Meghan
Meghan was the 1906th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 102 babies. Its best year was 1985, when it ranked 63rd with 4,669 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 823 places. More babies were named Meghan in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning spelling of Megan (Margaret) · Welsh, English, Greek
Say it MEG-un /ˈmɛɡən/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,906 girls, down 1,026 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 102girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19854,669 babies
- Total since 1880
- 96,727babies recorded
What does the name Meghan mean?
Meghan is described by Wiktionary as a pseudo-Irish spelling of the Welsh name Megan, which is a pet form of Margaret (Welsh Marged, short Meg), from Greek margaritēs 'pearl'. The spelling with gh imitates Irish names such as Meaghan. Meghan was very popular in the US in the 1980s; Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, is a famous bearer.
Megan (Welsh, “pet form of Margaret”)μαργαρίτης (margaritēs) (Ancient Greek, “pearl”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Megan, Meagan, Margaret, Meg.
See also: Greek names, names that mean jewel.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Meghan', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Margaret', DMNES (Durham University)
Nicknames for Meghan
The usual nicknames for Meghan are Meg.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meg · also for Margaret, Megan, Meagan | Traditional | — | 21 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Meghans go by each one.
Meghan popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 227 since 1974.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,906 | 102 |
| 2020 | #880 | 304 |
| 2010 | #566 | 517 |
| 2000 | #134 | 2,514 |
| 1990 | #91 | 3,695 |
| 1980 | #114 | 2,692 |
| 1970 | #516 | 381 |
| 1960 | #1,999 | 33 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Meghan, counting every spelling?
Meghan has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,714 for girls in 2025, against #1,906 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Meghan?
102 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Meghan (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Meghan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 82 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Meghan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Meghan?
About 93,900 people born in the US named Meghan are alive today, with a median age of 36; half are between 29 and 42. That makes Meghan mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Meghan by state
How common Meghan was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (3.2×), New Jersey (2.8×), New York (1.7×). In 35 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Meghan: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Meghan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Meghan · Sibling names for Meghan
Questions about the name Meghan
What does Meghan mean?
Meghan means “spelling of Megan (Margaret)” (Welsh, English, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Meghan?
Meghan was the 1906th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 102 babies. Its best year was 1985, when it ranked 63rd with 4,669 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 823 places. More babies were named Meghan in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Meghan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Meghan in the US.
Where is Meghan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Meghan was most common in Florida (0.37 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and Connecticut.