Fun Facts About May Babies

Hello Month of May graphic

Do you know someone expecting a baby born in May? If so, congratulations! May is a wonderful month to bring a new life into this world, and there are lots of fun facts about May that might interest you. In this post, we look at what makes May a special month for childbirth and what it means for your new bundle of joy.

First Off, What does "May" Mean?

May takes its name from the Greek goddess Maia, whose Roman equivalent is Bona Dea. Maia was considered a symbol of spring and fertility, both themes relevant to your childbirth. Maia was a nurturer, whose children included Hermes a brilliant but mischievous infant. On his first day home, Hermes matured rapidly. He snuck off at night, stole his half-brother Apollo's cattle and made a lyre out of a tortoise shell, which he then used as a bargaining chip to convince Apollo to let him keep the cattle. Sneaky! So be ready, parents. You could have a smart (but rascally) baby on the way!

May Means Summer is Just Around the Corner

May is a spring month in the northern hemisphere, one of the warmest spring months just before the heat of summer sets in. In most places, the chill of winter is officially gone by May. In the southern hemisphere, May is a pleasant autumn month and offers a relief from the hotter months.

If you like planning ahead, note your baby will be about 7 months old by the holiday season's wonderful age for baby's first holiday.

Notable Holidays Shared by Babies Born in May

Mother's Day is Celebrated in May

There's plenty to celebrate in May, in addition to your newborn. Here are some of the most well-known holidays this month:

May Day (May 1): This is a celebration of spring, or a day to honor workers, celebrated in many countries around the world. In Ireland and Scotland, these festivities are also known as the Beltane festival.
Cinco de Mayo (May 5): A celebration of Mexican-American culture, or more specifically: the observance of the Mexican army's defeat of the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Mother's Day (always 2nd Sunday of May): One of the odd surprises of being a new mom is the sudden realization that you're able to celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
Memorial Day (always the last Monday of May): A day to honor fallen military servicemen, this U.S. holiday is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It's also considered the unofficial start of summer, as many families celebrate with backyard BBQs or by going to the beach.

Outside of holidays, May is a heritage month for South Asians, Asian Pacific Americans, and Jewish Americans. There are also some fun pop culture events like Zombie Awareness Month and the annual Eurovision Song contest!

May Birthstones & Flowers

May Birthstone and Flower

If your birth month is May, your birthstone is the emerald and your flower is the Lily of the Valley.

Lily of the Valley symbolizes sweetness, innocence and purity. Emerald symbolizes love and fortune. Emerald is considered a deflector of negative energy and an attractor of abundance, harmony, and love. Emerald is worn to bring inspiration and to provide healing, patience, truth and wisdom in relationships.

If worn with a diamond, the power of emerald can be amplified. In folk remedies, emerald is recommended for blood and heart problems, childbirth, and detoxification. It is a stone loved by ancient cultures for thousands of years.

Zodiac & Astrology Signs for May Born Babies

If your baby is born in May, their zodiac sign will be either Taurus (April 20-May 20) or Gemini (May 21-June 20). See these June Baby Fun Facts and April Baby Fun Facts for zodiac signs that fall before or after May.

If you are a Taurus, you are an earth sign, and you share the stability of the earth. You may tend toward conservative choices, but you make a loyal and lasting companion. In intense situations, you keep a level head, but if pushed over the line, you can explode. If you have a baby in May who is a Taurus, you can expect him or her to perform well in school and later in work, particularly if a stable environment is provided which matches the Taurus personality.

Gemini is a mutable air sign, and in many ways quite the opposite of Taurus. If you are a Gemini, odds are you are energetic, fast paced, and constantly striving to learn new things. You draw information and people together and can entertain and inform others. You may become easily bored with tedious tasks or leave tasks unfinished unless they are very compelling. If you have a Gemini baby in May, you can look forward to a child who will master the skills of communication early and learn at an incredible rate. Your Gemini child will have a magnetic personality, but may neglect school tasks or chores (or relationships) unless constantly given new, exciting aspects to keep him or her engaged. Whether your baby is an energetic Gemini or a grounded Taurus, he or she will bring a unique inner strength to life as a child and later as an adult.

