UK boy's name
Meshach
From the Hebrew name Meshak, meaning "who is what Aku (a Babylonian god) is?".
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.
Meshach is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Meshach popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2000, with 12 births.
This profile covers 128 England and Wales registrations across 23 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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 33% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 127 living people in the UK are called Meshach. 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
- • Meshach ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2000, when 12 boys were registered as Meshach.
- • About 127 living people in the UK are estimated to have Meshach as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2000
12 births
Estimated living
127
2026
Meaning
What does Meshach mean?
The name Meshach originates from the Hebrew language and is derived from the word meshak, which means "to be tall" or "to be drawn out." The earliest recorded use of this name dates back to the 6th century BC, during the Babylonian captivity of the Jewish people.
In the Bible's Book of Daniel, Meshach is the Hebrew name given to one of the three young men, along with Shadrach and Abednego, who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to worship the golden statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. This biblical account is a significant historical reference for the name Meshach.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Meshach was Meshach Margaliot (1610-1690), a renowned Rabbi and Talmudic scholar who lived in Italy during the 17th century. He authored several significant works on Jewish law and philosophy.
Another notable figure named Meshach was Meshach Whitley (1677-1736), an English Quaker leader and writer who played a crucial role in the early Quaker movement in Pennsylvania.
In the 19th century, Meshach Browning (1819-1893) was an American lawyer, judge, and politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Tennessee from 1869 to 1875.
During the same period, Meshach Peters (1813-1887) was an American farmer, politician, and Union Army officer who served as the 12th Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut from 1873 to 1875.
More recently, Meshach Taylor (1947-2014) was an American actor best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom "Designing Women," for which he received an Emmy Award nomination in 1989.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Meshach over time
The chart below shows babies named Meshach registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Meshach, the clearest high point is 2000. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 12 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Meshach by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Meshach 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 | #4109 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #3807 | 42 | 9 |
| 2000s | #2290 | 58 | 8 |
| 1990s | #2001 | 16 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Meshach
- Matthew 80,931
- Mohammed 74,321
- Muhammad 72,235
- Max 59,807
- Michael 47,075
- Mason 38,935
- Mohammad 25,910
- Morgan 15,994
- Muhammed 11,527
- Mark 11,336
- Marcus 11,257
- Maxwell 10,006
FAQ
Meshach: questions and answers
How popular is the name Meshach in the UK right now?
In 2024, Meshach was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Meshach most popular?
The peak year on record was 2000, with 12 babies registered as Meshach in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Meshach?
From the Hebrew name Meshak, meaning "who is what Aku (a Babylonian god) is?".
How many people are called Meshach in the UK?
A total of 128 babies have been registered as Meshach across the 23 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.