Fun Facts About the Name Meek
- 23 babies named Meek: U.S. records list 23 babies given the name Meek from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Meek Mean?
Meek is an English name taken from the English word meek, which means gentle, humble, or mild-tempered. The word came into English from Old Norse mjúkr, meaning "soft" or "gentle," and it appears in Middle English as meke.
The literal sense of the word is a quiet, unassuming, patient disposition - not weakness. Its best-known religious setting is the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus says, "Blessed are the meek," a line that gave the word a lasting association with humility in Christian English. That religious reading is a customary interpretation built on the word's older everyday meaning, not a separate etymology.
As a family name, Meek began as a nickname for a gentle or humble person, and it is found mainly in northern England and Scotland. The given name is uncommon. It can be explained either as the surname reused as a first name or as a direct borrowing of the word, and the available evidence does not clearly establish which came first.
Meek Name History & Origins
The adjective behind the name developed in the Germanic languages and reached English largely through Old Norse mjúkr, "soft, gentle." It is recorded in Middle English as meke, spelled in various ways, and it kept the sense of mildness and humility through the medieval period.
From that adjective, Middle English speakers formed a nickname for a mild or humble person, and this became the surname Meek. The surname is associated chiefly with northern England and Scotland, with the variant Meeks also in use. Surnames of this type - a descriptive word applied to a person - were common in medieval England.
Meek as a first name is rare and appears only occasionally in English-speaking countries. Its use fits the broad pattern by which English surnames are adopted as given names, and in some cases it may instead reflect the word's religious sense of humility. Documented history for Meek specifically as a first name is thin, so its path into given-name use is not firmly traced.
How Popular is the Name Meek?
Meek has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2021. Its best rank was #10,408 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #13,247 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #10,408 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2020 | #13,382 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2019 | #11,663 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Meek Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Meek's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Meek's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.