Geraldine vs Margaret
Geraldine 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Geraldine was ranked #883 and Margaret #190 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2010, Geraldine was ranked #430 and Margaret #283 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Geraldine was ranked #5891 and Margaret #493 among girls in England and Wales.
Geraldine and Margaret over time
Geraldine and Margaret appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Geraldine in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Geraldine reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Margaret 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Geraldine and Margaret were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 51 years, from 1964 to 2021, ending at #883 and #190.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Geraldine #7 in 1965, Margaret #2 in 1965.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #9 and #3 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #883 and #190.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls51 shared years, 1964–2021
Geraldine held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 51.
Highest recorded here: Geraldine #7 in 1965, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2021: Geraldine #883, Margaret #190.
England and Wales · Girls25 shared years, 1996–2024
Geraldine held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 25.
Highest recorded here: Geraldine #848 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Geraldine #5891, Margaret #493.
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 | Geraldine | 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 | 4 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 70/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Geraldine does not have one recorded yet.
- Geraldine has 4 syllables, compared with 3 for Margaret.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Geraldine doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Geraldine
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #9 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2021
Highest recorded position: #7 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1965 (recorded 1964–2021).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
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 #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls