Mei
Mei is a feminine given name used in various cultures, particularly Japan and China.
- Chinese
- Japanese
Meaning & Origin of Mei
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Mei is a feminine given name used in various cultures, particularly Japan and China.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Chinese
- Japanese
The Story of Mei
Mei first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1947, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2024: 101 births, good for #1,949 nationwide. About 29% of every Mei on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Mei ranks #1,977 for baby girls with 100 births, rising sharply (+40% over the past five years). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1940s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Mei
Phonetically similar names — useful when Mei is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Mei
What does the name Mei mean?
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How popular is Mei in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Mei most popular?
Is Mei a unisex name?
What names go well with Mei?
About the name Mei
Mei is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1947 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Mei's peak popularity came in 2024 when it ranked #1,949. Use the chart and map above to compare Mei's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2024 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.