Megan
Say it: MEG-an/ˈmɛɡən/
GirlMeans pearl, as a pet form of Margaret5 letters2 syllables
#352
in Ireland (2025)
#353 with spellings combined
11
babies in 2025
#8
best rank (1998)
7,630
babies since 1976
Down 288
10-year rank change
Megan through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | #353 |
| 2024 | 10 | #368 |
| 2023 | 20 | #212 |
| 2022 | 16 | #269 |
| 2021 | 39 | #133 |
| 2020 | 39 | #130 |
| 2019 | 57 | #100 |
| 2018 | 69 | #89 |
| 2017 | 67 | #86 |
| 2016 | 89 | #73 |
| 2015 | 102 | #65 |
| 2014 | 99 | #70 |
| 2013 | 113 | #63 |
| 2012 | 135 | #53 |
| 2011 | 203 | #38 |
| 2010 | 204 | #37 |
| 2009 | 232 | #33 |
| 2008 | 229 | #32 |
| 2007 | 229 | #30 |
| 2006 | 210 | #32 |
| 2005 | 248 | #26 |
| 2004 | 299 | #19 |
| 2003 | 310 | #16 |
| 2002 | 387 | #11 |
| 2001 | 401 | #10 |
| 2000 | 441 | #10 |
| 1999 | 434 | #10 |
| 1998 | 393 | #8 |
| 1997 | 482 | #11 |
| 1996 | 423 | #10 |
| 1995 | 349 | #14 |
| 1994 | 323 | #15 |
| 1993 | 274 | #20 |
| 1992 | 203 | #27 |
| 1991 | 165 | #35 |
| 1990 | 105 | #65 |
| 1989 | 77 | #89 |
| 1988 | 58 | #110 |
| 1987 | 27 | #181 |
| 1986 | 20 | #211 |
| 1985 | 12 | #283 |
| 1984 | 9 | #320 |
| 1983 | 3 | #529 |
| 1980 | 5 | #432 |
| 1979 | 3 | #523 |
| 1977 | 3 | #518 |
| 1976 | 3 | #497 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Megan mean?
Pearl, as a pet form of Margaret
Welsh, a pet form of Margaret, which comes from the Greek word for pearl.
Say it right
MEGan
The story of Megan
Megan began in Wales as a pet form of Margaret, made from the short form Meg with a Welsh ending. Margaret itself goes back through Latin to the Greek word for a pearl. For a long time Megan was mostly a Welsh name, and it spread through the rest of Britain and Ireland in the second half of the twentieth century.
In Ireland its rise was quick. Megan first appears in the CSO records in 1976, and within twenty years it was one of the most popular girls’ names in the country. The most girls in a single year was 482 in 1997, and its best rank was number 8 in 1998. It was even more popular in Northern Ireland, where it reached number 4 in 2000.
Since then the name has eased back. In 2025, 11 girls were named Megan. Other spellings such as Meghan and Meagan are counted as separate names.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Megan (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Megan
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
- NISRA, First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
Meg
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Megan | 11 | 7,630 |
In Northern Ireland
#397 in 2025 with 3 babies. Best rank #4 (2000); 2,684 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.