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Megan as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Megan

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The baby name Megan is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmɛɡən/ (MEG-ən).

Megan is Welsh in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Welsh
Pronunciation: /ˈmɛɡən/ (MEG-ən)

What is the meaning of the name Megan ?

The baby name Megan is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈmɛɡən/ (MEG-ən).

Megan is Welsh in Origin.

Megan is a Welsh diminutive of Margaret, formed from the nickname Meg plus the Welsh affectionate suffix -an. Through Margaret, it ultimately derives from Greek Margarites, meaning “pearl.” Pronounced MEG-ən, the name has long been used in Wales and later spread across the English-speaking world as both a familiar pet form and an independent given name.

Its broader adoption accelerated in the late 20th century, peaking in the United Kingdom and United States during the 1980s–1990s. Variants and spellings include Meghan (influenced by Irish orthography), Meaghan, Meagan, Meggan, and Megyn; diminutives include Meg and Meggie. Cognate or related names from the Margaret family are Margaret, Maggie, Margot, Greta, Gretchen, Rita, and Maisie. The enduring appeal of Megan reflects the saintly legacy of Margaret - venerated since medieval times - as well as the bright, gemlike meaning “pearl,” conveying purity, value, and classic simplicity.

Megan has the following similar or variant Names

Megan – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2025 #1 — 874
Germany Girls 2019 #1 — 436
NA 0 #30 4 2,537
MV Girls 0 #33 3 2,021
EE 0 #37 1 1,051
MT 0 #42 2 1,767
MO 0 #50 3 2,706
ZA 0 #59 565 14,421
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
New Zealand Girls 2005 #61 41 98
LU 0 #65 2 2,830
CN 0 #75 11 3,857
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
BG 0 #82 1 1,799
TW 0 #88 13 4,523
JM 0 #90 4 3,714
AF Girls 0 #93 2 2,402
CR 0 #97 62 5,526
QA 0 #101 6 7,011
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
PH 0 #103 8 5,607
GE Girls 0 #107 2 1,564
BN Girls 0 #109 6 5,459
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
KW 0 #121 1 5,216
CY Girls 0 #122 4 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #134 2 1,786
PA 0 #135 4 3,797
ZA Girls 0 #136 4,181 25,928
RS Girls 0 #137 1 1,651
BN Boys 0 #139 1 6,332
JO 0 #139 2 2,158
MT Girls 0 #141 11 3,773
BW Girls 0 #147 5 4,216
AE 0 #163 15 10,220
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
LU Girls 0 #176 10 4,850
Sweden Girls 2022 #178 2 1,568
UY 0 #180 3 2,477
HR 0 #181 1 2,081
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
NA Girls 0 #187 38 7,146
RU 0 #191 4 3,641
Belgium Girls 2003 #195 21 407
LT Girls 0 #198 3 1,904
DK 0 #203 4 5,198
AL Girls 0 #206 17 4,141
JM Girls 0 #206 54 7,507
PL 0 #210 3 2,600
TW Girls 0 #213 64 8,139
SG 0 #219 51 11,010
SG Girls 0 #225 483 18,916
BG Girls 0 #228 4 3,559
MO Girls 0 #230 22 7,056
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
CN Girls 0 #233 120 8,829
JP Girls 0 #235 11 6,592
CR Girls 0 #245 367 11,342
GR Girls 0 #245 5 6,293
GH 0 #246 3 5,396
Canada Girls 2024 #247 39 2,795
PT 0 #248 3 4,161
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
EC Girls 0 #254 5 3,650
QA Girls 0 #276 41 15,378
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
SA 0 #286 10 10,560
JM Boys 0 #290 4 6,876
HR Girls 0 #291 4 3,687
MY 0 #293 38 12,352
KZ Boys 0 #296 1 6,578
