Girls' name · since 1941
Meg
Since 1941, U.S. Social Security records show 5,321 babies named Meg, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2,467 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 5,321
- born since 1941
- 1960s
- peak decade
5,321 girls have been named Meg since 1941, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meg has been recorded 5,321 times among girls since 1941, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1941 to 2022.
- #2,467 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 5,321 born since 1941
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meg ranks #2,467 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 5,321 born since 1941, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2,467 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 5,321
- born since 1941
- 1960s
- peak decade
Meg's 5,321 recorded births place it above 96.58% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
26 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.
Meg's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Meg splits its recorded history at 1982: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1941 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1959 peak of 196 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Meg popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1941–2022
- Peak year (1959)
- 196
- Annual births at peak, across 82 years of records
Meg by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (1,343 births, 25% of the file).
1960s was Meg's strongest decade.
1,343 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Meg births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 97
1940s
97 births
- 1950s
1950s
857 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,343 births
- 1970s
1970s
658 births
- 1980s 389
1980s
389 births
- 1990s
1990s
846 births
- 2000s
2000s
878 births
- 2010s 221
2010s
221 births
- 2020s 32
2020s
32 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,343 births (25% of all-time use).
How Meg compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Meg's total volume
Meg by state
Where Meg concentrates geographically, total births since 1941
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 421 | 7.9% |
| #2 | California | | 312 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 268 | 5.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 217 | 4.1% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 186 | 3.5% |
| #6 | Utah | | 121 | 2.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 118 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 101 | 1.9% |
421 of 5,321 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 26 reporting states.
Meg appears in 26 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Meg? ▼
Where does Meg sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Meg most popular? ▼
Where is Meg most popular? ▼
How long has the name Meg been used? ▼
What names are similar to Meg? ▼
What to do with Meg's data
- Meg's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,343 total births); usage has since declined to 32 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Megs (421 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Meg
Nearby Names Like Meg
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meg
Compare Meg side by side: Meg vs Megan Meg vs Meghan Meg vs Meghann
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Meg: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~81 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1941–2022 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Meg draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.