How popular is the baby name Margaret in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Margaret.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Margaret


Posts that mention the name Margaret

New Jersey family with 18 children

kinderfest

In 1951, Joseph and Clara Carey of New Jersey welcomed their 18th child. The parents and all but three of the children posed for a newspaper photo that year. According to the caption, the 15 kids in the photo were named…

  • Carol, 17
  • Joseph, 15
  • Crawford, 13
  • William, 12
  • Margaret, 11
  • Raymond, 10
  • Geraldine, 9
  • Dorothy Ann, 8
  • Doris Joan, 7
  • Emily, 6
  • Dale, 5
  • Vernon, 4
  • Barbara, 3
  • Johnny, 2
  • Bruce, baby

What do you think the other three were named? (I have no idea about the genders.)

Which of the 15 names above is your favorite?

Source: “Mother Carey Has 18 Children Born in 18 Years.” Robesonian 16 Jan. 1951: 1.

Image: Ein Kinderfest (1868) by Ludwig Knaus

London babies named for the Boer War

British infantry, Second Boer War

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the two wars were fought in South Africa between the British and the Boers. During the Second Boer War (1899–1902), certain patriotic London parents gave their children names “commemorative of our great generals and victories in South Africa.” Here are some examples:

NameInspiration
James Albert Redvers Kirby
Audrey Buller Lily Wallace		Gen. Redvers Henry Buller
Hector Macdonald MatthewMajor-Gen. Hector MacDonald
Frank Kimberley StuckeySiege of Kimberley
Thomas Elands Laagte WilksBattle of Elandslaagte
Margaret Ellen Ladysmith AngramBattle/Siege/Relief of Ladysmith
Colenso Stuart Dudley MiddletonBattle of Colenso
James Spion Kop SkinnerBattle of Spion Kop

Babies were also named Frere (for Bartle Frere), Glencoe (for the Battle of Glencoe), Kitchener (for Field Marshal Herbert Kitchener), Mafeking (for the Siege of Mafeking), Pretoria, and Tugela (for the Battle of the Tugela Heights).

And, oddly enough, a few London babies were named Kruger for Paul Kruger, President of the South African Republic.

Source: “Boer War Babies.” Leader [Regina, Canada] 31 May 1900: 2.

Image: The Second Boer War, 1899-1902

Be on the lookout for Merida in 2012

The character Merida from the movie "Brave" (2012)
Merida from “Brave“

Here’s one to put on your calendars.

In June of 2012 — exactly a year from now — Pixar is planning to release its 13th feature film, Brave. The movie is a fairy tale set in Scotland. The protagonist, a red-haired girl named Merida, is both a princess and an archer.

As far as I know, Merida is not a traditional Scottish name. Mairead, Murron, Morag…these are Scottish. But not Merida. (Perhaps it’s a creative take on Mairead? If so, Mairead is a Scottish form of Margaret, meaning “pearl.”)

Anyway, the film looks cute. I have no doubt it will do well at the box office. And what happens then? First, a surge in the number of kids who want to take archery lessons. Second, and more importantly, bazillions of baby girls named Merida.

But that’s a long way off. As of right now, this name’s best year in the data was 1949 (with 13 baby girls), and its most recent appearance was 2002 (with 5 baby girls).

Do you like the name Merida? Do you think it’s the sort of name that could really take off in the U.S.?

Update, Apr. 2025: As expected, Brave did well at the box office, and, as a result, Merida re-emerged in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 2014: 103 baby girls named Merida
  • 2013: 110 baby girls named Merida
  • 2012: 19 baby girls named Merida
  • 2011: unlisted
  • 2010: unlisted

Sources: Brave – Pixar Animation Studio, Brave (2012 film) – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Screenshot of Brave

Baby name story: Seawillow

There’s a tiny community called Seawillow in Caldwell County, Texas.

How was Seawillow named?

The settlement was named for Seawillow Margaret Ann (Pipkin) Wells, who was born under a willow tree in 1855 after her mother was caught in a flood and rescued by family slaves. Seawillow taught school in Lockhart, married, and then moved with her family to the site that, at her husband’s suggestion, was named for her.

The profile of Seawillow Wells at FindAGrave.com offers more detail about the unusual circumstances surrounding her birth:

The day Seawillow was born there was a disastrous flood on the Neches River in Beaumont, TX. The Rev. John F. Pipkin and his pregnant 2nd wife, Amelia Rabb and some of the family slaves were swept along on a raft. Just before the birth of his daughter, a human chain was formed by the slaves to fasten the raft to a Willow tree. The Rev. looked up through the branches of the Willow tree and gave thanks to God for the safe delivery of his daughter in the midst of the flood water. Thus the name Seawillow.

The original Seawillow passed away in 1912, but her name lives on. It was passed down to many of her descendants (including one of her own daughters). Friends of the family have used the name as well.

P.S. Seawillow’s husband had the equally unusual first name Littleberry.

Sources: