Meghan is a Welsh variant of Margaret — via the Welsh Megan, meaning "pearl" — that got its own separate identity in American naming through a distinctive -han ending that set it apart from Megan. With 96,398 SSA records and a 1985 peak, Meghan had its golden era and is now in the quiet post-peak period that most names go through — familiar, solid, and carrying the particular energy of names that belong definitively to one generation.
Welsh Roots and the Megan/Meghan Split
Megan is the indigenous Welsh form, a longstanding name in Wales that traveled to America in the 20th century. Meghan is the Irish-influenced variant that added the -h, giving it a slightly different visual identity. Both peaked in roughly the same era (1980s-1990s), and both now carry a strong generational timestamp. Welsh names like Megan and Meghan were part of the broader Celtic naming wave that brought Erin, Shannon, and Bridget into mainstream American use.
The Royal Meghan Effect
Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, shares this specific spelling and brought enormous global attention to the name when she married Prince Harry in 2018. But Meghan's American peak was 1985, thirty years before that wedding. The name was already a generation past its height when the royal connection arrived, which means the expected naming surge didn't materialize. Famous bearers can revive names that are near their peak; they rarely do so for names already in decline. Compare Meghan and Megan to see how the two spellings have tracked differently.
The Counter-Reading: A Mom Name Ready for Reconsideration
Meghan reads clearly as a name belonging to women born in the 1980s and early 1990s. That makes it a "mom name" for the current generation of parents — and mom names have a complicated path back. It's too recent for vintage appeal, too well-known for uniqueness. The sweet spot for Meghan's revival, if it comes, is probably 15-20 years away. 1980s names are just beginning their reconsideration cycle.