Margaret
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- MAR-ga-ret
- Origin
- Greek
- UK rank, 2025
- #405 for girls
- US rank, 2025
- #112 for girls
Margaret is a girls' name of Greek origin, meaning “pearl”. In 2025 it ranked 405th for girls in the UK (117 babies) and 112th for girls in the US (2,436 babies).
What does Margaret mean?
Greek: via Latin Margarita
“pearl”
From the Greek for pearl; St Margaret of Scotland, an 11th-century queen, made it popular in Scotland.
More on Wiktionary.
Is Margaret a girl's or a boy's name?
Margaret is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 117 girls in the UK and 2,436 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Margaret in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #405among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 117about 1 in 2,400 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 19% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 117 girls in the UK were named Margaret, making it the 405th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 371st. Its busiest year was 2020, with 130 girls.
Half of all the girls named Margaret in the UK since 1996 were born between 2003 and 2019. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 413th in England and Wales, 256th in Scotland and 290th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#7), 1914 (#2), 1924 (#1), 1934 (#1), 1944 (#1), 1954 (#4) and 1964 (#39).
Margaret in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | #405 |
| 2024 | 98 | #463 |
| 2023 | 96 | #462 |
| 2022 | 103 | #454 |
| 2021 | 120 | #411 |
| 2020 | 130 | #371 |
| 2019 | 128 | #376 |
| 2018 | 125 | #394 |
| 2017 | 119 | #410 |
| 2016 | 125 | #409 |
| 2015 | 101 | #474 |
| 2014 | 99 | #481 |
| 2013 | 89 | #521 |
| 2012 | 94 | #510 |
| 2011 | 88 | #522 |
| 2010 | 92 | #497 |
| 2009 | 102 | #453 |
| 2008 | 94 | #480 |
| 2007 | 82 | #511 |
| 2006 | 88 | #484 |
| 2005 | 96 | #432 |
| 2004 | 88 | #448 |
| 2003 | 66 | #529 |
| 2002 | 95 | #387 |
| 2001 | 104 | #356 |
| 2000 | 103 | #364 |
| 1999 | 80 | #438 |
| 1998 | 118 | #333 |
| 1997 | 109 | #349 |
| 1996 | 122 | #323 |
How popular is Margaret in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #112among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 2,436about 1 in 660 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 1% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 2.1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 2,436 girls in the US were named Margaret, making it the 112th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 126th. Its busiest year was 1921, with 28,468 girls.
2025 had more girls named Margaret than any year since 2004.
Half of all the girls named Margaret in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1953, the years shaded on the chart below.
Margaret in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,436 | #112 |
| 2024 | 2,316 | #119 |
| 2023 | 2,085 | #132 |
| 2022 | 2,199 | #127 |
| 2021 | 2,245 | #125 |
| 2020 | 2,196 | #126 |
| 2019 | 2,214 | #127 |
| 2018 | 2,334 | #127 |
| 2017 | 2,255 | #132 |
| 2016 | 2,217 | #139 |
| 2015 | 2,110 | #155 |
| 2014 | 1,951 | #169 |
| 2013 | 1,774 | #180 |
| 2012 | 1,780 | #176 |
| 2011 | 1,699 | #186 |
| 2010 | 1,702 | #182 |
| 2009 | 1,768 | #187 |
| 2008 | 1,865 | #178 |
| 2007 | 2,029 | #173 |
| 2006 | 2,188 | #160 |
| 2005 | 2,312 | #151 |
| 2004 | 2,436 | #133 |
