Abigail vs Meg
Abigail and Megcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2003, Abigail was ranked #41 and Meg #331 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Abigail was ranked #59 and Meg #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Abigail was ranked #105 and Meg #3961 among girls in England and Wales.
Abigail and Meg over time
Abigail and Meg appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Abigail held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Meg in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Abigail #19 in 2000, Meg #409 in 2001.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2021
Abigail held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Meg in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #19 in 2000, Meg #409 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Abigail #105, Meg #3961.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1993–2019
Abigail held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Meg in 0.
Highest recorded here: Abigail #36 in 2008, Meg #269 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Abigail #59, Meg #871.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Abigail | Meg |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #55 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3961 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Abigail has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Meg.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Abigail
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #303 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in England and Wales, in 2000 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Meg
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #516 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1993–2019
Highest recorded position: #269 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1993–2019).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2021
Most recently recorded at #3961 among girls in England and Wales, in 2021.
England and Wales · Girls