Meta
A name derived from the Greek preposition meaning "beyond" or "after".
Name Census estimates that about 1,288 living Americans carry the first name Meta. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Meta today is around 61 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Meta births was 1892 (127 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Meta. 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
1.3K
~ 1 in 266,114 Americans
Peak year
1892
127 babies that year
Average age
61
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,068
Tracked since 1880
Popularity
Meta: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Meta from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1890s, with 1,104 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1890s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meta 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 Meta during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Metas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 24 states and territories. New York, Texas, Wisconsin recorded the most babies named Meta, while South Dakota, Indiana, District of Columbia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 45 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Meta
The name Meta is derived from the Latin word "meta," which means "end," "goal," or "boundary." It has its origins in ancient Rome and was initially used as a term in the philosophical and intellectual circles of the time.
In ancient Greek philosophy, the concept of "meta" was explored by thinkers like Aristotle, who used it to describe the study of the fundamental principles and underlying nature of things. This concept was later adopted by the Romans, who incorporated it into their language and culture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Meta can be found in Roman literature, where it was used as a symbolic representation of the pursuit of knowledge and the quest for understanding the deeper truths of the universe.
Throughout history, the name Meta has been associated with scholars, philosophers, and intellectuals. One notable figure who bore this name was Meta Moller (1765-1828), a Danish writer and translator who played a significant role in introducing the works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to Danish readers.
Another influential individual named Meta was Meta Haussen (1876-1958), a Norwegian feminist and activist who campaigned for women's rights and advocated for gender equality in education and employment.
In the realm of literature, Meta Kuspis (1868-1953) was a prominent Lithuanian writer and poet who contributed significantly to the development of Lithuanian literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The name Meta also gained recognition in the field of science and technology. Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller (1877-1968) was an American sculptor and artist, known for her works depicting African American subjects and themes.
Additionally, Meta Lilienthal (1886-1975) was a German aviator and one of the first women in the world to earn a pilot's license. She played a pioneering role in the early days of aviation and helped pave the way for future generations of female pilots.
While the name Meta has its roots in ancient times, it has endured throughout the ages, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. Its association with the pursuit of knowledge, intellectual curiosity, and the exploration of the unknown has made it a timeless name that continues to inspire and captivate.
People
Meta + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Meta 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
Meta: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Meta?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,288 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Meta 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 266,114 US residents.
Is Meta a common name?
We classify Meta as "Rare". It ranks above 91.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6,211 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Meta most popular?
The single biggest year for Meta was 1892, when 127 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Meta is about 61 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Meta a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Meta 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.