Given name & surname
Meir
“giving light”
Meir is used as a given name and a surname. One Hebrew interpretation is “giving light.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One Hebrew interpretation is “giving light.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Hebrew.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1951. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Meir through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,612
- 4,612 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2024
- 258 babies
- 2025
- 248
- #948 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 248 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 948 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (110). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,369 as a first name in 2020; 658 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Meir’s family of names
Meir has a related form in Meera. Meir has a related form in Mayer. In English usage, Meir has a related form in Meyer.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Meir has relatives in 3 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
11 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Meir
- Meir DaganIsraeli general and spy (1945–2016)
- Meir ShalevIsraeli writer (1948–2023)
- Meir AmitIsraeli politician (1921-2009)
- Meir DizengoffZionist politician (1861-1936)
- Meir VilnerIsraeli communist politician1918–2003
- Meir PorushMinister of Jerusalem Affairs and Jewish Tradition of Israelborn 1955
- Meir CohenIsraeli politicianborn 1955
- Meir ArgovIsraeli politician (1905-1963)
- Meir Bar-IlanIsraeli rabbi (1880-1949)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Meir, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Matthias
“gift of God” · “a gift from God”
>99% boys
Maaz
“anger”
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Micah
“who is like (Yahweh)?”
93% boys · 7% girls
Melchizedek
“king of righteousness”
>99% boys
Amir
“a prince” · “from the treetop”
>99% boys
Eliam
“the God of my nation”
>99% boys
Shedeur
“Shaddai is flame” · “field of light”
>99% boys
Zabdiel
“God has given” · “gift of God”
>99% boys