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Morgan

♀ Girl

Pronounced MOR-gun /ˈmɔːr.ɡən/High

Meaning: Sea circle; great brightness; from Welsh mor (sea, great) + cant (circle, completion)High

In 30 seconds: A Welsh name meaning 'sea circle' or 'great brightness,' best known through Morgan le Fay, the powerful enchantress of Arthurian legend. A gender-neutral classic, now predominantly female in the U.S.
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Origin HighWelsh
MeaningSea circle; great brightness; from Welsh mor (sea, great) + cant (circle, completion)
Peak year1995
Total births (all-time)≈ 212,458

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199519182017

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Morgan comes from the Old Welsh name Morcant, composed of mor ('sea' or 'great') and cant ('circle, completion, brightness'). In Welsh tradition Morgan was a male name, borne by kings and saints. In Arthurian legend, Morgan le Fay (Morgan the Fairy) is Arthur's half-sister and a powerful magical figure.

Morgan was used as both a male and female name in Wales and England from the medieval period. In the United States it crossed to predominantly female use in the 1980s and 1990s. It has been a top-100 girls' name for much of the 2000s and remains in the top 200. Its crisp two-syllable sound and gender-neutral heritage give it broad appeal.

Did you know? Morgan le Fay ('Morgan the Fairy') is one of the most powerful and complex women in Arthurian legend — a magical healer, sorceress, and antagonist to King Arthur — making Morgan a name with deep enchantress energy.

Variations

MorganeMorganaMorrigan

Nicknames

MoMorg

Famous Bearers

  • ★Morgan Freeman (b. 1937)
    American actor and narrator, Academy Award winner for <em>Million Dollar Baby</em>.

If you like Morgan…

Quinn— Irish surname name that crossed from boys to girls in the same era
Reagan— Irish surname name equally popular as a girls' name
Peyton— English surname name with the same gender-neutral trajectory
Blair— one-syllable surname name popular for girls in the same period

Frequently Asked

What does the name Morgan mean?

Morgan means 'sea circle' or 'great brightness' from Old Welsh mor (sea, great) and cant (circle).

How do you pronounce Morgan?

Morgan is pronounced MOR-gun (/ˈmɔːr.ɡən/) — two syllables with stress on the first.

Is Morgan a boy or girl name?

Morgan is used for both sexes but has become predominantly a girls' name in the United States since the 1980s.

How popular is Morgan?

Morgan was a top-100 U.S. girls' name for much of the 2000s and remains in the top 200 today.