Total births
96,500
Girls' name · since 1952
Meghan
Meghan has 96,500 recorded births since 1952 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1985 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1448
- among girls today
- 96,500
- born since 1952
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Meghan is the #1448 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 96,500 recorded since 1952.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Meghan has been recorded 96,500 times among girls since 1952, currently ranked #1448 nationally and more common than 92% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1952 to 2025.
- #1448 among girls today
- 96,500 born since 1952
- 1980s peak decade
- 92% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Meghan is currently the #1448 girls' name in America, more common than 92% of girls - 96,500 born since 1952, peaking in the 1980s.
- #1448
- among girls today
- 96,500
- born since 1952
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 92%
- more common than other girls
Meghan vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1448
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 92% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
38% of everyone ever named Meghan was born in this single decade.
1985
Single peak year
4,669 babies were named Meghan in 1985 - its busiest year on record.
How Meghan compares
96,500 Top 2% higher than 98% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Meghan's all-time total is 253x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Meghan | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 96,500 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,669 | 48 | 19,840 |
Meghan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Meghan's full recorded timeline at 1989, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1952, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1985 peak of 4,669 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Meghan at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1985
Current rank
#1,448
Active since
1952
Meghan popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1952–2025
- Peak year (1985)
- 4,669
- Annual births at peak, across 74 years of records
Meghan popularity over time - boys
227 total births recorded since 1974 (Meghan as boys' name)
Meghan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Meghan's strongest decade.
36,206 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Meghan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 102
1950s
102 births
- 1960s 958
1960s
958 births
- 1970s 9,358
1970s
9,358 births
- 1980s
1980s
36,206 births
- 1990s
1990s
31,500 births
- 2000s 14,085
2000s
14,085 births
- 2010s 3,045
2010s
3,045 births
- 2020s 1,246
2020s
1,246 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 36,206 births (38% of all-time use).
How Meghan 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 Meghan's total volume
Meghan vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Meghan by state
Where Meghan concentrates geographically, total births since 1952
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 9,489 | 9.8% |
| #2 | California | | 7,004 | 7.3% |
| #3 | Massachusetts | | 6,474 | 6.7% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 6,356 | 6.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 5,325 | 5.5% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 4,796 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 4,391 | 4.6% |
| #8 | Texas | | 4,015 | 4.2% |
New York share of Meghan's total US births 9.8%
Even split
9,489 of 96,500 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Meghan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Meghan? ▼
Meghan has been given to 96,500 babies in the U.S. since 1952, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1448 as of the latest data. 4,669 babies were born in 1985, its single highest year.
When was Meghan most popular? ▼
Meghan was most popular in the 1980s decade with 36,206 total births. The single peak year was 1985.
Where is Meghan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Meghan are New York (9,489 births), California (7,004 births), Massachusetts (6,474 births).
How long has the name Meghan been used? ▼
Records for Meghan go back to 1952, giving 74 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Meghan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Megan, Meg, Meghann, Meggan, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Meghan's data
- Meghan's decade-level peak was the 1980s (36,206 total births); usage has since declined to 1,246 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Meghans (9,489 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Meghan
Nearby Names Like Meghan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meghan
Megan Girl
#764 440,065 births
Meg Girl
5,321 births
Meghann Girl
3,788 births
Meggan Girl
2,927 births
Megha Girl
#6471 1,191 births
Compare Meghan side by side: Meghan vs Megan Meghan vs Meg Meghan vs Meghann
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Meghan
Sana #1447
4,873 births · Peak 2022
Raine #1449
3,255 births · Peak 2022
Mercedes #1446
46,206 births · Peak 1991
Kamilah #1450
6,489 births · Peak 2019
Everley #1445
2,389 births · Peak 2019
Xitlali #1451
2,957 births · Peak 2025
Rayleigh #1444
3,000 births · Peak 2018
Shirley #1452
686,383 births · Peak 1935
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1952–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Meghan: #1448 Girls' Name - 96,500 Births, Peak 1985." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/meghan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Meghan 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 June 2026.