Where does the name Megan come from?

Megan is a girl name of Welsh origin.

Is Megan a boy or a girl name?

Megan is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Megan are girls and 0% are boys.

How popular is the name Megan in 2023?

Megan ranks #694 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1990 with 20,303 babies.

How do you pronounce Megan?

Megan is pronounced MEG-an (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Megan?

Megan is also written as Meghan, Meaghan, Megen.

A name from Welsh · Girl

Megan

Welsh diminutive of Margaret, from Greek margaritēs meaning 'pearl'. Used as an independent name across the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 101-year arc in numbers.

439,395 U.S. births recorded from 1922–2023.

Popularity · 1922–2023

417 births in 2023

1922 1972 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

MWelsh diminutive of Margaret, from Greek margaritēs meaning 'pearl'. Used as an independent name across the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Megan".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Meghan Most common Meaghan Megen

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Megan.

M
Meghan Markle (Duchess of Sussex)
M
Megan Fox (actress)
M
Megan Rapinoe (footballer)

Quick answers

People often ask about Megan.

What does the name Megan mean?: Megan means welsh diminutive of Margaret, from Greek margaritēs meaning 'pearl'. Used as an independent name across the English-speaking world since the early 20th century.
Where does the name Megan come from?: Megan is a girl name of Welsh origin.
Is Megan a boy or a girl name?: Megan is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 100% of children given the name Megan are girls and 0% are boys.
How popular is the name Megan in 2023?: Megan ranks #694 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1990 with 20,303 babies.
How do you pronounce Megan?: Megan is pronounced MEG-an (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Megan?: Megan is also written as Meghan, Meaghan, Megen.

Similar names

If you love Megan, also consider…

Dylan

#34

Boy ·Welsh

Son of the sea; great wave

Morgan

#550

Unisex ·Welsh

From Old Welsh Morcant — likely mor ('sea') + a second element meaning 'circle' or 'bright'; often glossed 'sea-born' or 'sea-circle'

Marvin

#637

Boy ·Welsh

From the Old Welsh name Merfyn — possibly mer ('marrow' or 'eminence') + myn ('hill') or ('great')

Lynn

#6385

Unisex ·Welsh

From Welsh llyn meaning 'lake' or 'pool' — originally a surname tied to several places in Wales and England

Owen

#20

Boy ·Welsh

Young warrior; noble-born

Rhonda

#6356

Girl ·Welsh

A 20th-century American name, likely from the Welsh Rhondda Valley (from Welsh rhoddni 'noisy' — the name of a river) or as an elaboration of Rhoda

Lloyd

#1795

Boy ·Welsh

From the Welsh adjective llwyd meaning 'grey' — originally a surname for someone with grey hair

Trevor

#552

Boy ·Welsh

From the Welsh place name Trefor — tref ('settlement') + mawr ('large'); 'large settlement'

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.