| Elin | Megan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Light | Pearl |
| Origin | Welsh | Welsh |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EL-in | MEG-an |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1893 | 1922 |
| Peak year | 2011 (428) | 1990 (20,259) |
| In 2025 | 53 | 301 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Elin | Megan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 553 | 2,429 |
| 2010s | 3,032 | 11,493 |
| 2000s | 369 | 66,833 |
| 1990s | 143 | 160,375 |
| 1980s | 145 | 153,500 |
| 1970s | 111 | 37,355 |
| 1960s | 109 | 5,916 |
| 1950s | 138 | 1,887 |
| 1940s | 164 | 191 |
| 1930s | 77 | 47 |
| 1920s | 85 | 39 |
| 1910s | 87 | 0 |
| 1900s | 25 | 0 |
| 1890s | 14 | 0 |
Elin is the Welsh form of Helen, “light” or “torch.”
Megan is a Welsh pet form of Margaret, and so ultimately traces to the Greek margaritēs, “pearl.” Long a favourite in Wales, it spread widely across the English-speaking world.
Megan is more popular than Elin today: about 301 US babies were given the name Megan in 2025, compared with 53 named Elin.
Elin means Light (Welsh origin), while Megan means Pearl (Welsh origin).
In US records, Elin first appears in 1893 and Megan in 1922, so Elin has the longer recorded history.