Notable Personality Traits about Babies Born in May

Let's examine some notable facts about May babies that are backed by some research. While these facts are provided with cited sources, the reader is encouraged to do additional research before drawing conclusions on the validity of these points.

Some Research Suggests the Following Personality Traits

Don't believe in astrology? That's okay. You can also use some research to predict the future personality of your May baby. According to Time magazine, a growing body of scientific research has found patterns in personality traits among people born in various seasons.

Optimism: People born in May rate highest for optimism and positivity (also known as hyperthymia). Other spring babies, born in March and April, score high in hyperthymia too, but May tops them all, according to a 2012 study of 58,000 people.

Depression: The flip side is that people born in May are also most at risk of depression, according to the same study. Unfortunately, those born in May were more vulnerable to dark moods than people born in other months. But don't put too much weight into these studies, which were focused on adults (not babies). Personality traits are influenced by many other factors. And we're certain babies tend to be happy no matter what!

Famous May Babies & Birthdays

There have been numerous celebrities and notable figures born in the month of May. And if you're into astrology, you can see how some of these figures fit into the zodiac personas above.

Here are a few notable May birthdays to know:

Wes Anderson: May 1, 1969
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson: May 2, 1972
Audrey Hepburn: May 4, 1929
Chris Brown: May 5, 1989
Orson Welles: May 6, 1915
George Clooney: May 6, 1961
Enrique Iglesias: May 8, 1975
Florence Nightingale: May 12, 1820
Tina Fey: May 18, 1970
Janet Jackson: May 16, 1960
Mr. T: May 21, 1952
Drew Carey: May 23, 1958
Bob Dylan: May 24, 1941
John F. Kennedy, May 29, 1917
Clint Eastwood: May 31, 1930

Historic Events in May

History in May graphic

What can history tell you about your May baby? Well, it may not be able to predict personality traits, but you can win some trivia points by knowing which historic events happened on your baby's birthday. Here are a few significant events that happened in May:

May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard became the first American in space, experiencing weightlessness for about five minutes inside the Freedom 7 spacecraft, then returning to earth and parachuting into the Atlantic Ocean.
May 7, 1945: V-E Day - World War II ended in Europe as Germany surrendered in France (the entire war ended in September).
May 8, 1794: The United States Post Office was established.
May 10, 1869: The final "golden spike" was hammered into the First Transcontinental Railroad, completing the connection of the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.
May 18, 1804: Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor of France in an extravagant coronation that was referred to as a "masterminded piece of modern propaganda."
May 20, 1932: Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

Your Conception Date

Let's face it‚ we all want to know exactly when we became pregnant. Don't we? After all, the conception date was the beginning of your baby's journey (and your journey as a parent to be). But as time goes by, it's easy to forget how and when things happened on that life changing day.

The good news is, you can always approximate your conception date with a little math. Even if you don't know the exact date, the month and the season of conception tells you a lot. Was it hot outside? Was it during a blizzard? Was something big happening in the news? If your baby is due in May, your conception date was probably between Aug. 1 to Sept. 1 of last year.

When will my Baby Start . . . ?

Since you know when your baby is due, you can make some educated guesses about when he or she will reach important milestones over the coming months and years. If your baby is born in May, he or she will:

Start smiling: Likely between July and August (6-12 weeks)
Start laughing: Probably by around September (4 months)
Start eating solid foods: Likely between September and November (4-6 months)
Start crawling: Probably between December and March (7-10 months)
Start walking: Most likely by February to August of next year (9-15 months)

Summary About May Born Babies (Our Disclaimer)

It's important to remember that May's astrological signs, birthstones, and birth flowers are symbolic and do not necessarily reflect the personality or characteristics of an individual. Likewise, personality research is not meant to be all inclusive.

While there may be trends or patterns that emerge, it is not accurate or fair to make assumptions babies born in May. Each person is unique and should not be judged or generalized based on their month of birth.

Every baby will grow into their own individual self, with their own unique characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses—that's what makes us all special.

If you enjoyed this article, please checkout the other posts in this series:

Fun Facts About April Born Babies

Fun Facts About June Born Babies

Baby’s first gift? A diaper cake, of course!

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Congratulations on your new bundle of joy!

Did You Know these Fun Facts About May Born Babies?