Morgan
from Old Welsh Morcant, possibly from *mor (“sea”) (Welsh môr) or *mọr (“great”) (Old Welsh maur) + *kantos (“circle”) (Welsh cant), meaning “great chief” or “sea chief”.
Every Morgan since 1880 — 269,269 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Morgan
Morgan is moderately common for girls in the United States, ranked #312 in 2025 with 977 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 269,269 American babies have been named Morgan — about 83% girls and 17% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 1995, when 12,135 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1990s.
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 Morgan stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Morgan 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 | 977 | #312 | 532 | #559 |
| 2024 | 1,144 | #277 | 561 | #531 |
| 2023 | 1,249 | #247 | 532 | #550 |
| 2022 | 1,383 | #215 | 550 | #540 |
| 2021 | 1,447 | #205 | 455 | #611 |
| 2020 | 1,491 | #195 | 367 | #695 |
| 2019 | 1,651 | #176 | 334 | #729 |
| 2018 | 1,759 | #163 | 320 | #743 |
| 2017 | 1,929 | #153 | 370 | #680 |
| 2016 | 2,339 | #132 | 410 | #643 |
| 2015 | 2,689 | #121 | 381 | #671 |
| 2014 | 3,006 | #102 | 404 | #652 |
| 2013 | 3,116 | #100 | 367 | #660 |
| 2012 | 3,403 | #82 | 441 | #583 |
| 2011 | 3,672 | #75 | 475 | #539 |
| 2010 | 4,077 | #63 | 499 | #519 |
| 2009 | 4,611 | #57 | 592 | #460 |
| 2008 | 5,333 | #46 | 714 | #416 |
| 2007 | 5,665 | #43 | 729 | #404 |
| 2006 | 6,495 | #35 | 821 | #365 |
| 2005 | 6,749 | #33 | 901 | #334 |
| 2004 | 7,295 | #31 | 1,011 | #310 |
| 2003 | 7,928 | #29 | 748 | #361 |
| 2002 | 8,433 | #29 | 709 | #372 |
| 2001 | 8,735 | #29 | 784 | #349 |
| 2000 | 9,502 | #25 | 839 | #332 |
| 1995 | 10,877 | #23 | 1,258 | #236 |
| 1990 | 6,047 | #58 | 936 | #278 |
| 1985 | 2,283 | #127 | 682 | #298 |
| 1980 | 1,061 | #244 | 702 | #292 |
| 1975 | 114 | #1,045 | 282 | #476 |
| 1970 | 75 | #1,401 | 336 | #449 |
| 1965 | 44 | #1,709 | 207 | #536 |
| 1960 | 26 | #2,354 | 250 | #500 |
| 1955 | 16 | #2,924 | 197 | #520 |
| 1950 | — | — | 121 | #624 |
| 1945 | — | — | 112 | #574 |
| 1940 | — | — | 130 | #507 |
| 1935 | — | — | 131 | #498 |
| 1930 | — | — | 108 | #577 |
| 1925 | — | — | 160 | #480 |
| 1920 | — | — | 160 | #481 |
| 1915 | — | — | 136 | #474 |
| 1910 | — | — | 45 | #391 |
| 1905 | — | — | 30 | #387 |
| 1900 | — | — | 31 | #410 |
| 1895 | — | — | 26 | #378 |
| 1890 | — | — | 23 | #375 |
| 1885 | — | — | 26 | #338 |
| 1880 | — | — | 33 | #288 |
Famous people named Morgan
- Morgan Freeman Actor · b. 1937
- Morgan Fairchild Actor · b. 1950
- Morgan Robertson Writer · 1861–1915
- Morgan Tsvangirai Politician · 1952–2018
- Morgan De Sanctis Soccer player · b. 1977
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Morgan mean?
from Old Welsh Morcant, possibly from *mor (“sea”) (Welsh môr) or *mọr (“great”) (Old Welsh maur) + *kantos (“circle”) (Welsh cant), meaning “great chief” or “sea chief”.
How popular is the name Morgan in 2025?
Morgan ranked #312 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 977 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Morgan?
269,269 babies have been named Morgan in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Morgan most popular?
Morgan peaked in 1995, when 12,135 newborns received the name.
Is Morgan a boy or girl name?
Morgan is used for both: about 83% of babies named Morgan have been girls and 17% boys.
Is the name Morgan rising or falling?
Morgan is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Morgan?
Well-known people named Morgan include Morgan Freeman (actor), Morgan Fairchild (actor), Morgan Robertson (writer).