Margaret
Say it: MAR-gret
GirlMeans pearl8 letters2 syllables
#135
in Ireland (2025)
35
babies in 2025
#2
best rank (1965)
18,155
babies since 1964
Up 30
10-year rank change
Margaret through the years
Compare with another name →Show the numbers
| Year | Babies (girls) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #135 |
| 2024 | 25 | #181 |
| 2023 | 24 | #190 |
| 2022 | 28 | #174 |
| 2021 | 25 | #192 |
| 2020 | 20 | #222 |
| 2019 | 25 | #197 |
| 2018 | 36 | #153 |
| 2017 | 32 | #165 |
| 2016 | 31 | #176 |
| 2015 | 35 | #165 |
| 2014 | 34 | #170 |
| 2013 | 36 | #165 |
| 2012 | 33 | #174 |
| 2011 | 40 | #150 |
| 2010 | 28 | #205 |
| 2009 | 37 | #165 |
| 2008 | 56 | #116 |
| 2007 | 49 | #121 |
| 2006 | 40 | #135 |
| 2005 | 32 | #142 |
| 2004 | 38 | #128 |
| 2003 | 42 | #118 |
| 2002 | 42 | #115 |
| 2001 | 52 | #95 |
| 2000 | 39 | #109 |
| 1999 | 42 | #97 |
| 1998 | 38 | #97 |
| 1997 | 94 | #59 |
| 1996 | 149 | #42 |
| 1995 | 120 | #52 |
| 1994 | 124 | #45 |
| 1993 | 153 | #38 |
| 1992 | 147 | #41 |
| 1991 | 168 | #34 |
| 1990 | 173 | #34 |
| 1989 | 187 | #28 |
| 1988 | 227 | #22 |
| 1987 | 265 | #24 |
| 1986 | 201 | #36 |
| 1985 | 262 | #27 |
| 1984 | 282 | #26 |
| 1983 | 309 | #24 |
| 1982 | 338 | #25 |
| 1981 | 399 | #19 |
| 1980 | 420 | #19 |
| 1979 | 374 | #22 |
| 1978 | 449 | #12 |
| 1977 | 463 | #8 |
| 1976 | 520 | #6 |
| 1975 | 569 | #5 |
| 1974 | 605 | #3 |
| 1973 | 686 | #3 |
| 1972 | 766 | #3 |
| 1971 | 837 | #3 |
| 1970 | 830 | #3 |
| 1969 | 904 | #3 |
| 1968 | 1,029 | #3 |
| 1967 | 1,108 | #2 |
| 1966 | 1,216 | #3 |
| 1965 | 1,395 | #2 |
| 1964 | 1,392 | #3 |
Source: CSO, Irish Babies' Names (VSA50, VSA60), CC BY 4.0.
★ What does Margaret mean?
Pearl
Greek, from margarites (pearl), through Latin Margarita and Old French.
Say it right
MARgret
The story of Margaret
Margaret comes from the Greek word for a pearl, margarites. It reached English through the Latin Margarita and Old French, carried by the fame of Saint Margaret the Virgin, an early martyr who was widely honoured in the Middle Ages. The name has been used in England since the eleventh century. Its Irish form is Mairéad, and Peig is a traditional Irish pet form.
For generations it was one of the most common girls’ names in Ireland. It was number 2 in 1965, when 1,395 girls were named Margaret, the most in any year of the CSO records.
It fell steadily after that, as parents moved to newer names. In 2025, 35 girls were named Margaret, and it was number 135 in 2025. Its pet forms have followed their own paths, and the CSO counts Maggie and Mairéad as separate names.
Say it differently where you're from, or spotted something wrong? Tell us.
Sources
- Wiktionary: Margaret (English proper noun)
- Wikipedia: Margaret
- CSO VSA60, Girls Names in Ireland with 3 or More Occurrences
At a glance
Similar names
Sibling ideas
Nicknames
MaggiePeggyMeg
Spellings counted here
| Spelling | 2025 | All years |
|---|---|---|
| Margaret | 35 | 18,155 |
In Northern Ireland
#290 in 2025 with 5 babies. Best rank #119 (2000); 182 babies since 1997.
Source: NISRA, Open Government Licence.