Anita vs Margaret
Anita and Margaretcompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Anita was ranked #99 and Margaret #80 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1973, Anita was ranked #90 and Margaret #81 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Anita was ranked #905 and Margaret #174 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Anita was ranked #430 and Margaret #283 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Anita was ranked #379 and Margaret #522 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Anita was ranked #2278 and Margaret #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Anita and Margaret over time
Anita and Margaret appear together in 4 published lists, across 145 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Anita in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Anita in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Anita and Margaret were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #2278 and #413.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls53 shared years, 1964–2022
Anita held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 53.
Highest recorded here: Anita #74 in 1976, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Anita #905, Margaret #174.
Norway · Girls52 shared years, 1945–2023
Anita held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Margaret in 1.
Highest recorded here: Anita #4 in 1963, Margaret #108 in 1953.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Anita #379, Margaret #522.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Anita held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 30.
Highest recorded here: Anita #436 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Anita #2278, Margaret #413.
New Zealand · Girls10 shared years, 1968–1984
Anita held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Margaret in 5.
Highest recorded here: Anita #71 in 1973, Margaret #58 in 1968.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Anita #99, Margaret #80.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Anita | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | From Latin Margarita, from Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl' — likely originally borrowed from an Indo-Iranian language. Associated with Saint Margaret, a 4th-century martyr and patron saint of expectant mothers. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ | |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #459 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Anita does not have one recorded yet.
- Anita and Margaret both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Anita doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Anita
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #162 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #4 among girls in Norway, in 1963 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2278 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Margaret
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #173 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls