Meredith is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Meredith means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Meredith across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Meredith has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Meredith is a girl name of Welsh origin meaning “great lord or great ruler”. From the Welsh name Maredudd.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 82,044 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,499 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 63 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 14 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 3 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 Meredith per year, United States (1883 to 2025). United States peaked in 1980 (2,087/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2017 (89/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2018 (9/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2016 (4/yr) · Ireland peaked in 2024 (3/yr).
Meredith has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1980, when it ranked #274 nationally (given to 2,087 babies that year).
Meridith · Merideth · Merdith · Meredyth · Merridith · Mardith · Meredythe · Meredeth
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