Mei

An uncommon Chinese pick — distinctive and rare.

Girl's nameChineseRising fast Also a pet name
#1960 365in 2024

Meaning & Origin

A taxonomic genus within the family †Troodontidae – a theropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of China.

Mei is a girl's baby name of Chinese origin, from the Chinese characters meaning 'beautiful,' 'plum,' or 'bright,' depending on the character used. It is one of the most popular given names in China and widely used across East Asian cultures.

In the West, Mei has gained affection as a simple, beautiful name with genuine Asian heritage — its one-syllable clarity and lovely meaning have made it a crossover favorite with over 1,700 recorded U.S. births.

Compare Mei with another name

Popularity Over Time

Mei climbed 2103 spots in the last 20 years — from #4063 to #1960.

02551761011960198020002024

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Mei
DecadeBirthsTrend
2020s366
2010s482
2000s385
1990s191
1980s136
1970s110
1960s37
1950s16
1940s18

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(65 years, 19472024)
Year-by-year popularity data for the name Mei
YearBirthsRank
2024101#1960
202379#2325
202255#3015
202166#2626
202065#2616
201961#2776
201864#2702
201752#3122
201655#3045
201544#3574
201449#3306
201346#3443
201239#3968
201139#3888
201033#4465
200946#3549
200832#4727
200748#3453
200647#3451
200532#4332

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Mei has two lives

Mei, the baby name
#1960girls
1,741 babies
Currently viewing
Mei, the pet name
#1108pet name
104 pets
View pet page →

Last updated May 2026 · Data: U.S. Social Security Administration (19472024) · Methodology