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Margretta

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How to Pronounce Margretta

Pronounced mar-GRET-uh /mɑrˈɡrɛtə/Medium

Meaning: Margretta is an ornamented spelling of Margaret, carrying the Greek margarites, 'pearl,' with the pretty '-etta' ending fashionable in the late 1800s. It reads as a dressed-up, songful version of the parent.Medium

In 30 seconds: Margretta is a fancy form of Margaret, from the Greek word for 'pearl' (said mar-GRET-uh). It stayed rare in the early twentieth century.

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Origin MediumGreek, English

MeaningMargretta is an ornamented spelling of Margaret, carrying the Greek margarites, 'pearl,' with the pretty '-etta' ending fashionable in the late 1800s. It reads as a dressed-up, songful version of the parent.

U.S. rank (1989)#13702 ↘ Falling

1989 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1921

Total births (all-time)≈ 837

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Margretta is a decorative form of Margaret, whose Greek root margarites means 'pearl.' It appears in United States records from the mid eighteen-eighties and peaks around 1921, when Margaret was a top name and ornate '-etta' variants had real charm. The extra syllable lent an everyday name a lyrical lift. It was never common in this spelling, given to only a couple dozen girls a year.

With records fading by the late nineteen-eighties, Margretta reads as a grandmother-to-great-grandmother name and has not revived on its own, though Margaret and Greta are both back in favor. Its built-in nicknames — Greta, Retta, Meg — keep it flexible for a parent wanting the pearl meaning with a softer finish.

Did you know? Margretta swaps Margaret's plain ending for the melodic '-etta,' the same flourish that turned Henry into Henrietta and Lauren into Loretta.

Overall data confidence 66%

References - Margretta — Elaborated form of Margaret; Greek margarites 'pearl'

Variations

MargaretMargarettaMargarita

Nicknames

GretaRettaMeg

Famous Bearers

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If you like Margretta…

Margaret— the parent name this elaborates

Margarita— a like ornate form of the same 'pearl' name

Henrietta— shares the fancy '-etta' ending

Loretta— a same-era songful '-etta' girls' name

Explore names like Margretta

By themerare vintage greek elaborated

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Margretta mean?

It is an elaborated form of Margaret, from the Greek margarites, meaning 'pearl.'

How do you pronounce Margretta?

It's said mar-GRET-uh /mɑrˈɡrɛtə/, 3 syllables.

Is Margretta a boy or girl name?

Margretta is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Margretta?

It was always rare, an ornate Margaret variant given to just a couple dozen girls a year in the early nineteen-hundreds.