Meg vs Noah
Meg and Noahcompared 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.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Meg was ranked #3961 and Noah #2201 among girls in England and Wales.
Meg and Noah over time
Meg and Noah appear together in 1 published list, across 8 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Meg reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Noah 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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls8 shared years, 2013–2021
Meg held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Noah in 4.
Highest recorded here: Meg #2887 in 2013, Noah #2201 in 2021.
The order changed in 2018: Noah moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #3229 and #3583; by 2018 that had become #5666 and #2499.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Meg #3961, Noah #2201.
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 | Meg | Noah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted as 'rest' or 'comfort'. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈnoʊə/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Noa, Noé |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3961 (2021) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #1 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Noah has a recorded origin (Hebrew); Meg does not have one recorded yet.
- Meg and Noah both have 1 syllable.
- A meaning is recorded for Noah; Meg doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
- The available evidence gives Meg a "medium" Data Confidence level and Noah a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
Noah
Popularity journey
First recorded1990
First recorded at #640 among boys in Norway in 1990 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #1 among boys in England and Wales, in 2021 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys