Holding steady.
Popularity of Margretta since 1885
Babies named Margretta per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1921, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Margretta's real moment was 1888.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 24 |
| 1890s | 19 |
| 1900s | 23 |
| 1910s | 118 |
| 1920s | 162 |
| 1930s | 99 |
| 1940s | 138 |
| 1950s | 119 |
| 1960s | 91 |
| 1970s | 24 |
| 1980s | 20 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Margretta is a delicate and elaborate variant of Margaret that saw its brief heyday in the late 19th century. First recorded in U.S. data in 1885, it reached its peak in 1888, the same year it was most commonly used. Since then, its usage has been negligible, a relic of the fashion for ornate feminizations ending in -etta. Unlike the perennial Margaret, Margretta has not seen a revival, remaining a quiet historical curiosity rather than a modern favorite. The name's trajectory is flat, a stable but vanishingly small blip on the naming landscape.
Margretta is a rare English elaboration of Margaret, ultimately derived from Greek margarites, meaning 'pearl'. Margaret was a favorite among medieval European royalty and saints, and its many diminutive and vernacular forms spread across the continent. Margretta likely arose as an ornamental or phonetic variant in the 19th century, when elaborate feminine names were fashionable in the English-speaking world.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Maggie, Meg, Rita, Greta
Variants: Margarita, Marguerite, Margaret
Sibling names for Margretta
Names that share Margretta's style, for a brother or sister.
