Namewise

Cheryl vs Margaret

Cheryl 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 1973, Cheryl was ranked #84 and Margaret #81 among girls in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls

    In 1972, Cheryl was ranked #94 and Margaret #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls

    In 2017, Cheryl was ranked #873 and Margaret #165 among girls in Republic of Ireland.

  • England and Wales · Girls

    In 2025, Cheryl was ranked #4201 and Margaret #413 among girls in England and Wales.

Cheryl and Margaret over time

Cheryl and Margaret appear together in 4 published lists, across 101 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Cheryl 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, Cheryl 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

    Cheryl and Margaret changed places 4 times in New South Wales, Australia · Girls between 1952 and 1972, ending at #94 and #93.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 21 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Cheryl and Margaret averaged 8.0 places apart, ending at #94 and #93.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Cheryl and Margaret were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 34 years, from 1965 to 2017, ending at #873 and #165.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Cheryl #11 in 1952, Margaret #3 in 1952.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Girls34 shared years, 1965–2017

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 34.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #179 in 1989, Margaret #2 in 1965.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2017: Cheryl #873, Margaret #165.

  • England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 29.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #671 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Cheryl #4201, Margaret #413.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Girls21 shared years, 1952–1972

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Margaret in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #11 in 1952, Margaret #3 in 1952.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1972: Cheryl #94, Margaret #93.

  • New Zealand · Girls17 shared years, 1954–1973

    Cheryl held the stronger position in 3 of those years, Margaret in 14.

    Highest recorded here: Cheryl #51 in 1970, Margaret #3 in 1954.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 1973: Cheryl #84, Margaret #81.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Cheryl

Pairs where Cheryl shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Margaret

Pairs where Margaret shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — closest over the longest run.

All closest over the longest run→

Other pairs from New South Wales, Australia lists

Pairs measured inside New South Wales, Australia's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

New South Wales, Australia overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 1970s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 1970 and 1979.

The 1970s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Cheryl, Margaret
FieldCherylMargaret
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 usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationEngland and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025)Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)Not yet recorded90/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)88/10076/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Cheryl does not have one recorded yet.
  • Cheryl has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Margaret.
  • A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Cheryl doesn't have one written yet.
  • Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.

How each name got here

Cheryl

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1952

    First recorded at #11 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

  2. Highest recorded1952–1972

    Highest recorded position: #11 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1952 (recorded 1952–1972).

    New South Wales, Australia · Girls

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #4201 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · 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 #413 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls