Maggie
Maggie was the 294th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,041 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 46th; the most babies were born in 2007 (1,874). Over the last ten years it has moved down 53 places. More babies were named Maggie in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Margaret ('pearl') · English, Greek
Say it MAG-ee /ˈmæɡi/
- Rank in 2025
- #294 girls, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 1,041girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20071,874 babies
- Total since 1880
- 123,360babies recorded
What does the name Maggie mean?
Maggie is a pet form of Margaret, made from the first syllable and the -ie ending. DMNES derives Margaret from Greek margarítēs, "pearl", probably from an eastern source, and notes that the cult of Saint Margaret kept the name popular in medieval England and France. Maggie has long been used on its own as well.
μαργαρίτης (Ancient Greek, “pearl”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Margaret, Meg, Maisie, Margie.
See also: Greek names, names that mean jewel.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Maggie', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Margaret', DMNES, Durham University
Maggie popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 282 since 1890.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #294 | 1,041 |
| 2020 | #293 | 1,091 |
| 2010 | #225 | 1,409 |
| 2000 | #198 | 1,614 |
| 1990 | #288 | 958 |
| 1980 | #463 | 460 |
| 1970 | #808 | 172 |
| 1960 | #535 | 325 |
| 1950 | #383 | 444 |
| 1940 | #278 | 511 |
| 1930 | #216 | 794 |
| 1920 | #172 | 1,299 |
| 1910 | #95 | 940 |
| 1900 | #75 | 1,045 |
| 1890 | #61 | 891 |
| 1880 | #46 | 582 |
How popular is Maggie, counting every spelling?
Maggie is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #315 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #294 for Maggie on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,047 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maggie | 1,041 | #294 | 5,275 |
| Maggy | 6 | #14,277 | 27 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Maggie?
1,041 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Maggie (0.29 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Maggie born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 8 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Maggie.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Maggie?
About 66,500 people born in the US named Maggie are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 15 and 40. That makes Maggie mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Maggie by state
How common Maggie was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arkansas (3.8×), Maine (3.2×), West Virginia (3.2×), Mississippi (3.2×), Montana (3.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Nevada, California, Florida.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Maggie: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Maggie, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Maggie · Sibling names for Maggie
Maggie is also a nickname for Margaret, Magnolia, Magdalena and Margarita.
Questions about the name Maggie
What does Maggie mean?
Maggie means “pet form of Margaret ('pearl')” (English, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Maggie?
Maggie was the 294th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 1,041 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 46th; the most babies were born in 2007 (1,874). Over the last ten years it has moved down 53 places. More babies were named Maggie in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Maggie a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Maggie in the US.
Where is Maggie most popular?
In 2021–2025, Maggie was most common in Arkansas (2.50 per 1,000 girls), followed by Maine and West Virginia.