Margrethe
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Margrethe. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Margrethe today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Margrethe births was 1916 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Margrethe. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Margrethe. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1916
6 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1963 SSA rank
#7,234
Tracked since 1913
Census
Margrethe in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 170 people with the first name Margrethe, which placed it at #42,346 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#42,346
National first-name rank
People counted
170
170 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
90.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Margrethe
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Margrethe is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Margrethe described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Margrethe at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.0% · 153
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.5% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
Popularity
Margrethe: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Margrethe from the 1910s through to the 1960s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 16 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Margrethe remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Margrethe by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Margrethe during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Margrethe
The name Margrethe has its origins in the Greek language, derived from the word "margarites," which means "pearl." It is a feminine form of the name Margarita, which was initially popularized in the Middle Ages. The name's earliest known use dates back to the 4th century AD, when it was mentioned in various Christian texts and manuscripts.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Margrethe was Margrethe I of Denmark, who reigned as Queen of Denmark from 1375 to 1412. She played a crucial role in the Kalmar Union, which united the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden under a single monarch. Margrethe I is widely regarded as one of the most influential and powerful rulers in Scandinavian history.
Another notable figure was Margrethe II of Denmark, the current Queen of Denmark, who ascended to the throne in 1972. She is the longest-reigning monarch in Danish history and is widely respected for her dedication to her country and her people. Margrethe II was born in 1940 and has been a prominent figure in Denmark for over seven decades.
In the artistic realm, Margrethe Mather (1886-1952) was an American photographer and actress known for her pioneering work in the field of pictorial photography. Her photographs were celebrated for their innovative techniques and artistic expression, and she was a significant influence on the development of modern photography.
The name Margrethe also has literary connections. Margrethe Munthe (1860-1938) was a Norwegian author and playwright who wrote several novels and plays that explored themes of love, relationships, and societal norms. Her works were widely acclaimed and helped to establish her as a prominent voice in Norwegian literature.
Margrethe Vestager (born in 1968) is a contemporary figure who has made her mark in European politics. She is a Danish politician and the current Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, responsible for promoting Europe's digital future. Vestager has been a vocal advocate for fair competition and has played a key role in shaping the European Union's policies on technology and innovation.
Throughout history, the name Margrethe has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including politics, arts, and literature. Its Greek origins and the meaning "pearl" have added a sense of elegance and beauty to the name, making it a popular choice for parents across generations.
People
Margrethe + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Margrethe as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Margrethe: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Margrethe?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Margrethe going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Margrethe a common name?
We classify Margrethe as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 27 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Margrethe most popular?
The single biggest year for Margrethe was 1916, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Margrethe is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Margrethe in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 170 people with the name Margrethe, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #42,346 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Margrethe in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Margrethe?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Margrethe appears almost entirely female. Of the 175 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Margrethe?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Margrethe is White at 90.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (6.5%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Margrethe most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Margrethe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.0% (153 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Margrethe in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Margrethe a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Margrethe in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Margrethe still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Margrethe in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Margrethe can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people have the name Margrethe?
See how many Americans are named Margrethe on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.