Beth vs Meg
Beth 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, Beth was ranked #46 and Meg #331 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2019, Beth was ranked #160 and Meg #871 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Beth was ranked #1351 and Meg #3961 among girls in England and Wales.
Beth and Meg over time
Beth and Meg appear together in 2 published lists, across 43 years of shared records. Beth 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Beth and Meg changed places 4 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1994 and 2019, ending at #160 and #871.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls26 shared years, 1996–2021
Beth held the stronger position in 26 of those years, Meg in 0.
Highest recorded here: Beth #83 in 1996, Meg #409 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Beth #1351, Meg #3961.
Republic of Ireland · Girls17 shared years, 1994–2019
Beth held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Meg in 1.
Highest recorded here: Beth #141 in 2013, Meg #269 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Beth #160, 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 | Beth | 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 | |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #3961 (2021) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Beth and Meg both have 1 syllable.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Beth
Popularity journey
First recorded1987
First recorded at #488 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1987 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2000 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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