Meggan vs Shea
Meggan and Sheacompared 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 2009, Meggan was ranked #5556 and Shea #2148 among girls in England and Wales.
Meggan and Shea over time
Meggan and Shea appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Shea held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Meggan in 0.
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.
Shea reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Meggan 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Meggan #1557 in 1999, Shea #1823 in 1998.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls10 shared years, 1996–2009
Meggan held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Shea in 7.
Highest recorded here: Meggan #1557 in 1999, Shea #1823 in 1998.
The order changed in 2002: Shea moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #1688 and #2746; by 2002 that had become #4137 and #2105.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Meggan #5556, Shea #2148.
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 | Meggan | Shea |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | The Anglicized form of Séaghdha, occasionally used as a feminine name as well. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Irish |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈʃeɪ/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Sé, Séaghdha, Shay |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5556 (2009) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #125 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Shea has a recorded origin (Irish); Meggan does not have one recorded yet.
- Meggan has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Shea.
- A meaning is recorded for Shea; Meggan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE.
- The available evidence gives Meggan a "medium" Data Confidence level and Shea a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Meggan
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #2350 among girls in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2009
Most recently recorded at #5556 among girls in England and Wales, in 2009.
England and Wales · Girls
Shea
Popularity journey
First recorded1976
First recorded at #316 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1976 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2007 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #125 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys