Margaret

Margaret is the English form of Margarete. The name means "the pearl," from Latin margarita.

What does the name Margaret mean?

Margaret is the English form of Margarete. The name means "the pearl," from Latin margarita and Ancient Greek margarites for "pearl." The name Margarete and its various variants like Margaret gained popularity in the Middle Ages due to the veneration of Saint Margaret of Antioch (c. 305), one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. An English spelling variant of Margaret is Margareth. Other English variants include Margaretta, Margery, and Marjorie. Common short and pet forms of Margaret in English are Greta, Gretchen, Mae, Maggie, Maisie, Mamie, Marge, Margo, May, Megan, Meggy, Peggy, and Rita. Notable international variants of Margaret include Margarete (German, Nordic, Slavic), Marguerite (French), Margherita (Italian), Margarida (Portuguese), and Margarita (Spanish, Russian, Bulgarian). Well-known contemporary bearers of the name include former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, Canadian author Margaret Atwood, and Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, sister of Queen Elizabeth II.

Where does the name Margaret come from?

Etymology The first name Margaret as the English variant of Margarete derives from the Latin word margarita for "pearl," which has its origin in the Ancient Greek word margarites, which in turn is borrowed from Persian.

How do you pronounce Margaret?

Sound & pronunciation of Margaret: The name Margaret is three syllables and structured. Pronounced as "Mar-ga-ret" [ˈmaʁgaʁət] or in English [ˈmɑːɹɡəɹət], darker vowels combine with prominent consonants. The rolled or aspirated "r" distinctly shapes the sound. This gives Margaret a classic and dignified quality - grounded, clear, and with a timeless presence.

When is the name day of Margaret?

The most important name days for Margaret are May 28 in memory of Blessed Margaret Pole and July 20 in memory of Saint Margaret of Antioch.

Popularity

Margaret is a popular first name in Germany. Currently, it ranks 2,723rd on the list of the most common female baby names. Its best ranking was achieved in 1947 at position 223. In the last ten years, Margaret has been given as a first name about 120 times, placing it 2,174th in the ten-year statistics. From 2010 to 2024, it ranks 2,098th.

Nicknames & pet names

Garet / Gretel / Mag / Maggie / Mary / Mäggi

Similar first names

Famous people

• Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser (British author)
• Margaret (Maggie) Simpson (character from The Simpsons)
• Margaret Brainard Hamilton (American actress)
• Margaret Brown (film director from Nepal)
• Margaret Buechner (composer from America)
• Margaret Clement (English mathematician)
• Margaret Colin (American actress)
• Margaret Constance Williams (actress)
• Margaret Culkin Banning (American writer)
• Margaret Duley (Canadian writer)
• Margaret Geddes (writer from Australia)
• Margaret Grace Denig (Maggie Grace) (actress from the USA)
• Margaret Hamburg (physician from the USA)
• Margaret Hamilton (American mathematician)
• Margaret John (British actress)
• Margaret Klenck (American actress)
• Margaret Langrick (Canadian actress)
• Margaret Lewis (American musician)
• Margaret Lindsay Williams (English painter)
• Margaret Lloyd (singer from the USA)