International Baby Names
International Variations of Margaret
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About this list
Margaret is among the most classic baby names, with a wide range of intriguing variations throughout the Western World. Familiar forms of Margaret such as Margot have become common independently of their mother name, although Margaret remains the most popular of all. Meghan, a variant of the Welsh name Megan, has risen in recent years thanks to Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's wife.
Along with Margot and Meghan, other international variations of Margaret in the US Top 1000 include Greta, Mae, Maggie, Maisie, Margo, and Megan. If you're looking for a rarer international option, the German Gretel, Irish Mairead, Hebrew Margalit, or Estonian Meeri are fashionable options worth exploring.
Marguerite, the French form of Margaret is also a floral name that means "daisy." Although not on this list, you could consider a daisy-related name to honor an ancestral Margaret, such as the Dutch Madelief or even Daisy itself.
Margaret is a beautiful classic name, but if you're looking for a creative update, a global variation may be right for your daughter. Look here for our entire roster of variations of Margaret from around the world.
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The names
Margot
French, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Margot is suddenly a star again. After a nearly-half century absence, it hopped back on the Top 1000 list in 2013 and is on the rise. The Margot spelling is now given to three times as many baby…
Margaret
Greek
"pearl"
Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta , meaning "pearl."…
Maisie
Scottish diminutive of Margaret, Mairead, or Mary, English, Latin, Hebrew
"pearl; bitter, beloved, drop of the seas"
Sweet and sparky, youthful yet long-established, this Scottish nickname for Margaret, Mairead, or Mary, entered the US Top 1000 back in 2014 and has been on the rise ever since, replacing the once…
Maggie
Diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Maggie is a cute, earthy short form that has been in style for several decades now, still sometimes used as an independent name by such parents as Jon Stewart. First used in Scotland, it got a large…
Mae
Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Latin
"beloved, bitter, drop of the sea; pearl"
Mae, a sweet and springlike old-fashioned name, hadn't been on the national charts in forty years, but finally made it back in 2010. Mae is derived from May, the month name that was chosen for its…
Margo
French, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Margo and Margot sound exactly the same, so why has the Margot spelling hopped back onto the Top 1000, outpacing Margo in numbers more than two to one? (Over 350 baby girls were named Margot in the…
Marjorie
Scottish variation of Margery, diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Scottish Marjorie and her English twin Margery were early twentieth century favorites that date back to medieval times, when it was popular among the royals. They were at their height in the 1920s,…
Mamie
Diminutive of Mary or Margaret, Hebrew, Egyptian, Greek
"drop of the sea or bitter or pearl"
Mamie is back. Having finally shorn her Mamie Eisenhower bangs, this insouciant and adorable nickname name is perfect if you want a zestier way to honor a beloved aunt Mary. Meryl Streep's actress…
Peggy
Diminutive of Margaret, Greek
"pearl"
Just when we had written off Peggy as the eternal perky, pug-nosed prom-queen she projected from the 1920s into the fifties, along came Mad Men , with intriguing mid-century characters with names…
Megan
Welsh diminutive of Margaret
"pearl"
Megan originally evolved from Meg, which itself derived as a nickname for Margaret. Margaret ultimately comes from the Greek word margarites , meaning "pearl." Megan is no longer a common nickname…
Greta
German, diminutive of Margarethe
"pearl"
Greta is an Old World name long tied to the iconic Garbo, but now synonymous with environmental activism. In the early 2000s, Greta was showing signs of a comeback, along with other Old Hollywood…
Rita
Spanish, Hindi
"pearl; truth, order"
One of the glamour girl names of the Rita Hayworth 1940s, Rita was once a Top 50 name and stayed on the SSA list until 2002. The name Rita still has enough Latin zip to be a lively, revivable short…
Margarete
German, Russian and Scandinavian variation of Margaret
"pearl"
A common name in many cultures, sometimes spelled Margarethe.
Meaghan
Meaghan represents an alternative spelling of Megan, a Welsh feminine name derived from Margaret, meaning 'pearl.' This particular spelling variation emerged as parents sought distinctive ways to…
Madge
Diminutive of Margery or Margaret
"pearl"
A super diminutive nickname name, and sometime Madonna nickname – it was how the British tabloids referred to her when she moved to London in the 1990s, which she found annoying until then husband…
Margie
Diminutive of Margery
Prime pert-teenager name in midcentury TV shows, replaced by Maggie.
Margarita
Spanish, Russian, Greek
"pearl, daisy"
Margarita is an international form of Margaret that shares its meaning of "pearl", but also directly translates to "daisy" in Spanish and Greek. Despite being widely associated with the alcoholic…
Retha
Retha is a feminine name that emerged as a shortened form of names ending in '-retha' such as Aretha or Maretha. It may also derive from the Welsh name Rheta, meaning 'ardent' or 'zealous.' In some…
Margarite
Margarite is a feminine name derived from the Latin word "margarita," meaning "pearl." It's a variation of Margaret, which has roots in Greek "margarites" (pearl). Throughout history, Margarite has…
Markita
Markita is a feminine name that likely developed as a diminutive form of Mark or Margaret, with Spanish or Slavic influences. The '-ita' suffix in Spanish indicates a small or endearing version,…
