Peg

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Peg

Pronounced PEG /ˈpɛɡ/High

Meaning: Peg is an old English pet form of Margaret, from Greek margarites, 'pearl'; it comes through the rhyming nickname chain Margaret to Meg to Peg (and Peggy), a playful medieval habit of swapping the first sound, and it carries Margaret's 'pearl' meaning.Medium

In 30 seconds: Peg is a short, old-fashioned pet form of Margaret, 'pearl', reached through Meg and Peggy (said 'PEG').

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Origin MediumGreek, English

MeaningPeg is an old English pet form of Margaret, from Greek margarites, 'pearl'; it comes through the rhyming nickname chain Margaret to Meg to Peg (and Peggy), a playful medieval habit of swapping the first sound, and it carries Margaret's 'pearl' meaning.

U.S. rank (1968)#7861 ↘ Falling

1968 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1957

Total births (all-time)≈ 841

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

Peg is one of the oldest English nicknames for Margaret, from Greek margarites, 'pearl'. Medieval speakers turned Margaret into Meg, then rhymed Meg into Peg and Peggy — the same habit that made Bill from Will.

Given as a birth name mostly in the mid-twentieth century, Peg reads as a warm, plain-spoken grandmother name; it has not revived on its own, though the fuller Margaret is stirring again.

Did you know? Peg comes from the medieval trick of rhyming Meg into Peg; used as a given name in its own right, it crested around 1957 at only a few dozen girls a year before Margaret's whole family cooled.

Overall data confidence 58%

References — Peg — pet form of Margaret; Greek margarites 'pearl'

Variations

PeggyMeg

Nicknames

PeggyPegeen

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Peg…

Peggy— the fuller pet form Peg sits beside

Meg— the rhyming nickname Peg was formed from

Margaret— the parent name, sharing the 'pearl' meaning

Greta— another short pet form of a long classic name

Explore names like Peg

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Peg mean?

Peg is a short form of Margaret and means 'pearl', from Greek by way of the nickname Peggy.

How do you pronounce Peg?

It's said PEG /ˈpɛɡ/ — one syllable.

Is Peg a boy or girl name?

Peg is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Peg?

Peg has always been rare as a birth name, a mid-century pet form of Margaret that is very uncommon today.