Girl · #1,646 in 2026

Meghan

Name: Popularity of the name Meghan in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Meghan, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Megan is a Welsh feminine given name, originally a diminutive form of Margaret. Margaret is from the Greek μαργαρίτης (margarítēs), Latin margarīta, "pearl". Megan is one of the most popular Welsh-language names for women in Wales and England, and is commonly truncated to Meg.

Current Rank

#1,646

Peak Rank

#63 (1985)

Total Babies

97K

5-Yr Trend

-45%

1952

First Year

2026

Last Year

1985

Peak Year

#63

Peak Rank

97K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Meghan

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Meghan

Meghan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1952, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 4,670 Meghans were born — ranking #63 that year. As of 2026, Meghan ranks #1,646 for baby girls with 126 births, falling sharply (-45%). In total, more than 97K Meghans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Meghan

Phonetically similar names — useful when Meghan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Mugen
Megan
Meagan
Maegan
Magan
Magen
Meegan
Meighan
Mogan
Maughan
Mogen
Mechan

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meghan

What does the name Meghan mean?

How popular is Meghan in 2026?

In 2026, Meghan ranks #1,646 among girls' names in the U.S., with 126 babies given the name that year.

When was Meghan most popular?

Meghan reached its peak popularity in 1985, ranking #63 that year with 4,670 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Meghan most popular?

Meghan has historically been most popular in Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Massachusetts. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Meghan.

Is Meghan a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Meghan is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Meghan?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Meghan include Sallie, Tamara, Myrtle. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Meghan

Meghan is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1952 and has accumulated 97K births in the dataset. Meghan's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #63. Use the chart and map above to compare Meghan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.