Grace vs Megan
Grace and Megancompared 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 2022, Grace was ranked #1 and Megan #266 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Grace was ranked #4 and Megan #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2005, Grace was ranked #7 and Megan #97 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2004, Grace was ranked #10 and Megan #91 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #13 and Megan #384 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Grace was ranked #25 and Megan #503 among girls in England and Wales.
Grace and Megan over time
Grace and Megan appear together in 5 published lists, across 137 years of shared records. Grace held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Megan in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 4 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Megan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, and Grace in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2005, Grace moved ahead of Megan in England and Wales · Girls — #11 and #10 the year before became #7 and #13.
- Longest-running competitions
Grace and Megan were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1976 to 2025, ending at #4 and #352.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1976–2025
Grace held the stronger position in 33 of those years, Megan in 14.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2020, Megan #8 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Grace #4, Megan #352.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Grace held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Megan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2006, Megan #3 in 1998.
The order changed in 2005: Grace moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #11 and #10; by 2005 that had become #7 and #13.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Grace #25, Megan #503.
Northern Ireland · Girls26 shared years, 1997–2022
Grace held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Megan in 9.
Highest recorded here: Grace #1 in 2013, Megan #4 in 2000.
The order changed in 2006: Grace moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #22 and #20; by 2006 that had become #2 and #22.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Grace #1, Megan #266.
New Zealand · Girls19 shared years, 1987–2005
Grace held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Megan in 5.
Highest recorded here: Grace #5 in 2000, Megan #22 in 1990.
The order changed in 1992: Grace moved ahead. In 1991 they stood at #43 and #24; by 1992 that had become #24 and #39.
Most recent shared year, 2005: Grace #7, Megan #97.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls16 shared years, 1988–2004
Grace held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Megan in 7.
Highest recorded here: Grace #10 in 2002, Megan #26 in 1988.
The order changed in 1995: Grace moved ahead. In 1994 they stood at #44 and #39; by 1995 that had become #28 and #50.
Most recent shared year, 2004: Grace #10, Megan #91.
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 | Grace | Megan |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Grace, favour (the English virtue word, used directly as a name). | A Welsh diminutive of Margaret that became independently used; only regularly used outside Wales since the mid-20th century. |
| Origin | English (virtue name), from Latin gratia | Welsh, diminutive of Margaret |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡɹeɪs/ | /ˈmɛɡ.an/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Gracie | Meghan, Meagan, Maegan |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #4 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #352 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | high |
What the data shows
- Grace is recorded with a English (virtue name), from Latin gratia origin, while Megan is recorded with a Welsh, diminutive of Margaret origin.
- Grace and Megan both have 2 syllables.
- Grace's recorded meaning differs from Megan's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Grace
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #393 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2006 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Megan
Popularity journey
First recorded1958
First recorded at #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1958 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls