Megha
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin meaning "cloud".
Name Census estimates that about 1,152 living Americans carry the first name Megha. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Megha today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Megha births was 2001 (75 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Megha. 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
1.2K
~ 1 in 297,530 Americans
Peak year
2001
75 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,537
Tracked since 1978
Popularity
Megha: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Megha from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 426 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Megha 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 Megha during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meghas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Illinois recorded the most babies named Megha, while Washington, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 44 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Megha
The name Megha originates from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that dates back to the 2nd millennium BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "megha," which means "cloud" or "rain." The name is widely used in various parts of the Indian subcontinent, including India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
In Hindu mythology, Megha is one of the names associated with the god Indra, the king of the devas (gods) and the lord of rain and thunderstorms. The name is also mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, such as the Vedas and the Puranas, which are among the most significant religious and cultural texts of Hinduism.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Megha can be found in the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism. The Rigveda, composed around 1500-1200 BCE, contains hymns praising the gods and addressing various aspects of life, including nature and natural phenomena.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Megha. One of the most famous was Megha Thera (circa 3rd century BCE), a Buddhist monk and an arahant (enlightened being) who lived during the time of the Buddha. He is known for his teachings and contributions to Buddhist literature.
Another prominent figure with the name Megha was Megha Duta (circa 6th century CE), a Sanskrit poet and playwright from ancient India. He is best known for his work "Meghaduta," a lyrical poem that describes the journey of a yaksha (a nature spirit) who is sent as a messenger to his wife in the Himalayan mountains.
In more recent times, Megha Akash (born 1995) is an Indian actress who has appeared in several Tamil and Telugu films. Megha Ramaswamy (born 1982) is an Indian classical dancer and choreographer known for her contributions to the Bharatanatyam dance form.
Megha Ganne (born 2003) is an American amateur golfer who gained recognition for her impressive performance at the 2021 U.S. Women's Open, where she finished as the low amateur at the age of 17.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Megha throughout history, highlighting its cultural and historical significance across various regions and time periods.
People
Megha + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Megha 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
Megha: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Megha?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,152 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Megha 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 297,530 US residents.
Is Megha a common name?
We classify Megha as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,179 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Megha most popular?
The single biggest year for Megha was 2001, when 75 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Megha is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Megha a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Megha 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.