Total births
1,859
Girls' name · since 1947
Mei
1,859 babies named Mei in U.S. Social Security records since 1947, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1958
- among girls today
- 1,859
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Mei is the #1958 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,859 recorded since 1947.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Mei has been recorded 1,859 times among girls since 1947, currently ranked #1958 nationally and more common than 89% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1947 to 2025.
- #1958 among girls today
- 1,859 born since 1947
- 2010s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Mei is currently the #1958 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 1,859 born since 1947, peaking in the 2010s.
- #1958
- among girls today
- 1,859
- born since 1947
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Mei vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1958
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Mei was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
117 babies were named Mei in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Mei compares
1,859 Top 23% higher than 77% 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
Mei's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Mei | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,859 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 117 | 48 | 19,840 |
Mei's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Mei splits its recorded history at 1993: 80% of all births land in the more recent half, 20% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1953 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 117 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Mei at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2025
Current rank
#1,958
Active since
1947
Mei popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1947–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 117
- Annual births at peak, across 79 years of records
Mei by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Mei's strongest decade.
483 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Mei births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 18
1940s
18 births
- 1950s 16
1950s
16 births
- 1960s 37
1960s
37 births
- 1970s 110
1970s
110 births
- 1980s 136
1980s
136 births
- 1990s 191
1990s
191 births
- 2000s
2000s
385 births
- 2010s
2010s
483 births
- 2020s
2020s
483 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 483 births (26% of all-time use).
How Mei 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 Mei's total volume
Mei vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Mei by state
Where Mei concentrates geographically, total births since 1947
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 324 | 17.4% |
| #2 | New York | | 183 | 9.8% |
| #3 | Texas | | 49 | 2.6% |
| #4 | Washington | | 22 | 1.2% |
| #5 | Florida | | 12 | 0.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #8 | Arizona | | 7 | 0.4% |
California share of Mei's total US births 17.4%
Even split
324 of 1,859 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 12 reporting states.
Mei appears in 12 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Mei? ▼
Mei has been given to 1,859 babies in the U.S. since 1947, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #1958 as of the latest data. 117 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Mei most popular? ▼
Mei was most popular in the 2010s decade with 483 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Mei most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Mei are California (324 births), New York (183 births), Texas (49 births).
How long has the name Mei been used? ▼
Records for Mei go back to 1947, giving 79 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Mei? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Meilani, Meira, Meisha, Meila, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Mei's data
- Mei's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (483 total births) through the 2020s (483) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Meis (324 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Mei
Nearby Names Like Mei
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Mei
Meilani Girl
#815 3,971 births
Meira Girl
#2676 1,657 births
Meisha Girl
1,048 births
Meila Girl
#4359 636 births
Meika Girl
#13798 613 births
Compare Mei side by side: Mei vs Meilani Mei vs Meira Mei vs Meisha
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Mei
Sherlyn #1957
8,954 births · Peak 2006
Denisse #1959
7,370 births · Peak 2020
Avalyn #1956
3,697 births · Peak 2017
Lynlee #1960
2,060 births · Peak 2023
Daria #1955
9,063 births · Peak 1998
Shai #1961
1,871 births · Peak 2023
Huntley #1954
780 births · Peak 2024
Ameerah #1962
2,645 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1947–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Mei: #1958 Girls' Name - 1,859 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/mei. 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 Mei 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 July 2026.