Canada Boys 1995 #299 5 1,834
DK Girls 0 #299 18 7,429
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
HK 0 #315 34 8,483
PH Girls 0 #321 70 13,098
KZ Girls 0 #326 7 5,862
NL 0 #327 65 2,481
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CZ Girls 0 #332 10 5,378
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #332 6 6,973
GT 0 #333 6 5,948
JO Girls 0 #334 6 7,570
MU Girls 0 #337 15 8,539
PL Boys 0 #339 2 6,459
France Boys 1996 #352 6 1,971
PL Girls 0 #356 9 5,096
SD Girls 0 #357 2 7,678
OM Girls 0 #366 31 15,987
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
BO 0 #368 14 6,868
BD Girls 0 #377 10 8,413
NL Girls 0 #382 840 5,933
HK Girls 0 #387 244 16,104
JO Boys 0 #389 1 7,057
France Girls 2021 #399 7 3,185
MX 0 #400 14 8,339
PH Boys 0 #404 5 11,440
Austria Girls 0 #408 13 1,885
EG 0 #411 2 6,387
Germany 0 #423 15 2,542
CL 0 #430 5 6,867
PA Girls 0 #436 46 9,861
Spain 0 #439 14 2,326
PT Girls 0 #439 13 7,952
RU Girls 0 #448 51 11,913
AE Girls 0 #452 102 20,968
KW Girls 0 #467 49 19,177
UY Girls 0 #475 36 6,731
GT Girls 0 #479 27 7,500
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
GT Boys 0 #499 1 7,625
PS Girls 0 #501 23 10,981
PA Boys 0 #503 3 9,305
CO 0 #504 7 7,768
CR Boys 0 #507 4 10,188
IR Girls 0 #520 11 8,334
RU Boys 0 #522 5 12,621
BH 0 #523 31 17,937
IQ Girls 0 #524 2 11,303
CM Girls 0 #529 12 11,671
BO Girls 0 #538 74 9,488
HK Boys 0 #553 5 12,905
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
United States Girls 2024 #569 369 8,487
CM Boys 0 #570 6 12,054
AR Girls 0 #581 19 8,289
IL Girls 0 #594 24 11,648
BD Boys 0 #602 4 10,045
BO Boys 0 #618 5 9,244
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
IT 0 #641 74 4,183
IN Girls 0 #649 6 13,121
LB 0 #683 8 13,263
MY Girls 0 #684 323 24,821
Finland Girls 2026 #688 51 3,895
CL Boys 0 #695 6 13,390
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
QA Boys 0 #698 10 18,093
SG Boys 0 #733 7 17,960
NG Girls 0 #734 53 15,093
Germany Girls 0 #755 84 4,949
KW Boys 0 #758 12 18,755
SY 0 #764 4 11,684
CL Girls 0 #767 85 14,098
BR Boys 0 #783 3 12,213
PE Girls 0 #811 133 14,861
IT Girls 0 #817 782 9,415
MX Girls 0 #820 396 17,781
SA Girls 0 #839 97 25,931
Spain Girls 0 #842 142 5,561
TN 0 #858 8 13,765
United States Boys 2014 #886 6 7,361
CO Boys 0 #906 15 15,656
CO Girls 0 #911 168 16,140
OM Boys 0 #913 6 17,948
BR Girls 0 #918 24 12,708
PE Boys 0 #919 8 14,506
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
EG Girls 0 #931 29 14,742
MX Boys 0 #970 13 16,355
NG Boys 0 #994 8 16,906
IN Boys 0 #1,038 2 16,750
MY Boys 0 #1,076 36 25,439
ZA Boys 0 #1,079 100 25,619
MA 0 #1,112 17 20,986
AE Boys 0 #1,137 7 22,615
DZ 0 #1,154 23 20,130
TR 0 #1,247 8 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,453 19 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,586 29 28,008

Megan is popular in 85 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
Ireland
France
Canada
Switzerland

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People also ask about Megan

Megan is predominantly a girl's name.
Megan is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈmɛɡən/ (MEG-ən).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Meghan, Meagan, Meaghan, Meghann, Megyn and Meggan.
Yes, very popular — Megan ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 12 countries.
Megan ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Megan's popularity is holding steady. It moved from #1 in 2015 to #1 in 2025 in Ireland.