UK name, mostly girls
Mei
A feminine name of Chinese origin meaning "beautiful, plum blossom".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Mei is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Mei popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2010, with 26 births.
This profile covers 353 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 38% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 355 living people in the UK are called Mei. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Mei ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2010, when 26 girls were registered as Mei.
- • Mei ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #448 in 1977.
- • About 355 living people in the UK are estimated to have Mei as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 99.2% of Mei registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2574
2024
Births in 2024
10
Latest year
Peak year
2010
26 births
Estimated living
355
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Mei
In England and Wales birth records, Mei has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 0.8% of registrations are for boys and 99.2% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Mei registered for boys
- Ranked #4,789 in 2021
- 3 boys registered in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (3 births)
Mei registered for girls
- Ranked #2,574 in 2024
- 10 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 2010 (26 births)
Meaning
What does Mei mean?
The name Mei is of Chinese origin, derived from the Chinese character 美, which means "beautiful" or "lovely." It is a popular name in various East Asian cultures, particularly in China, Japan, and Korea.
The earliest recorded use of the name Mei dates back to ancient China, where it was commonly used as a feminine given name. It was often associated with beauty, grace, and elegance, reflecting the cultural values and aesthetics of the time.
In Chinese literature, the name Mei has been mentioned in various classical texts and poems, often describing beautiful women or personifying the concept of beauty itself. One notable example is the famous poem "Song of Unending Sorrow" by Bai Juyi, written during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), which features a character named Mei.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Mei. One of the earliest recorded figures was Mei Sheng (fl. 510-521 AD), a renowned poet and calligrapher during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period in China. Another prominent figure was Mei Ren (1073-1094), a celebrated beauty and imperial concubine during the Song Dynasty.
In Japan, the name Mei has been used since ancient times and is often written using the same Chinese character 美. One famous Japanese bearer of the name was Mei Shuren (1683-1758), a renowned Noh actor and playwright during the Edo period.
Korean culture also embraced the name Mei, often spelled as Mi or Mee. One notable Korean figure was Mee Un-suk (1918-2017), a pioneering feminist writer and activist who fought for women's rights and gender equality in South Korea.
Beyond East Asia, the name Mei has also been used in various other cultures and languages, although its origins can be traced back to the Chinese character. For instance, in Vietnamese, the name is spelled as My, and in Thai, it is written as ม่าย (Mai).
Regardless of its cultural context, the name Mei has consistently been associated with beauty, grace, and elegance, reflecting the universal appreciation for these qualities across different societies and traditions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Mei over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Mei in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Mei, the clearest high point is 2010. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 26 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Mei by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Mei was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #2103 | 66 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1909 | 156 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1945 | 118 | 10 |
| 1990s | #3679 | 13 | 4 |
Geography
Where Mei is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Mei. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Mei ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #448 in 1977.
Across the UK
Mei in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#448 in 1977
1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Mei
-
Mei Emrys
singer
musician from Wales
Related
Names similar to Mei
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Mei: questions and answers
How popular is the name Mei in the UK right now?
In 2024, Mei was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.
When was Mei most popular?
The peak year on record was 2010, with 26 babies registered as Mei in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Mei?
A feminine name of Chinese origin meaning "beautiful, plum blossom".
How many people are called Mei in the UK?
A total of 353 babies have been registered as Mei across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland.
Where is Mei most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Mei ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #448 in 1977. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.