Meagen
A feminine given name of Gaelic origin meaning "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 1,123 living Americans carry the first name Meagen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meagen today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meagen births was 1985 (92 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meagen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 305,213 Americans
Peak year
1985
92 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2009 SSA rank
#13,270
Tracked since 1970
Popularity
Meagen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meagen from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 592 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meagen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Meagen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meagens live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Texas, California, Florida recorded the most babies named Meagen, while Virginia, Ohio, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meagen
The name Meagen is derived from the Irish Gaelic name Muadhnait, which means "lord" or "freeman." This name has its origins in early medieval Ireland, dating back to the 5th or 6th century AD. The name was initially spelled Muadhnait or Muadhnata, but over time, it evolved into various spellings such as Meagen, Meaghan, and Megan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meagen can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle written in medieval Ireland. The annals mention a person named Muadhnata, who was described as a religious figure in the 7th century.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Meagen or its variant spellings. One of the earliest known figures was Muadhnait of Cill Muadhnait, an Irish saint who lived in the 7th century. Another prominent individual was Meagen of Fearmoigh, an Irish princess who lived in the 11th century.
In the 16th century, a woman named Meagen O'Conor played a significant role in Irish history as the wife of the Lord of Offaly, Rory O'Conor Faly. She was known for her bravery and leadership during a time of conflict in Ireland.
Moving forward to more recent times, Meagen Fay (1923-2008) was an American actress and dancer who appeared in several Broadway productions and Hollywood films in the mid-20th century.
Meagen Miller (born 1976) is a contemporary American actress and comedian, best known for her work in television shows like "Californication" and "Entourage."
It's worth noting that while the name Meagen has its roots in Irish Gaelic, it has also gained popularity in other parts of the world, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia.
People
Meagen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meagen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Meagen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meagen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,123 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meagen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 305,213 US residents.
Is Meagen a common name?
We classify Meagen as "Rare". It ranks above 90.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,182 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meagen most popular?
The single biggest year for Meagen was 1985, when 92 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meagen is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meagen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meagen in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.