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A name from Welsh · Unisex

Morgan

From Old Welsh Morcant — likely mor ('sea') + a second element meaning 'circle' or 'bright'; often glossed 'sea-born' or 'sea-circle'. Morgan le Fay is the enchantress of Arthurian legend.

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Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

266,055 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.
Popularity · 1880–2023
1,781 births in 2023
1880 1951 2023
Babies named per year Peak year Most recent
Meaning

A name that means something.

MFrom Old Welsh Morcant — likely mor ('sea') + a second element meaning 'circle' or 'bright'; often glossed 'sea-born' or 'sea-circle'. Morgan le Fay is the enchantress of Arthurian legend.

Variants & spellings

2 ways to spell "Morgan".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.
Morgyn Most common Morgane
Related guides

Read more in the Almanac.

Related guide · 11 min

Is It a Boy or a Girl Name? A 2026 Guide to Gender-Neutral Names That Actually Work

Riley is 90% girls. Rowan is 60% boys. Charlie is 80% girls now but was 95% boys in 1990. A practical Q&A with US SSA data on 14 unisex names — what they actually skew, why some flip, and how to pick one that fits.

Read the full guide
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Famous bearers

People who carry the name Morgan.

Quick answers

People often ask about Morgan.

What does the name Morgan mean?
Morgan means from Old Welsh Morcant — likely mor ('sea') + a second element meaning 'circle' or 'bright'; often glossed 'sea-born' or 'sea-circle'. Morgan le Fay is the enchantress of Arthurian legend.
Where does the name Morgan come from?
Morgan is a unisex name of Welsh origin.
Is Morgan a boy or a girl name?
Morgan is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 83% of children given the name Morgan are girls and 17% are boys.
How popular is the name Morgan in 2023?
Morgan ranks #247 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1995 with 12,135 babies.
How do you pronounce Morgan?
Morgan is pronounced MOR-gan (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Morgan?
Morgan is also written as Morgyn, Morgane.
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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.

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