Megan is a girl name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Megan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Megan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Megan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Megan is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pearl”. a Welsh pet form of Margaret.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 441,169 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 70,784 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 9,527 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 2,681 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 7,630 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 5,869 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Megan per year, United States (1922 to 2025). United States peaked in 1990 (20,303/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1999 (6,444/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1998 (679/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1997 (482/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1997 (251/yr).
Megan has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1990, when it ranked #35 nationally (given to 20,645 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1990s.
Meghan · Meagan · Meaghan · Meghann · Maegan · Meggan · Magan · Meegan
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