Meg
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- MEG
- Origin
- Greek
Meg is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “pearl”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Meg mean?
Greek: short form of Margaret
“pearl”
Meg March is the eldest of the four sisters in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women (1868).
Is Meg a girl's or a boy's name?
Meg is a girls' name.
How popular is Meg in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2001, with 85 girls.
Half of all the girls named Meg in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2005. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Meg in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | #7,487 |
| 2021 | 5 | #4,148 |
| 2020 | 6 | #3,630 |
| 2019 | 5 | #4,214 |
| 2018 | 4 | #4,914 |
| 2017 | 9 | #2,864 |
| 2016 | 9 | #2,893 |
| 2015 | 8 | #3,114 |
| 2014 | 8 | #3,031 |
| 2013 | 12 | #2,309 |
| 2012 | 12 | #2,319 |
| 2011 | 15 | #1,917 |
| 2010 | 15 | #1,912 |
| 2009 | 14 | #1,957 |
| 2008 | 24 | #1,293 |
| 2007 | 23 | #1,286 |
| 2006 | 26 | #1,118 |
| 2005 | 27 | #1,022 |
| 2004 | 44 | #706 |
| 2003 | 37 | #783 |
| 2002 | 58 | #562 |
| 2001 | 85 | #420 |
| 2000 | 81 | #430 |
| 1999 | 67 | #488 |
| 1998 | 73 | #464 |
| 1997 | 63 | #506 |
| 1996 | 55 | #531 |
How popular is Meg in the US?
No girls in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1959, with 196 girls. It first appears in the records in 1941.
Half of all the girls named Meg in the US since 1880 were born between 1962 and 1997, the years shaded on the chart below.
Meg in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6 | #13,586 |
| 2021 | 15 | #7,245 |
| 2020 | 11 | #8,948 |
| 2019 | 10 | #9,730 |
| 2018 | 18 | #6,517 |
| 2017 | 7 | #12,709 |
| 2016 | 19 | #6,398 |
| 2015 | 20 | #6,234 |
| 2014 | 14 | #8,050 |
| 2013 | 24 | #5,484 |
| 2012 | 27 | #5,112 |
| 2011 | 30 | #4,680 |
| 2010 | 52 | #3,158 |
| 2009 | 50 | #3,297 |
| 2008 | 53 | #3,157 |
| 2007 | 64 | #2,822 |
| 2006 | 65 | #2,728 |
| 2005 | 100 | #1,923 |
| 2004 | 88 | #2,065 |
| 2003 | 129 | #1,508 |
| 2002 | 109 | #1,682 |
| 2001 | 111 | #1,640 |
| 2000 | 109 | #1,615 |
| 1999 | 99 | #1,665 |
| 1998 | 92 | #1,719 |
| 1997 | 90 | #1,716 |
| 1996 | 102 | #1,549 |
| 1995 | 107 | #1,479 |
| 1994 | 82 | #1,765 |
| 1993 | 61 | #2,171 |
| 1992 | 79 | #1,814 |
| 1991 | 55 | #2,314 |
| 1990 | 79 | #1,809 |
| 1989 | 51 | #2,299 |
| 1988 | 52 | #2,182 |
| 1987 | 32 | #2,970 |
| 1986 | 16 | #4,721 |
| 1985 | 37 | #2,600 |
| 1984 | 33 | #2,729 |
| 1983 | 33 | #2,658 |
| 1982 | 34 | #2,704 |
| 1981 | 49 | #2,085 |
| 1980 | 52 | #2,014 |
| 1979 | 69 | #1,623 |
| 1978 | 36 | #2,431 |
| 1977 | 41 | #2,216 |
| 1976 | 44 | #1,996 |
| 1975 | 63 | #1,571 |
| 1974 | 85 | #1,268 |
| 1973 | 61 | #1,527 |
| 1972 | 92 | #1,169 |
| 1971 | 80 | #1,336 |
| 1970 | 87 | #1,263 |
| 1969 | 96 | #1,129 |
| 1968 | 83 | #1,190 |
| 1967 | 81 | #1,182 |
| 1966 | 106 | #991 |
| 1965 | 120 | #922 |
| 1964 | 161 | #826 |
| 1963 | 179 | #773 |
| 1962 | 184 | #766 |
| 1961 | 154 | #858 |
| 1960 | 179 | #761 |
| 1959 | 196 | #714 |
| 1958 | 125 | #921 |
| 1957 | 129 | #896 |
| 1956 | 110 | #962 |
| 1955 | 75 | #1,149 |
| 1954 | 56 | #1,332 |
| 1953 | 53 | #1,331 |
| 1952 | 47 | #1,419 |
| 1951 | 40 | #1,480 |
| 1950 | 26 | #1,870 |
| 1949 | 21 | #2,133 |
| 1948 | 16 | #2,490 |
| 1947 | 15 | #2,636 |
| 1946 | 8 | #3,664 |
| 1945 | 12 | #2,597 |
| 1944 | 11 | #2,761 |
| 1943 | 0 | – |
| 1942 | 9 | #3,192 |
| 1941 | 5 | #4,418 |
Names like Meg
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Kiki, Mika, Suki, Dakota, Miri, Tori, Melissa, Yumna, Molly, Rumi, Mhairi, Aisling
Names related to Meg
More Greek names
Luca, Theodore, Sophia, George, Theo, Lucas, Sofia, Alexander, Sebastian, Penelope, Phoebe, Margot, Luke, Chloe, Sophie, Zoe
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Meg: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/meg, updated 20 October 2026.