Megail
A feminine given name derived from Hebrew meaning "excellency of God".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Megail. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Megail today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Megail births was 1969 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Megail. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Megail. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1969
7 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
1969 SSA rank
#3,814
Tracked since 1969
Popularity
Megail: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Megail 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 Megail during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Megail
The name Megail is believed to have originated from the ancient Sumerian language, which was spoken in the southern region of Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 3500-3000 BC. It is derived from the Sumerian words "me," meaning "to be," and "gail," meaning "exalted" or "revered."
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Megail can be found in the Sumerian King List, an ancient manuscript dating back to the 3rd millennium BC, which mentions a ruler named Megail who reigned over the city-state of Kish. However, the historical accuracy of this reference is debated among scholars.
In ancient Mesopotamian mythology, there is a reference to a goddess named Megail, who was associated with fertility and the protection of pregnant women. Some scholars believe that the name may have been inspired by this deity, although concrete evidence is lacking.
The first historically verified individual with the name Megail was a Sumerian scribe who lived during the reign of the Akkadian king Sargon the Great (circa 2334-2279 BC). He is credited with contributing to the development of the cuneiform writing system.
Another notable figure named Megail was a Babylonian astronomer who lived during the reign of King Nabonidus (556-539 BC). He is believed to have made significant contributions to the study of celestial bodies and the development of early astronomical calendars.
In the 5th century BC, a Greek philosopher named Megail from the city of Miletus is mentioned in the writings of Plato and Aristotle. He was known for his teachings on the nature of the soul and the concept of reincarnation.
During the medieval period, a Nestorian Christian scholar named Megail ibn Yahya (born circa 770 AD) gained recognition for his translations of Greek philosophical works into Arabic, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of ancient knowledge.
In the 16th century, a French poet and playwright named Megail de Montauban (1550-1612) gained fame for his satirical works that criticized the nobility and religious authorities of the time.
While the name Megail has fallen out of common usage in modern times, it remains an intriguing reminder of the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of ancient Mesopotamian civilizations.
People
Megail + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Megail 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
Megail: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Megail?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Megail 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Megail a common name?
We classify Megail as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Megail most popular?
The single biggest year for Megail was 1969, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Megail is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Megail in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Megail a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Megail in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Megail still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Megail in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Megail can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Megail?
Want to know how many people have the name Megail? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.