girls' name · peaked 1985

Meghan

A female given name from Welsh, a pseudo-Irish spelling of the Welsh Megan.

Every Meghan since 1952 — 96,727 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.751.52.25318801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys
Rank 2025
#1,906
among girls
Babies in 2025
102
named Meghan
Peak year
1985
4,682 babies
All-time total
96,727
since 1952

The story of Meghan

Meghan is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #1,906 in 2025 with 102 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1952, 96,727 American babies have been named Meghan. Its peak came in 1985, when 4,682 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Meghan stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Meghan year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 102 #1,906
2024 152 #1,447
2023 207 #1,165
2022 219 #1,126
2021 262 #989
2020 304 #880
2019 385 #735
2018 412 #708
2017 166 #1,391
2016 202 #1,221
2015 242 #1,083
2014 214 #1,159
2013 230 #1,077
2012 301 #883
2011 376 #736
2010 517 #566
2009 621 #494
2008 694 #455
2007 878 #373
2006 1,021 #322
2005 1,219 #271
2004 1,557 #217 8 #8,654
2003 1,695 #194
2002 1,862 #174
2001 2,024 #159 6 #10,103
2000 2,514 #134
1995 2,963 #112 8 #6,778
1990 3,695 #91 13 #4,327
1985 4,669 #63 13 #3,535
1980 2,692 #114 13 #3,368
1975 821 #292 6 #5,224
1970 381 #516
1965 85 #1,163
1960 33 #1,999
1955 9 #4,274
1950
1945
1940
1935
1930
1925
1920
1915
1910
1905
1900
1895
1890
1885
1880

Famous people named Meghan

  1. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex Actor · b. 1981
  2. Meghan Ory Actor · b. 1982
  3. Meghan Trainor Musician · b. 1993
  4. Meghan McCain Writer · b. 1984
  5. Meghan Klingenberg Soccer player · b. 1988

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Meghan mean?

A female given name from Welsh, a pseudo-Irish spelling of the Welsh Megan.

How popular is the name Meghan in 2025?

Meghan ranked #1,906 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 102 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Meghan?

96,727 babies have been named Meghan in the United States since 1952, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Meghan most popular?

Meghan peaked in 1985, when 4,682 newborns received the name.

Is Meghan a boy or girl name?

Meghan is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Meghan rising or falling?

Meghan is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Meghan?

Well-known people named Meghan include Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (actor), Meghan Ory (actor), Meghan Trainor (musician).

Names like Meghan

Compare Meghan with similar names →