Margaret

Female given name


title: "Margaret" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["english-feminine-given-names", "feminine-given-names", "given-names-derived-from-gemstones", "given-names-of-greek-language-origin", "given-names"] description: "Female given name" topic_path: "general/english-feminine-given-names" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Female given name ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox given name"]

FieldValue
nameMargaret
imageSt. Margaret of Antioch.jpg
captionMargaret the Virgin is one of many saints named Margaret
pronunciation
genderFemale
meaningPearl
languageoriginLatin, Greek and Iranian
name day23 May or 25 January
related namesDaisy, Gretchen, Gretel, Grethe, Greta, Maggie, Máiréad, Madge, Marguerite, Margarita, Margareta, Margaretta, Margarida, Margarete, Margarethe, Marge, Margherita, Margo, Margot, Margie, Margit, Margrit, Megan, Mette, Maisie, Małgorzata, Rita, Peggy
::

| name = Margaret | image = St. Margaret of Antioch.jpg | caption = Margaret the Virgin is one of many saints named Margaret | pronunciation = | gender = Female | meaning = Pearl | region = | languageorigin = Latin, Greek and Iranian | name day = 23 May or 25 January | related names = Daisy, Gretchen, Gretel, Grethe, Greta, Maggie, Máiréad, Madge, Marguerite, Margarita, Margareta, Margaretta, Margarida, Margarete, Margarethe, Marge, Margherita, Margo, Margot, Margie, Margit, Margrit, Megan, Mette, Maisie, Małgorzata, Rita, Peggy | popularity = | articles = | footnotes =

Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Old Iranian. It has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. It became less popular between the 16th and 18th century, but became more common again after this period, becoming the second-most popular female name in the United States in 1903. Since this time, it has become less common, but was still the ninth-most common name for women of all ages in the United States as of the 1990 census.

Margaret has many diminutive forms in many languages, including Daisy, Greta, Gretchen, Maggie, Madge, Maisie, Marge, Margie, Margo, Margot, Marnie, Meg, Megan, Molly, Peggy, and Rita.{{cite web | url= https://omaha.com/life-entertainment/local/cleveland-evans-molly-peaked-with-millennials/article_cfad70c0-57ff-11ee-804a-4372c086e0f4.html | title= Cleveland Evans: Molly peaked with millennials | last= Evans | first= Cleveland Kent | date= 24 September 2023 | website= omaha.com | publisher= Omaha World Herald | access-date= 20 January 2024 | quote = }}

Etymology

Margaret is derived via French (Marguerite) and Latin (Margarita) from (grc), via Persian murwārīd, meaning "pearl". Margarita (given name) traces the etymology further as مروارید, morvārīd in modern Persian, derived from Sogdian marγārt, both meaning 'pearl'. It is ultimately traces its roots to Old Iranian -mr‌gāhrīta*, "derived from a shell".

Name variants

Full name

Diminutives

First half

Second half

Nobility

Austria

Belgium and the Netherlands

Denmark

England, Scotland, Wales, and Great Britain

France

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Norway

Portugal

Romania

Religion

Canonised

Beatified

Arts, actresses, writers and music

Education, science, and technology

Politics and activists

Sports

Other

Fictional characters

References

References

  1. Cecil Adams. (8 January 1993). "Why is Peggy the nickname for Margaret?". The Straight Dope.
  2. {{cite EB1911
  3. George F. Kunz and Charles H. Stevenson, ''The Book of the Pearl: The History, Art, Science and Industry of the Queen of Gems'' (London and New York: MacMillan & Co., 1908), p. 305.
  4. Schmitt, Rüdiger. "Persian Loanwords and Names in Greek".
  5. Ilya Gershevitch, “Margarites, the Pearl,” Études irano-aryennes offertes à Gilbert Lazard, ''Studia Iranica'' 7, Paris, 1989, pp. 113-36.
  6. "MÁIRÉAD, MAIRÉAD - Irish Names and Surnames".
  7. "MAIGHRÉAD - Irish Names and Surnames".
  8. "MÁIRGHRÉAD, MAIRGHRÉAD - Irish Names and Surnames".

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