Meredith is a unique and elegant name of English origin, derived from the Welsh elements mered, meaning "great," and dyf, which means "sea." The name Meredith can be traced back to an ancient Welsh surname that was given to people who lived near the sea or had some other connection to it. Over time, the name evolved into a unisex given name, with both Meredith and Meranda being used for girls.
The name Meranda has gained popularity in recent years as parents have sought out unique and distinctive names for their daughters. While it is not one of the most commonly used names, Meranda has been steadily gaining in popularity since the 1970s, when it first began to appear on U.S. Social Security Administration records.
Despite its Welsh origins, Meranda has also become popular in other parts of the world. In Australia, for example, Meranda was among the top 500 names for girls in 2020. Meanwhile, in England and Wales, Meranda has been used as a given name since at least the late 19th century.
One notable bearer of the name Meranda is American actress Meranda Hart, who is known for her role on the television show "The Big Bang Theory." Other famous individuals with the name include Canadian singer-songwriter Meranda White and Australian athlete Meranda Hicks.
Overall, the name Meranda is a beautiful and distinctive choice for parents looking for a unique and meaningful name for their daughter. With its Welsh origins and elegant sound, Meranda is sure to stand out without being too unusual or difficult to pronounce.
The name Meranda has seen a varied history of popularity among parents choosing names for their newborn daughters in the United States over several decades.
From 1957 to 1964, there were fewer than ten births each year with the name Meranda. However, starting from 1967, the number of girls named Meranda began to increase gradually. Between 1967 and 1980, the annual birth count for Meranda fluctuated between six and ninety births.
The years 1974 and 1975 marked a significant rise in popularity, with forty and forty-two babies named Meranda respectively. This trend continued into the late 1970s, peaking at fifty-eight births each year in both 1978 and 1979.
The popularity of the name Meranda reached its zenith during the early 1980s. In 1980 alone, there were ninety births, followed by sixty-four in 1981 and seventy-one in 1982. Throughout this period, Meranda remained a common choice among parents.
However, from the mid-1980s onwards, the popularity of the name Meranda began to decline steadily. Between 1985 and 1997, the annual birth count ranged between fifty and one hundred twenty-three births each year.
From the late 1990s until the early 2000s, the number of girls named Meranda decreased further, with fewer than sixty births each year. This downward trend continued into the 2010s, with single-digit numbers of births recorded annually between 2003 and 2013.
Overall, from 1957 to 2013, a total of two thousand nine hundred one babies were named Meranda in the United States. Despite its fluctuations in popularity over time, it is clear that Meranda has been a widely recognized name for girls throughout several decades.