| 2003 | 2,625 | #128 |
| 2002 | 2,678 | #129 |
| 2001 | 2,896 | #118 |
| 2000 | 3,122 | #110 |
| 1999 | 2,958 | #110 |
| 1998 | 2,962 | #114 |
| 1997 | 2,967 | #110 |
| 1996 | 3,103 | #105 |
| 1995 | 3,221 | #104 |
| 1994 | 3,105 | #106 |
| 1993 | 3,167 | #102 |
| 1992 | 3,244 | #102 |
| 1991 | 3,195 | #108 |
| 1990 | 3,372 | #102 |
| 1989 | 3,285 | #97 |
| 1988 | 3,139 | #93 |
| 1987 | 3,146 | #90 |
| 1986 | 3,084 | #89 |
| 1985 | 3,072 | #90 |
| 1984 | 3,033 | #92 |
| 1983 | 2,944 | #92 |
| 1982 | 2,998 | #97 |
| 1981 | 2,792 | #107 |
| 1980 | 2,859 | #105 |
| 1979 | 2,832 | #108 |
| 1978 | 2,629 | #110 |
| 1977 | 2,625 | #111 |
| 1976 | 2,666 | #103 |
| 1975 | 2,950 | #98 |
| 1974 | 3,087 | #95 |
| 1973 | 3,167 | #94 |
| 1972 | 3,286 | #95 |
| 1971 | 4,001 | #86 |
| 1970 | 4,704 | #80 |
| 1969 | 5,044 | #73 |
| 1968 | 5,440 | #63 |
| 1967 | 6,226 | #58 |
| 1966 | 6,960 | #55 |
| 1965 | 7,799 | #52 |
| 1964 | 9,101 | #49 |
| 1963 | 9,304 | #46 |
| 1962 | 10,075 | #43 |
| 1961 | 10,559 | #40 |
| 1960 | 11,362 | #36 |
| 1959 | 11,577 | #36 |
| 1958 | 12,314 | #31 |
| 1957 | 13,013 | #29 |
| 1956 | 13,913 | #25 |
| 1955 | 14,440 | #24 |
| 1954 | 15,226 | #21 |
| 1953 | 16,195 | #20 |
| 1952 | 17,102 | #21 |
| 1951 | 17,692 | #17 |
| 1950 | 18,110 | #15 |
| 1949 | 19,452 | #14 |
| 1948 | 18,873 | #13 |
| 1947 | 20,101 | #16 |
| 1946 | 18,136 | #17 |
| 1945 | 15,685 | #15 |
| 1944 | 16,320 | #14 |
| 1943 | 17,153 | #14 |
| 1942 | 16,549 | #14 |
| 1941 | 15,696 | #12 |
| 1940 | 15,063 | #11 |
| 1939 | 14,949 | #10 |
| 1938 | 15,330 | #9 |
| 1937 | 15,144 | #10 |
| 1936 | 14,596 | #9 |
| 1935 | 14,727 | #8 |
| 1934 | 15,144 | #8 |
| 1933 | 15,241 | #7 |
| 1932 | 16,556 | #7 |
| 1931 | 17,332 | #7 |
| 1930 | 18,350 | #5 |
| 1929 | 19,212 | #5 |
| 1928 | 20,295 | #5 |
| 1927 | 21,964 | #5 |
| 1926 | 23,072 | #5 |
| 1925 | 24,463 | #5 |
| 1924 | 26,547 | #5 |
| 1923 | 26,134 | #4 |
| 1922 | 26,862 | #4 |
| 1921 | 28,468 | #4 |
| 1920 | 27,994 | #4 |
| 1919 | 26,238 | #4 |
| 1918 | 27,139 | #4 |
| 1917 | 25,560 | #4 |
| 1916 | 24,953 | #4 |
| 1915 | 23,054 | #4 |
| 1914 | 17,763 | #4 |
| 1913 | 14,486 | #4 |
| 1912 | 12,536 | #4 |
| 1911 | 9,279 | #3 |
| 1910 | 8,226 | #3 |
| 1909 | 7,358 | #3 |
| 1908 | 6,976 | #3 |
| 1907 | 6,713 | #3 |
| 1906 | 6,096 | #3 |
| 1905 | 5,690 | #3 |
| 1904 | 5,302 | #4 |
| 1903 | 5,045 | #4 |
| 1902 | 5,011 | #4 |
| 1901 | 4,424 | #4 |
| 1900 | 5,304 | #4 |
| 1899 | 4,249 | #4 |
| 1898 | 4,696 | #4 |
| 1897 | 4,146 | #4 |
| 1896 | 4,050 | #4 |
| 1895 | 3,931 | #4 |
| 1894 | 3,700 | #3 |
| 1893 | 3,565 | #4 |
| 1892 | 3,435 | #4 |
| 1891 | 3,065 | #3 |
| 1890 | 3,100 | #4 |
| 1889 | 2,917 | #4 |
| 1888 | 2,904 | #5 |
| 1887 | 2,419 | #5 |
| 1886 | 2,275 | #6 |
| 1885 | 2,204 | #5 |
| 1884 | 2,142 | #6 |
| 1883 | 1,881 | #6 |
| 1882 | 1,821 | #6 |
| 1881 | 1,658 | #5 |
| 1880 | 1,578 | #6 |
Nicknames for Margaret
Names like Margaret
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Violet Dorothy Harriet Annie Beatrice Mabel Hazel Miriam Evelyn Elsie Alice Cleo
Names related to Margaret
Margarita Marguerite Margherita Margret Margareth Margarette Margarett
More Greek names
Luca Theodore Sophia George Theo Lucas Sofia Alexander Sebastian Penelope Phoebe Margot Luke Chloe Sophie Zoe
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Margaret: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/margaret, updated 20 October 2026.