Margery
Margery was the 14304th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1921, when it ranked 280th with 564 babies. More babies were named Margery in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Marjorie) variant of Margery (Margaret), 'pearl' · English, Greek
- Rank in 2025
- #14,304 girls, down 3,491 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 6girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1921564 babies
- Total since 1880
- 15,791babies recorded
What does the name Margery mean?
Margery is a spelling of Marjorie, pronounced the same way, so it shares Marjorie's meaning and origin.
Marjorie is a variant of Margery, a medieval vernacular form of Margaret, as Wiktionary notes. Margaret comes from Greek margaritēs 'pearl'. Margery was common in medieval England and Scotland; Marjorie Bruce, daughter of Robert the Bruce, was the mother of the Stewart dynasty. The name was very popular in the US around 1920. It was also associated with marjoram, the herb, but that is unrelated.
Margery (Middle English, “Margaret”)μαργαρίτης (margaritēs) (Ancient Greek, “pearl”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Other explanations you may read: From the herb marjoram.
Related names: Margery, Margaret, Margie, Marge.
See also: Greek names, names that mean jewel.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Marjorie', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Margaret', DMNES (Durham University)
Margery popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #14,304 | 6 |
| 2020 | #10,813 | 9 |
| 2010 | — | — |
| 2000 | #11,400 | 8 |
| 1990 | #5,440 | 17 |
| 1980 | #3,571 | 23 |
| 1970 | #1,974 | 43 |
| 1960 | #1,208 | 82 |
| 1950 | #622 | 184 |
| 1940 | #461 | 212 |
| 1930 | #356 | 354 |
| 1920 | #283 | 534 |
| 1910 | #502 | 66 |
| 1900 | #565 | 38 |
| 1890 | #533 | 25 |
| 1880 | #660 | 8 |
How popular is Margery, counting every spelling?
Margery is a spelling of Marjorie, a name family that ranked #926 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #14,304 for Margery on its own. Together these spellings went to 266 girls in 2025.
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 Margery?
6 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Margery (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Margery 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 1,368 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Margery.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Margery?
About 4,300 people born in the US named Margery are alive today, with a median age of 75; half are between 65 and 82. That makes Margery a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Margery by state
How common Margery was among girls born in each state in 1919–1923, around its peak. It is notably more common than nationally in Oregon (3.9×), Colorado (3.2×), Nebraska (2.5×), Washington (2.4×), Iowa (2.4×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Margery: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Margery, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Margery
What does Margery mean?
Margery is a spelling of Marjorie, which means “variant of Margery (Margaret), 'pearl'” (English, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Margery?
Margery was the 14304th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 6 babies. Its best year was 1921, when it ranked 280th with 564 babies. More babies were named Margery in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Margery a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Margery in the US.
Where was Margery most popular?
In 1919–1923, Margery was most common in Oregon (1.64 per 1,000 girls), followed by Colorado and Nebraska.