Margo
Margo was the 559th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 540 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 295th; the most babies were born in 1954 (715). Over the last ten years it has moved up 718 places. More babies were named Margo in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pearl (via Margot, a form of Margaret) · Greek, French
Say it MAR-goh /ˈmɑrɡoʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #559 girls, up 206 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 540girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1954715 babies
- Total since 1880
- 27,242babies recorded
What does the name Margo mean?
Margo is a phonetic spelling of Margot, the French pet form of Marguerite, which is French for Margaret. DMNES records Margot beside Marguerite in Paris records of 1313. Margaret comes through Latin Margarita from Greek margaritēs, pearl, a word Wiktionary traces further back to an Indo-Iranian source. Wiktionary ties the name's spread to the early martyr Saint Margaret the Virgin, and DMNES lists many saints and queens called Margaret. English speakers drop the silent French t, so Margo and Margot sound the same.
μαργαρίτης (Ancient Greek, “pearl”)Margot (French, “pet form of Marguerite”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Margot, Margaret, Marguerite, Margaux, Maggie.
See also: Greek names, names that mean jewel.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Margo' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Margot' (English section), 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)
Margo popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 34 since 1941.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #559 | 540 |
| 2020 | #765 | 356 |
| 2010 | #2,332 | 82 |
| 2000 | #1,669 | 106 |
| 1990 | #1,136 | 153 |
| 1980 | #918 | 164 |
| 1970 | #608 | 286 |
| 1960 | #479 | 422 |
| 1950 | #313 | 615 |
| 1940 | #381 | 304 |
| 1930 | #939 | 61 |
| 1920 | #1,494 | 30 |
| 1910 | #1,309 | 13 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Margo, counting every spelling?
Margo is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #446 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #559 for Margo on its own. Together these spellings went to 731 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margo | 540 | #559 | 2,597 |
| Margaux | 191 | #1,199 | 978 |
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 Margo?
540 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Margo (0.15 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Margo 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 16 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Margo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Margo?
About 21,800 people born in the US named Margo are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 25 and 72. That makes Margo a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Margo by state
How common Margo was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nebraska (3.5×), Minnesota (3.1×), Utah (2.9×), Iowa (2.5×), Michigan (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in South Carolina, Mississippi, New Jersey.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Margo: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Margo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Margo · Sibling names for Margo
Questions about the name Margo
What does Margo mean?
Margo means “pearl (via Margot, a form of Margaret)” (Greek, French origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Margo?
Margo was the 559th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 540 babies. Its best year was 1951, when it ranked 295th; the most babies were born in 1954 (715). Over the last ten years it has moved up 718 places. More babies were named Margo in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Margo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Margo in the US.
Where is Margo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Margo was most common in Nebraska (1.11 per 1,000 girls), followed by Minnesota and Utah.