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2025 data, released 8 May 2026

2025 data, released 8 May 2026

Meir

Meir was the 948th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 248 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 908th with 258 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 264 places. More babies were named Meir in the 2010s than in any other decade.

Meaning one who gives light · Hebrew

Say it may-EER /meɪˈɪr/

Rank in 2025
#948 boys, up 22 places since 2020
Babies in 2025
248boys
Girls and boys
Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
Peak year
2024258 babies
Total since 1880
4,612babies recorded

What does the name Meir mean?

Meir is the Hebrew name מֵאִיר, the present participle of the verb he'ir 'to light up, illuminate', so 'one who gives light' or, in Wikipedia's wording, 'one who shines'. It became established through Rabbi Meir, a leading sage of the Mishnah. The Talmud (Eruvin 13b) says that his real name was Nehorai and that he was called Meir because he enlightened the eyes of the sages in matters of law. Germanized forms such as Meyer and Mayer are also found as Jewish surnames.

מֵאִיר (Hebrew, “lighting up, illuminating”)

How sure is this? Well established.

Related names: Meyer, Myer, Meira.

See also: Hebrew names, names that mean light.

Sources for this meaning

Meir popularity since 1880

0125250375500 1900192019401960198020002020
Boys Babies per year, US, from Social Security records. Years with fewer than 5 babies show as zero.
YearRank (boys)Babies (boys)
2025#948248
2020#970222
2010#1,412118
2000#2,21345
1990#2,47028
1980#2,69018
1970#3,00911
1960——
1950——
1940——
1930——
1920——
1910——
1900——
1890——
1880——

How popular is Meir, counting every spelling?

Meir has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #913 for boys in 2025, against #948 on the official list.

How many kids will share the name Meir?

248 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Meir (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Meir 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 34 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Meir.

Chance of another Meir in a class of 20under 1 in 50US, born 2025
Most likely inNew Jerseyunder 1 in 50 (2024)

Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.

How old are people named Meir?

About 4,500 people born in the US named Meir are alive today, with a median age of 12; half are between 5 and 22. That makes Meir a young name: most people with it are children.

0–910–1920–2930–3940–4950–5960–6970–7980–8990+
Estimated people alive in the US with the name, by age, mid-2026. The darker bar holds the median age.

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.

Meir by state

How common Meir was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (13.9×), New York (9.4×). In 42 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.

Alaska: fewer than 5 a yearAK–Maine: fewer than 5 a yearME–Wisconsin: fewer than 5 a yearWI–Vermont: fewer than 5 a yearVT–New Hampshire: fewer than 5 a yearNH–Washington: fewer than 5 a yearWA–Idaho: fewer than 5 a yearID–Montana: fewer than 5 a yearMT–North Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearND–Minnesota: fewer than 5 a yearMN–Illinois: 0.04 per 1,000 babiesIL0.04Michigan: fewer than 5 a yearMI–New York: 1.3 per 1,000 babiesNY1.3Massachusetts: fewer than 5 a yearMA–Oregon: fewer than 5 a yearOR–Nevada: fewer than 5 a yearNV–Wyoming: fewer than 5 a yearWY–South Dakota: fewer than 5 a yearSD–Iowa: fewer than 5 a yearIA–Indiana: fewer than 5 a yearIN–Ohio: 0.02 per 1,000 babiesOH0.02Pennsylvania: 0.02 per 1,000 babiesPA0.02New Jersey: 1.9 per 1,000 babiesNJ1.9Connecticut: fewer than 5 a yearCT–Rhode Island: fewer than 5 a yearRI–California: 0.04 per 1,000 babiesCA0.04Utah: fewer than 5 a yearUT–Colorado: fewer than 5 a yearCO–Nebraska: fewer than 5 a yearNE–Missouri: fewer than 5 a yearMO–Kentucky: fewer than 5 a yearKY–West Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearWV–Virginia: fewer than 5 a yearVA–Maryland: 0.09 per 1,000 babiesMD0.09Delaware: fewer than 5 a yearDE–Arizona: fewer than 5 a yearAZ–New Mexico: fewer than 5 a yearNM–Kansas: fewer than 5 a yearKS–Arkansas: fewer than 5 a yearAR–Tennessee: fewer than 5 a yearTN–North Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearNC–South Carolina: fewer than 5 a yearSC–District of Columbia: fewer than 5 a yearDC–Oklahoma: fewer than 5 a yearOK–Louisiana: fewer than 5 a yearLA–Mississippi: fewer than 5 a yearMS–Alabama: fewer than 5 a yearAL–Georgia: 0.02 per 1,000 babiesGA0.02Hawaii: fewer than 5 a yearHI–Texas: fewer than 5 a yearTX–Florida: 0.10 per 1,000 babiesFL0.10
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex, Meir, boys, 2021–2025. Darker means more common.

Names with a similar history

These names rose and fell in step with Meir: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Meir, they share its era and feel.

Middle names for Meir · Sibling names for Meir

Questions about the name Meir

What does Meir mean?

Meir means “one who gives light” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.

How popular is the name Meir?

Meir was the 948th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 248 babies. Its best year was 2024, when it ranked 908th with 258 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 264 places. More babies were named Meir in the 2010s than in any other decade.

Is Meir a boy or girl name?

In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Meir in the US.

Where is Meir most popular?

In 2021–2025, Meir was most common in New Jersey (1.88 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Florida.