Name Margaret - meaning, origin, numerology

Margaret is a female first name, possibly derived from the Sanskrit word मञ्जरी mañjarī. Alternately, it might be of Persian origin, derived from the Persian language marvârid (مروارید), a pearl or daughter of light. The word is related to Marg from Marq or Marka meaning "chicken" (مرغ), probably because pearls looked like small bird eggs.

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 is still the ninth most common name for women of all ages in the United States as of the 1990 census.

It has a large number of diminutive forms in many different languages, including Maggie, Madge, Mags, Maisie, Marge, Meg, Megan, Mog, Moggie, Rita, Daisy, Greta, Gretel, Gretchen, Magee, Marg, Margot, May, Molly, Peggy and Peg.

English and Scottish: an extremely common medieval given name, derived via Old French Marguerite and Latin Margarīta from Greek Margarītēs, from margaron pearl, a word ultimately of Hebrew origin. The name was always understood to mean ‘pearl’ throughout the Middle Ages. The first St Margaret was martyred at Antioch in Pisidia during the persecution instigated by the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. However, there seems to be some doubt about her name, as the same saint is venerated in the Orthodox Church as Marina. There were several other saintly bearers of the name, including St Margaret of Scotland (d. 1093), wife of King Malcolm Canmore and daughter of Edmund Ironside of England. It was also the name of the wife of Henry VI of England, Margaret of Anjou (1430–82), and of Margaret Tudor (1489–1541), sister of Henry VIII, who married James IV of Scotland and ruled as regent there after his death. In Scandinavia, the name was borne by one of the most powerful rulers in Scandinavian history, Queen Margareta (1353–1412), daughter of the Danish king Waldemar IV, wife of Haakon VI of Norway, and mother of Olaf V of both kingdoms. She effectively ruled Denmark and Norway as regent for her son Olaf and, after his death in 1387, for her greatnephew, Eric of Pomerania, adding Sweden to her empire in 1389. Margaret was also well established as a royal name in the Holy Roman Empire, France, Navarre, and Italy. In Britain in 1930 it was selected by the future King George VI and his wife for their second daughter, Princess Margaret Rose. See also Margery, Marjorie.
Cognates: Latinate: Margaret(t)a. Irish Gaelic: Mairéad. Scottish Gaelic: Mair(gh)ead. Welsh: Mar(g)ed, Mererid. French: Marguerite. Italian: Margherita. Spanish: Margarita. Porruguese: Margarida. German and Scandinavian: Margaret(h)a. German, Danish: Margaret(h)e, Margrethe. German (vernacular): Margrit, Margret; Meta. Dutch, Low German: Margriet. Scandinavian (vernacular): Margit; Marit (Norwegian, Swedish); Marete (Danish). Polish: Malgorzata. Czech: Markéta. Hungarian: Margit. Finnish: Marketta. Jewish (modern Hebrew): Margalit, Marganit, Marganita.
Short forms: English: Meg, Peg; Madge; Gretta. Spanish: Rita. German: Greta, Grete, Gritt(a), Grit. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Griet, Gre(e)t. Swedish: Maj, Greta. Danish: Grete.
Pet forms: English: Maggie, Meggie, Peggy; Marge, Margie (informal); May; See also Daisy. Scottish Gaelic: Magaidh, Peigi. Welsh: Megan. French: Margot. German, Danish, Swedish: Meta. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Grietje, Gre(e)tje. Polish: Malgosia, Gosia, Gośka.

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