Margaret

Margaret f

English and Scottish: an extremely common medieval given name, derived via Old French Marguerite and Latin Margarīta from Greek Margarītēs, from margaron pearl, a word ultimately of Hebrew origin. The name was always understood to mean ‘pearl’ throughout the Middle Ages. The first St Margaret was martyred at Antioch in Pisidia during the persecution instigated by the Emperor Diocletian in the early 4th century. However, there seems to be some doubt about her name, as the same saint is venerated in the Orthodox Church as MARINA (SEE Marina). There were several other saintly bearers of the name, including St Margaret of Scotland (d. 1093), wife of King Malcolm Canmore and daughter of Edmund Ironside of England. It was also the name of the wife of Henry VI of England, Margaret of Anjou (1430–82), and of Margaret Tudor (1489–1541), sister of Henry VIII, who married James IV of Scotland and ruled as regent there after his death. In Scandinavia, the name was borne by one of the most powerful rulers in Scandinavian history, Queen Margareta (1353–1412), daughter of the Danish king Waldemar IV, wife of Haakon VI of Norway, and mother of Olaf V of both kingdoms. She effectively ruled Denmark and Norway as regent for her son Olaf and, after his death in 1387, for her greatnephew, Eric of Pomerania, adding Sweden to her empire in 1389. Margaret was also well established as a royal name in the Holy Roman Empire, France, Navarre, and Italy. In Britain in 1930 it was selected by the future King George VI and his wife for their second daughter, Princess Margaret Rose. See also MARGERY (SEE Margery), MARJORIE (SEE Marjorie).

Cognates: Latinate: Margaret(t)a. Irish Gaelic: Mairéad. Scottish Gaelic: Mair(gh)ead. Welsh: Mar(g)ed, Mererid. French: MARGUERITE (SEE Marguerite). Italian: Margherita. Spanish: Margarita. Porruguese: Margarida. German and Scandinavian: Margaret(h)a. German, Danish: Margaret(h)e, Margrethe. German (vernacular): Margrit, Margret; Meta. Dutch, Low German: Margriet. Scandinavian (vernacular): Margit; Marit (Norwegian, Swedish); Marete (Danish). Polish: Malgorzata. Czech: Markéta. Hungarian: Margit. Finnish: Marketta. Jewish (modern Hebrew): Margalit, Marganit, Marganita.

Short forms: English: Meg, Peg; Madge; Gretta. Spanish: Rita. German: Greta, Grete, Gritt(a), Grit. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Griet, Gre(e)t. Swedish: Maj, Greta. Danish: Grete.

Pet forms: English: MAGGIE (SEE Maggie), Meggie, PEGGY (SEE Peggy); Marge, Margie (informal); MAY (SEE May); See also DAISY (SEE Daisy). Scottish Gaelic: Magaidh, Peigi. Welsh: MEGAN (SEE Megan). French: Margot. German, Danish, Swedish: Meta. Low German, Dutch, Frisian: Grietje, Gre(e)tje. Polish: Malgosia, Gosia, Gośka.