Total births
77,787
Unisex name · since 1895
Meredith
77,787 babies named Meredith in U.S. Social Security records since 1895, with the highest year being 1980. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #492
- among girls today
- 77,787
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Meredith currently ranks #492 among unisex names in America, with 77,787 babies recorded since 1895.
Social Security Administration records show Meredith recorded 77,787 times among girls since 1895, holding rank #492 nationally today, ahead of 97% of girls, peaking in the 1980s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1895 to 2025.
- #492 among girls today
- 77,787 born since 1895
- 1980s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Meredith is currently the #492 unisex name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 77,787 born since 1895, peaking in the 1980s.
- #492
- among girls today
- 77,787
- born since 1895
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Meredith vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#492
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1980s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Meredith was born in this single decade.
1980
Single peak year
2,071 babies were named Meredith in 1980 - its busiest year on record.
How Meredith compares
77,787 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Meredith's all-time total is 204x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Meredith | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 77,787 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,071 | 48 | 19,840 |
Meredith's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Meredith splits its recorded history at 1963: 88% of all births land in the more recent half, 12% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1900 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1980 peak of 2,071 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Meredith at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1980
Current rank
#492
Active since
1895
Meredith popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1895–2025
- Peak year (1980)
- 2,071
- Annual births at peak, across 131 years of records
Meredith popularity over time - boys
4,257 total births recorded since 1883 (Meredith as boys' name)
Meredith by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Meredith's strongest decade.
19,204 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Meredith births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 6
1890s
6 births
- 1900s 85
1900s
85 births
- 1910s 464
1910s
464 births
- 1920s 892
1920s
892 births
- 1930s 1,300
1930s
1,300 births
- 1940s 2,901
1940s
2,901 births
- 1950s 2,889
1950s
2,889 births
- 1960s 3,927
1960s
3,927 births
- 1970s
1970s
15,840 births
- 1980s
1980s
19,204 births
- 1990s
1990s
12,779 births
- 2000s
2000s
8,889 births
- 2010s 5,147
2010s
5,147 births
- 2020s 3,464
2020s
3,464 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 19,204 births (25% of all-time use).
How Meredith 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 Meredith's total volume
Meredith vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Meredith by state
Where Meredith concentrates geographically, total births since 1895
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 6,584 | 8.5% |
| #2 | New York | | 5,232 | 6.7% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 4,659 | 6.0% |
| #4 | California | | 4,343 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 3,743 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 3,703 | 4.8% |
| #7 | Massachusetts | | 3,494 | 4.5% |
| #8 | Virginia | | 2,836 | 3.6% |
Texas share of Meredith's total US births 8.5%
Even split
6,584 of 77,787 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.
Meredith appears in 50 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Meredith? ▼
77,787 babies have been named Meredith since 1895. It currently ranks #492 among girls. The peak year was 1980 with 2,071 births.
When was Meredith most popular? ▼
Meredith was most popular in the 1980s decade with 19,204 total births. The single peak year was 1980.
Where is Meredith most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Meredith are Texas (6,584 births), New York (5,232 births), North Carolina (4,659 births).
Is Meredith a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Meredith is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 77,787 births, and as a boy's name it has 4,257 births.
How long has the name Meredith been used? ▼
Meredith has been recorded in Social Security data since 1895, spanning 131 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Meredith? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Mercedes, Merle, Mercy, Merry, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Meredith's data
- Meredith's decade-level peak was the 1980s (19,204 total births); usage has since declined to 3,464 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Merediths (6,584 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas 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 Meredith
Nearby Names Like Meredith
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Meredith
Mercedes Girl
#1446 46,206 births
Merle Girl
14,723 births
Mercy Girl
#845 10,632 births
Merry Girl
#6942 10,369 births
Meryl Girl
#5450 5,167 births
Compare Meredith side by side: Meredith vs Mercedes Meredith vs Merle Meredith vs Mercy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Meredith
Mariam #491
18,555 births · Peak 2024
Cali #493
23,342 births · Peak 2014
Scarlet #490
17,709 births · Peak 2015
Mckenzie #494
64,779 births · Peak 2000
Kora #489
9,541 births · Peak 2022
Amanda #495
790,638 births · Peak 1987
Maddison #488
24,063 births · Peak 2009
Angel #496
100,288 births · Peak 2002
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, 1895–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Meredith: #492 Unisex Name - 77,787 Births, Peak 1980." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/meredith. 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 Meredith 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.