Namewise

Cathrin vs Margaret

Cathrin 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.

  • Norway · Girls

    In 1992, Cathrin was ranked #498 and Margaret #560 among girls in Norway.

Cathrin and Margaret over time

Cathrin and Margaret appear together in 1 published list, across 27 years of shared records. Cathrin held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Margaret in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Margaret reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Cathrin in none. 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.

List by list

  • Norway · Girls27 shared years, 19631992

    Cathrin held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Margaret in 10.

    Highest recorded here: Cathrin #229 in 1971, Margaret #196 in 1965.

    The order changed in 1982: Cathrin moved ahead. In 1981 they stood at #523 and #497; by 1982 that had become #391 and #428.

    Most recent shared year, 1992: Cathrin #498, Margaret #560.

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

Side-by-side comparison of Cathrin, Margaret
FieldCathrinMargaret
Record typeOfficial statistical record (evidence-only)Editorially researched profile
Gender usagefemalefemale
MeaningNot yet recordedFrom 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.
OriginNot yet recordedGreek
PronunciationNot yet recorded/ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/
Syllables23
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageNOAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNorway · Girls #622 (1995)Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)40/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Cathrin does not have one recorded yet.
  • Cathrin has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Margaret.
  • A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Cathrin doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in NO.

How each name got here

Cathrin

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1963

    First recorded at #386 among girls in Norway in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Norway · Girls

  2. Highest recorded1963–1995

    Highest recorded position: #229 among girls in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1963–1995).

    Norway · Girls

  3. Most recent1995

    Most recently recorded at #622 among girls in Norway, in 1995.

    Norway · Girls

Margaret

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1964–2025

    Highest recorded position: #2 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2025).

    Republic of Ireland · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.

    Republic of Ireland · Girls