Carol vs Margaret
Carol 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 South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1968, Carol was ranked #90 and Margaret #55 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1971, Carol was ranked #96 and Margaret #73 among girls in New Zealand.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 1998, Carol was ranked #351 and Margaret #155 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Carol was ranked #663 and Margaret #205 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2021, Carol was ranked #3519 and Margaret #419 among girls in England and Wales.
Carol and Margaret over time
Carol and Margaret appear together in 4 published lists, across 104 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Carol in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Carol 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Carol and Margaret changed places 4 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1971, ending at #96 and #73.
- Longest-running competitions
Carol and Margaret were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2010, ending at #663 and #205.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Carol #802 in 1996, Margaret #358 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2010
Carol held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 45.
Highest recorded here: Carol #34 in 1968, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2010: Carol #663, Margaret #205.
England and Wales · Girls24 shared years, 1996–2021
Carol held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 24.
Highest recorded here: Carol #802 in 1996, Margaret #358 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Carol #3519, Margaret #419.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 1954–1971
Carol held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Margaret in 16.
Highest recorded here: Carol #19 in 1957, Margaret #3 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Carol #96, Margaret #73.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls17 shared years, 1952–1968
Carol held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 17.
Highest recorded here: Carol #26 in 1952, Margaret #3 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1968: Carol #90, Margaret #55.
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 | Carol | 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 | Not yet recorded | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #2133 (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); Carol does not have one recorded yet.
- Carol has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Margaret.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Carol doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Carol
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #26 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1971
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1971).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #2133 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys
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