Meghana
A feminine name of Hindu origin meaning "rain cloud".
Name Census estimates that about 948 living Americans carry the first name Meghana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meghana today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meghana births was 2001 (65 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meghana. 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
948
~ 1 in 361,555 Americans
Peak year
2001
65 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2022 SSA rank
#14,713
Tracked since 1982
Popularity
Meghana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meghana from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 524 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
Meghana 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 Meghana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Meghanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 9 states and territories. California, New Jersey, Texas recorded the most babies named Meghana, while New York, North Carolina, Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meghana
The name Meghana has its origins in the Sanskrit language, which is one of the oldest classical languages of the Indian subcontinent. It is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit word "megha," which means "cloud" or "rain," suggesting a connection to nature and the elements.
In Hindu mythology, the name Meghana is associated with the goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. This association reflects the cultural significance and auspicious connotations attached to the name, making it a popular choice for parents seeking to bestow blessings upon their children.
The earliest recorded use of the name Meghana can be traced back to ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Puranas and the Vedas. These sacred texts often featured characters with names that represented qualities or elements of nature, reflecting the deep reverence for the natural world in Indian culture.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Meghana. One of the earliest known examples is Meghana Devi, a 10th-century Indian queen and the wife of the Paramara king Munja. She was renowned for her patronage of the arts and literature during her reign.
Another prominent figure was Meghana Gulzar, an Indian film actress and dancer who lived from 1957 to 2018. She was known for her roles in several Bollywood films and her contributions to the preservation of classical Indian dance forms.
In the field of literature, Meghana Pant, an Indian writer and poet born in 1972, has gained recognition for her works that explore themes of identity, feminism, and social issues. Her poetry collections have been widely acclaimed and translated into multiple languages.
Meghana Naravane, born in 1982, is a notable Indian classical dancer and choreographer. She has received numerous awards and accolades for her performances and contributions to the field of Bharatanatyam, a major classical Indian dance form.
Lastly, Meghana Raj is an Indian actress and model born in 1988. She has appeared in several Kannada and Telugu films and has garnered a significant following for her acting abilities and on-screen presence.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the name Meghana throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich cultural tapestry associated with this name.
People
Meghana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meghana 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
Meghana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meghana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 948 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meghana 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 361,555 US residents.
Is Meghana a common name?
We classify Meghana as "Very Rare". It ranks above 89.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 966 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meghana most popular?
The single biggest year for Meghana was 2001, when 65 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meghana is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meghana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meghana 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.