The first name Megan
A girl’s name from Welsh.
Pronounced /ˈmɛɡən/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Welsh origin
Borrowed from Welsh Megan, cognate with English Margaret, ultimately from an Indo-Iranian source.
Megan is a short form of
.From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 44 girls were named Megan, making it the 816th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1999, with 6,444 births (#3).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Megan with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Megan at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 301 girls born in the United States were named Megan, the 889th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1990, when 20,259 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Megan in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Megan in Welsh too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Megan
85 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Megan FoxAmerican actress and model (born 1986)
- Megan RapinoeAmerican soccer player (born 1985)
- Megan Thee StallionAmerican rapper, singer and songwriter, born 1995
- Megan BooneAmerican actress, born 1983
- Megan FollowsCanadian actress and director, born 1968
- Megan YoungFilipino actress, born 1990
- Megan ParkCanadian actress, born 1986
- Megan GallagherAmerican theater and television actor, born 1960
- Megan AbbottAmerican writer, born 1971
- Megan NicoleAmerican singer-songwriter and actress, born 1993
- Megan JendrickAmerican swimmer, born 1984
- Megan GuarnierAmerican cyclist, born 1985
More Welsh girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Megan mean?
- Borrowed from Welsh Megan, cognate with English Margaret, ultimately from an Indo-Iranian source.
- What is the origin of the name Megan?
- Borrowed from Welsh Megan, cognate with English Margaret, ultimately from an Indo-Iranian source.
- How popular is the name Megan?
- In 2025, 44 girls born in England and Wales were named Megan, ranking 816th. Its peak was 1999, with 6,444 births.
- What are nicknames for Megan?
- Common nicknames for Megan include Meggie, Meggy.
- Is Megan a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 441,169 US babies named Megan since 1880 were girls.
- When was Megan most popular?
- 1990 in the United States, when 20,259 babies were named Megan, its highest rank at 11th.
- How do you pronounce Megan?
- Megan is /ˈmɛɡən/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Megan?
- Meghann, Meighan, Maygan, Maegan and Megyn.