Holding steady.
Popularity of Mignon since 1880
Babies named Mignon per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1979, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Mignon's real moment was 1885.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 27 |
| 1890s | 83 |
| 1900s | 97 |
| 1910s | 255 |
| 1920s | 281 |
| 1930s | 203 |
| 1940s | 177 |
| 1950s | 189 |
| 1960s | 316 |
| 1970s | 286 |
| 1980s | 219 |
| 1990s | 66 |
| 2000s | 34 |
| 2010s | 6 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Mignon is a French name meaning 'cute' or 'dainty,' which entered the American naming pool in the late 19th century. It first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1880 and reached its highest usage in 1885, when it ranked among the top 500 names for girls. Since then, its popularity has declined sharply, and it has not ranked in the top 1,000 for decades. The name is strongly associated with the 1866 opera 'Mignon' by Ambroise Thomas, which brought the character name to public attention. Despite its rarity today, Mignon retains a delicate, sophisticated appeal for parents seeking an unusual French-inspired choice.
Mignon is a French adjective meaning 'cute' or 'dainty,' derived from the Old French 'mignot.' It was adopted as a given name in the 19th century, partly influenced by Ambroise Thomas's 1866 opera 'Mignon,' based on Goethe's novel 'Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship.' The name enjoyed modest popularity in the United States in the late 1800s, peaking in 1885.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Migs, Minnie
Sibling names for Mignon
Names that share Mignon's style, for a brother or sister.
