Margaret
Girl name · #112 in 2025 · Uniqueness 41/100
Margaret is currently the #112 girl name in the United States — 2,436 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #155, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 739 girls born in 2025 was named Margaret.
Babies named Margaret per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Margaret first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,578 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1921, when 28,468 girls were named Margaret — good for #4 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Margaret against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Margaret in class?
Margaret scores 41 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Margaret is most common
Geography matters for names, and Margaret is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Margarets were TX (201), CA (111), OH (109), NC (106), PA (104). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Margaret
Statistically, parents drawn to Margaret tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Mary, Miriam, Ruth, Frances, and Esther.
MaryMiriamRuthFrancesEstherRoseAnnaAnnie
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Margaret | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,436 | #112 |
| 2024 | 2,316 | #119 |
| 2023 | 2,085 | #132 |
| 2022 | 2,199 | #127 |
| 2021 | 2,245 | #125 |
| 2020 | 2,196 | #126 |
| 2019 | 2,214 | #127 |
| 2018 | 2,334 | #127 |
| 2017 | 2,255 | #132 |
| 2016 | 2,217 | #139 |
| 2015 | 2,110 | #155 |
| 2014 | 1,951 | #169 |
| 2013 | 1,774 | #180 |
| 2012 | 1,780 | #176 |
| 2011 | 1,699 | #186 |
| 2010 | 1,702 | #182 |
| 2009 | 1,768 | #187 |
| 2008 | 1,865 | #178 |
| 2007 | 2,029 | #173 |
| 2006 | 2,188 | #160 |
| 2005 | 2,312 | #151 |
| 2004 | 2,436 | #133 |
| 2003 | 2,625 | #128 |
| 2002 | 2,678 | #129 |
| 2001 | 2,896 | #118 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Margaret a popular girl name?
Margaret ranked #112 among girls in 2025 with 2,436 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #155.
When was the name Margaret most popular?
Margaret peaked in 1921, when 28,468 American girls received the name (ranked #4 that year). Since 1921 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Margaret?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 739 newborn American girls was named Margaret. It scores 41/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.