Girl · #10,393 in 2026

Meme

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

A meme is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation (mimesis) from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme.

Current Rank

#10,393

Peak Rank

#9,651 (1977)

Total Babies

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1977

First Year

1980

Last Year

1977

Peak Year

#9651

Peak Rank

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Meme

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

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

Etymology

The term meme is a shortening (modeled on gene ) of mimeme , which comes from Ancient Greek mīmēma ( μίμημα ; .mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%} pronounced [ míːmɛːma ] ), meaning 'imitated thing', itself from mimeisthai ( μιμεῖσθαι , 'to imitate'), from mimos ( μῖμος , 'mime'). The word was coined by British evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene (1976) as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in e

The Story of Meme

Meme first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1977, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1977, when 5 Memes were born — ranking #9,651 that year. As of 2026, Meme ranks #10,393 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 10 Memes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Meme

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

Meem
Miem
Mean
Mom
Mum
Mime
Mam
Maim
Mien
Meen
Mem
Mame

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Meme

What does the name Meme mean?

How popular is Meme in 2026?

In 2026, Meme ranks #10,393 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Meme most popular?

Meme reached its peak popularity in 1977, ranking #9,651 that year with 5 babies given the name.

Is Meme a unisex name?

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

What names go well with Meme?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Meme include Adamma, Alafia, Alitia. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Meme

Meme is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1977 and has accumulated 10 births in the dataset. Meme's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #9,651. Use the chart and map above to compare Meme'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.