also shows up as a transliteration in other languages and can denote different concepts depending on the script.

As a given name, Mai is common in Vietnam and Japan. In Vietnam, Mai is a feminine given name and, less often, a surname; its meaning is often linked to flowers such as apricot or plum blossoms, though the exact sense varies with the chosen characters. In Japan, Mai is a popular feminine given name written with various kanji; the most common is 舞 meaning “dance,” but other combinations exist that can convey different meanings.

As a surname, Mai appears in Chinese-speaking contexts, where it can be a romanization of several characters (for example 麦, meaning “wheat”). In Vietnam, Mai is also a widely used surname, separate from its use as a given name. The pronunciation and character choices differ by language and region.

Other uses include Thai, where mai is the transliteration of the negation particle ไม่, meaning “not” or “no.” The cross-cultural presence of Mai means it appears in personal names, literature, and media around the world, often without implying a single origin or meaning.