Girl nameCurrently #119 in the USSteady
Margaret
MAR-guh-rut//ˈmɑːrɡərət//
3 syllablesPeak year: 19218 lettersStarts with M
Meaning & origin
Pearl
Margaret comes from the Greek 'margarites', meaning pearl, and has been carried by queens, saints, and prime ministers across English history. Its many nicknames — Maggie, Peggy, Daisy, Meg — give it unusual versatility for a formal, deeply classic name.
Margaret's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Margaret |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,578 |
| 1881 | 1,667 |
| 1882 | 1,828 |
| 1883 | 1,894 |
| 1884 | 2,152 |
| 1885 | 2,215 |
| 1886 | 2,283 |
| 1887 | 2,432 |
| 1888 | 2,915 |
| 1889 | 2,930 |
| 1890 | 3,115 |
| 1891 | 3,077 |
| 1892 | 3,447 |
| 1893 | 3,579 |
| 1894 | 3,715 |
| 1895 | 3,940 |
| 1896 | 4,058 |
| 1897 | 4,155 |
| 1898 | 4,712 |
| 1899 | 4,262 |
| 1900 | 5,320 |
| 1901 | 4,445 |
| 1902 | 5,033 |
| 1903 | 5,068 |
| 1904 | 5,322 |
| 1905 | 5,703 |
| 1906 | 6,112 |
| 1907 | 6,746 |
| 1908 | 7,000 |
| 1909 | 7,388 |
| 1910 | 8,257 |
| 1911 | 9,307 |
| 1912 | 12,582 |
| 1913 | 14,524 |
| 1914 | 17,809 |
| 1915 | 23,107 |
| 1916 | 25,007 |
| 1917 | 25,618 |
| 1918 | 27,200 |
| 1919 | 26,296 |
| 1920 | 28,044 |
| 1921 | 28,521 |
| 1922 | 26,896 |
| 1923 | 26,187 |
| 1924 | 26,634 |
| 1925 | 24,542 |
| 1926 | 23,164 |
| 1927 | 22,051 |
| 1928 | 20,382 |
| 1929 | 19,287 |
| 1930 | 18,421 |
| 1931 | 17,407 |
| 1932 | 16,644 |
| 1933 | 15,299 |
| 1934 | 15,209 |
| 1935 | 14,799 |
| 1936 | 14,677 |
| 1937 | 15,211 |
| 1938 | 15,395 |
| 1939 | 15,017 |
| 1940 | 15,128 |
| 1941 | 15,745 |
| 1942 | 16,612 |
| 1943 | 17,214 |
| 1944 | 16,360 |
| 1945 | 15,722 |
| 1946 | 18,177 |
| 1947 | 20,150 |
| 1948 | 18,913 |
| 1949 | 19,494 |
| 1950 | 18,142 |
| 1951 | 17,728 |
| 1952 | 17,127 |
| 1953 | 16,230 |
| 1954 | 15,253 |
| 1955 | 14,475 |
| 1956 | 13,943 |
| 1957 | 13,056 |
| 1958 | 12,344 |
| 1959 | 11,601 |
| 1960 | 11,391 |
| 1961 | 10,598 |
| 1962 | 10,113 |
| 1963 | 9,327 |
| 1964 | 9,120 |
| 1965 | 7,820 |
| 1966 | 6,987 |
| 1967 | 6,253 |
| 1968 | 5,457 |
| 1969 | 5,063 |
| 1970 | 4,722 |
| 1971 | 4,013 |
| 1972 | 3,302 |
| 1973 | 3,180 |
| 1974 | 3,097 |
| 1975 | 2,963 |
| 1976 | 2,672 |
| 1977 | 2,636 |
| 1978 | 2,640 |
| 1979 | 2,841 |
| 1980 | 2,878 |
| 1981 | 2,804 |
| 1982 | 3,011 |
| 1983 | 2,961 |
| 1984 | 3,049 |
| 1985 | 3,087 |
| 1986 | 3,094 |
| 1987 | 3,157 |
| 1988 | 3,152 |
| 1989 | 3,319 |
| 1990 | 3,389 |
| 1991 | 3,205 |
| 1992 | 3,250 |
| 1993 | 3,168 |
| 1994 | 3,112 |
| 1995 | 3,232 |
| 1996 | 3,109 |
| 1997 | 2,967 |
| 1998 | 2,969 |
| 1999 | 2,958 |
| 2000 | 3,122 |
| 2001 | 2,896 |
| 2002 | 2,678 |
| 2003 | 2,630 |
| 2004 | 2,443 |
| 2005 | 2,312 |
| 2006 | 2,188 |
| 2007 | 2,027 |
| 2008 | 1,864 |
| 2009 | 1,767 |
| 2010 | 1,701 |
| 2011 | 1,699 |
| 2012 | 1,786 |
| 2013 | 1,774 |
| 2014 | 1,951 |
| 2015 | 2,110 |
| 2016 | 2,216 |
| 2017 | 2,255 |
| 2018 | 2,334 |
| 2019 | 2,214 |
| 2020 | 2,195 |
| 2021 | 2,242 |
| 2022 | 2,197 |
| 2023 | 2,083 |
| 2024 | 2,303 |
Margaret through the decades
- Margaret peaked in 1921, when 28,521 babies were named Margaret in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Margaret has risen 16% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Margaret currently ranks #119 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
MaggiePeggyDaisyMeg
Variants & spellings
MargueriteMargarita
Famous people named Margaret
- Margaret Thatcher — British prime minister