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Home › Baby Names Directory › Margaretha

Margaretha

♀ Girl

Pronounced mar-guh-REE-tuh /mɑr.ɡəˈriː.tə/Medium

Meaning: Margaretha is the Latinized German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Margaret, from Greek margarites, 'pearl'. It is the stately full form behind the many Margaret nicknames, carrying the same gemstone meaning.Medium

In 30 seconds: Margaretha is the German and Latin form of Margaret, from Greek for 'pearl'. A rare old-world vintage name, said mar-guh-REE-tuh.
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Origin MediumGreek, German
MeaningMargaretha is the Latinized German, Dutch and Scandinavian form of Margaret, from Greek margarites, 'pearl'. It is the stately full form behind the many Margaret nicknames, carrying the same gemstone meaning.
U.S. rank (2011)#18547 ↘ Falling
2011 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1912
Total births (all-time)≈ 477

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191218842011

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Margaretha is the formal German, Dutch and Scandinavian spelling of Margaret, tracing back through Latin margarita to the Greek margarites, 'pearl'. It is the dignified full name standing behind familiar short forms like Greta and Rita, and it arrived in America with European immigrant families.

It was always rare in this full spelling, given to only about twenty girls a year around its 1912 peak, while anglicized Margaret was far more common. A Margaretha born then would be of great-grandparent age today, and the name reads as a formal heritage form.

Did you know? Margaret has spun off dozens of pet forms - Peggy, Greta, Rita, Margot - and Margaretha is the ornate continental parent from which the Greta and Rita branches grew.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Margaretha — German/Latin form of Margaret (Greek margarites, 'pearl')

Variations

MargaretMargaretheMargarita

Nicknames

GretaRitaMargo

Famous Bearers

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If you like Margaretha…

Margaret— the English form of the same name
Margarita— a like 'pearl' form of the name
Greta— a short form grown from it
Marguerite— a similar ornate 'pearl' name

Explore names like Margaretha

By themerarevintageclassicgerman

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Margaretha mean?

It is a German and Latin form of Margaret, from the Greek word for 'pearl'.

How do you pronounce Margaretha?

It is said mar-guh-REE-tuh /mɑr.ɡəˈriː.tə/, four syllables with the stress on the third.

Is Margaretha a boy or girl name?

Margaretha is used as a girl's name.

Is Margaretha a popular name?

No, in this full spelling it was always rare, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the nineteen-tens.

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