My husband especially thinks we need to find a more “formal” sounding fn, but nothing we’ve thought of so far sounds quite right. Does [name_f]Mae[/name_f] hold up on it’s own? What are some names that [name_f]Mae[/name_f] could be a nickname for?
What about [name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], or [name_f]Maisie[/name_f]?
I love [name_f]Mae[/name_f] on its own! It’s sweet and simple. No longer form needed.
It’s lovely on its own and I think it stands up well. I’ve never thought of it as nicknamey; it’s always sounded like a legit full name to me. There’s something really refreshing about a name like [name_f]Mae[/name_f] in that it doesn’t need to be super flowery and over-the-top.
I love [name_f]May[/name_f] but feel the same as you. What about [name_f]Mavis[/name_f], [name_f]Maelys[/name_f], [name_f]Marin[/name_f], [name_u]Marion[/name_u], [name_f]Marina[/name_f], [name_f]Makayla[/name_f]?
i think [name_f]Mae[/name_f] is pretty on it’s own! I had a best friend in junior high named [name_f]May[/name_f], no longer name needed. However, if you want something longer, how about [name_f]Maelie[/name_f]? I think that’s a really pretty name, and you can easily derive [name_f]Mae[/name_f] from it. 
My daughter’s name is [name_f]Mabel[/name_f]. We call her [name_f]Mae[/name_f], among other things.
I dont at all think its too nn-y I’d you stick with [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. Pick what you love, and then try and find a middle name to reinforce the idea that [name_f]Mae[/name_f] is a name in its own right.
I don’t think it needs a longer form, but it could be a nickname for [name_f]Margaret[/name_f]/[name_f]Margot[/name_f]/etc, [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Maeve[/name_f], or [name_f]Mary[/name_f].
I’m a fan of just [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. I think it has enough history that it stands alone well.
I think [name_f]Mae[/name_f] holds her own. I had an aunt [name_f]Mae[/name_f]. [name_f]Maeve[/name_f] nn [name_f]Mae[/name_f] is probably what we will use if we have a girl though.
Arial[/name_u] Narrow][name_f]Mae[/name_f] isn’t too nickname-y. But if I had to choose, [name_f]Maple[/name_f] is my favorite.
[name_f]Mae[/name_f] is fine alone, [name_f]IMO[/name_f]. And less nickname-y than, say, [name_f]Maisie[/name_f].
But I could also see it working as a NN for:
[name_f]Margaret[/name_f], [name_f]Marguerite[/name_f]
[name_f]Maybelle[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalena[/name_f]
[name_f]Mary[/name_f], [name_f]Marie[/name_f], [name_f]Mara[/name_f]
[name_f]Magnolia[/name_f], [name_f]Marigold[/name_f]
Mariamne
I think [name_f]Mae[/name_f] is okay on its own. But if you really want a longer form…
[name_f]Maren[/name_f]
[name_u]Marian[/name_u]
[name_f]Maya[/name_f]/[name_f]Maia[/name_f]
[name_f]Maeve[/name_f]
[name_f]Mabel[/name_f]
[name_f]Magdalene[/name_f]
[name_f]Madeleine[/name_f]
I don’t see anything wrong with nickname names. However, [name_f]Mae[/name_f] on it’s own isn’t one. It’s actually a name, thought it’s spelled [name_f]May[/name_f]. But if you need names to get to the nickname:
[name_f]Macy[/name_f]
[name_f]Maisie[/name_f]
[name_f]Meilani[/name_f]
Mayna
I think it’s fine on its own but I like it as a nn for [name_f]Megan[/name_f].