Unisex · #476 in 2026

Meredith

Meredith is a Welsh given name, and a surname common in parts of Wales. As a personal name, it was historically usually given to boys, but it has more recently been given mainly to girls, especially outside Wales. Meredith has many derivatives that have also become personal names and surnames.

  • Welsh
  • English
Current Rank
#476
Peak Rank
#140 (1980)
Total Babies
78K
5-Yr Trend
+10%
👧 Girl peak #140 (78K total)
👦 Boy peak #613 (4K total)
👧As Girl Name
1895
First Year
2026
Last Year
1980
Peak Year
#140
Peak Rank
78K
Total Count
127
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1883
First Year
2011
Last Year
1920
Peak Year
#613
Peak Rank
4K
Total Count
107
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Meredith

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

Meredith is a Welsh given name, and a surname common in parts of Wales. As a personal name, it was historically usually given to boys, but it has more recently been given mainly to girls, especially outside Wales. Meredith has many derivatives that have also become personal names and surnames.

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

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Welsh
  • English
Etymology
In Old Welsh (c. 800–1150), the name was usually rendered as Morgetuid or Margetiud . The exact meaning of the first element, Mere , is unclear, although some Welsh scholars have translated it as "great" or "splendid". The final element udd has the meaning of lord , and is found in other Welsh names such as Gruffydd and Bleidd[i]udd . However, in Middle Welsh (c. 1150s–1300s) the name was most commonly spelt as Maredud and Maredudd ; "in Welsh, the accent is on the penult , and this leads at times to the elision of the vowel of the first syllable," producing an early variant Mredydd , accordin

The Story of Meredith

As a girl name

Meredith first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1895, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1980: 2,071 births, good for #140 nationwide. The 1980s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 24% of all recorded Merediths. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #476 among girl names with 646 births, gradually rising (+10%). In total, more than 78K Merediths have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

American parents first put Meredith on the record books as a boy name in 1883, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1920, when 106 Merediths were born — ranking #613 that year. Its most recent appearance in the national data came in 2011 (5 births); the name has since faded from the published rankings. In total, more than 4K Merediths have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Meredith

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Meredith. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Meredith

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Meredith Andrews (born 1983), American singer, songwriter, and worship leader (female)
  • Meredith Artley , journalist and former editor-in-chief of CNN.com (female)
  • Meredith Baxter (born 1947), American actress (female)
  • Meredith Belbin (1926–2025), British management theorist (male)
  • Meredith Brooks (born 1958), American musician (female)
  • Meredith Burgmann (born 1947), Australian politician (female)
  • Meredith Colket (1878–1947), American pole vault Olympic silver medal winner (male)
  • Meredith Craig , American politician (female)

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

Names that sound like Meredith

Phonetically similar names — useful when Meredith 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 Meredith

What does the name Meredith mean?
Meredith is a Welsh given name, and a surname common in parts of Wales. As a personal name, it was historically usually given to boys, but it has more recently been given mainly to girls, especially outside Wales. Meredith has many derivatives that have also become personal names and surnames.
What is the origin of the name Meredith?
Meredith has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Welsh, English.
How popular is Meredith in 2026?
In 2026, Meredith ranks #476 among girls' names in the U.S., with 646 babies given the name that year.
When was Meredith most popular?
Meredith reached its peak popularity in 1980, ranking #140 that year with 2,071 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Meredith most popular?
Meredith has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Massachusetts, South Carolina. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Meredith.
Is Meredith a unisex name?
Yes — Meredith is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 95% of Merediths assigned female and 5% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Meredith?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Meredith include Ola, Angie, Patty. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Meredith?
Common variants and related forms of Meredith include Meredydd, Merideth, Meridith. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Ola
Peak #140
👧
Angie
Peak #140
👧
Patty
Peak #140
👧
Adrienne
Peak #140

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Huston
Peak #613
👦
Lawton
Peak #613
👦
Truett
Peak #613
👦
Aryan
Peak #613

About the name Meredith

Meredith is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1895 and has accumulated 78K births in the dataset. Meredith's peak popularity came in 1980 when it ranked #140. Use the chart and map above to compare Meredith'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.