Margaret

For other uses, see Margaret (disambiguation).
Margaret

Margaret the Virgin is one of many saints named Margaret.
Gender Female
Name day May 23
Origin
Word/name Greek, Sanskrit, Persian
Meaning Pearl
Other names
Related names Maggie, Mairead, Madge, Marge, Margie, Meg, Megan, Rita, Greta, Peg and Peggy.
Look up Margaret in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Margaret is a female first name, derived via French (Marguerite) and Latin (Margarita) from Greek Margarites, derived from the noun margaron meaning 'pearl'.[1] The Greek is probably related to the Sanskrit मञ्जरी mañjarī meaning 'pearl' or 'cluster of blossoms.'[2][3][4]

Margaret has been an English name since the 11th century, and remained popular throughout the Middle Ages. It became less popular between the 16th century and 18th century, but became more common again after this period, becoming the second most popular 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 a large number of diminutive forms in many different languages.[5]

Variant forms

Alternate forms of Margaret, including short forms and pet names, include:

Name Margaret in other languages

Nicknames of Margaret

  • Maggie
  • Mar
  • Marg
  • Marge
  • Margey
  • Margie
  • Meg
  • Meggy
  • Peg
  • Peggy
  • Pegeen
  • Maisie
  • Mamie
  • Margo
  • Madge
  • Molly
  • Malla
  • Midge
  • Marga
  • Mags
  • Margu
  • Greta
  • Gretel
  • Marya

Aristocrats

Austria

Belgium and the Netherlands (the Low Countries)

Denmark

England & Scotland & United Kingdom

France

Hungary

Norway

Religious figures

Sainted

Beatified

Artists and authors

Educators and scientists

Other

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hanks, Patrick, Kate Hardcastle, and Flavia Hodges, Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press.
  2. ↑ "View Name: Margaret". Behind the Name. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
  3. ↑ "Margaret". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  4. ↑ "Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary". Universität zu Köln (University of Cologne). Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Cecil Adams (8 January 1993). "Why is Peggy the nickname for Margaret?". The Straight Dope. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
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