Pegi
A diminutive form of the name Margaret meaning "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 106 living Americans carry the first name Pegi. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pegi today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pegi births was 1958 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pegi. 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
- • The typical person named Pegi is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pegis were born before 1966.
People living today
106
~ 1 in 3,233,531 Americans
Peak year
1958
15 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1965 SSA rank
#5,657
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Pegi: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pegi from the 1930s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 86 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Pegi remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pegi 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 Pegi during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pegi
The name Pegi is a diminutive form of the name Peggy, which is derived from the Greek name Pēgē, meaning "spring" or "source of water." The name Pegi was originally used as a nickname for Peggy, and its origins can be traced back to ancient Greek culture.
In Greek mythology, Pēgē was the name of a nymph associated with springs and fountains. She was considered the personification of these natural water sources, which were revered as sacred places in ancient Greek culture. The name Pegi carries a connection to this mythological figure and the importance of water in Greek mythology.
The earliest recorded use of the name Pegi can be found in various historical documents dating back to the Middle Ages. One notable example is Pegi, a Flemish noblewoman who lived in the 13th century and was renowned for her philanthropic work and support for the poor.
Throughout history, several influential individuals have borne the name Pegi. Pegi Nicol MacLeod (1914-2014) was a Scottish painter and printmaker known for her landscapes and depictions of rural life in Scotland. Pegi Cuesta (1962-) is an American entrepreneur and co-founder of the online greeting card company, Blue Mountain Arts.
Another notable figure with the name Pegi is Pegi Young (1952-2019), an American singer-songwriter and environmental activist. She was also the co-founder of the Bridge School, an institution dedicated to educating children with severe speech and physical impairments. Pegi Young's contributions to music and advocacy for children with disabilities left a lasting impact.
Pegi Deitz Shea (1932-2020) was an American author and illustrator of children's books, best known for her work on the "Whistle for Willie" series. Her books were widely praised for their engaging storytelling and vibrant illustrations, captivating generations of young readers.
Pegi Nicol (1949-2019) was a Canadian actress and voice artist, renowned for her work in numerous animated television series and films. She lent her voice to iconic characters such as Sailor Moon and Spike from "Cowboy Bebop," leaving an indelible mark on the world of animation.
People
Pegi + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pegi as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pegi: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pegi?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 106 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pegi 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 3,233,531 US residents.
Is Pegi a common name?
We classify Pegi as "Very Rare". It ranks above 65.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 156 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pegi most popular?
The single biggest year for Pegi was 1958, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pegi is about 70 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pegi a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pegi 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.