Fun Facts About the Name Margerite
- 78 babies named Margerite: U.S. records list 78 babies given the name Margerite from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Margerite Mean?
Margerite is a rare spelling variant within the Margaret name family and means "pearl." It belongs with the French Marguerite, the German Margarete, and the English Margaret, all of which descend from the Latin Margarita and, before that, the Greek margaritēs (μαργαρίτης), the ordinary Greek word for a pearl.
The Greek term was itself a borrowing rather than a native formation. It is commonly connected to an Iranian word of the same meaning, represented by Old Persian margārīta- and modern Persian marvārīd, and sometimes traced further back to Sanskrit mañjarī. Because the word was passed between languages as a trade term for a precious object, its deepest origin is not fully settled, and the link to Sanskrit in particular is debated.
What is consistent across the European forms is the literal sense: a pearl. The name was not built from smaller meaningful parts in Latin or Greek, so its meaning rests on this single noun rather than on a compound of elements.
Margerite Name History & Origins
The name spread through Christian Europe largely by way of Saint Margaret, a martyr of Antioch whose story - traditionally set in the late third or early fourth century - was widely told in the Middle Ages. Her Greek-language tradition also appears under the name Marina, and the two were sometimes treated as the same figure, which helped carry the pearl name into many languages. Devotion to her, along with other medieval saints of the name, made it common from Italy to northern Europe.
From the Latin Margarita, each region shaped its own form: Marguerite in French, Margherita in Italian, Margarita in Spanish and later Russian, Margarete or Margarethe in German, and Margaret in English. The spelling Margerite sits between the French and German types, using the French final -ite while dropping the u of Marguerite. It appears as an uncommon written variant rather than as a name with a separate documented lineage of its own.
Separately, the French word marguerite came to name the daisy, a flower linked in tradition with Saint Margaret. This is a later development in the vocabulary and does not supply the name's meaning; the underlying sense of the name remains "pearl."
How Popular is the Name Margerite?
Margerite has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1920. Its best rank was #3,256 in 1920.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | #5,845 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #5,737 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1936 | #4,618 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1927 | #4,616 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #5,578 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1923 | #3,844 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #4,288 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #4,861 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,256 | 10 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #3,366 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1918 | #5,307 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1916 | #4,208 | 6 | 0.0006% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Most Popular Girl Names That Start with M
How the Name Margerite Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You find the best contentment in life when you own your own home and provide well for your family and loved ones. You have a great sense of responsibility and duty. You are comforting, appreciative and affectionate. Your obligation in life is to hold justice and truth, and if you follow the Law, you can find the great happiness and satisfaction.
✦ Margerite's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Margerite's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.