Heather vs Margaret
Heather 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 1969, Heather was ranked #94 and Margaret #62 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1976, Heather was ranked #86 and Margaret #88 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Heather was ranked #325 and Margaret #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2007, Heather was ranked #351 and Margaret #223 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Heather was ranked #351 and Margaret #244 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Heather was ranked #792 and Margaret #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Heather and Margaret over time
Heather and Margaret appear together in 5 published lists, across 144 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Heather 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 4 of those lists, Heather 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
Heather and Margaret changed places 5 times in New Zealand · Girls between 1954 and 1976, ending at #86 and #88.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New Zealand · Girls, Heather and Margaret averaged 9.3 places apart, ending at #86 and #88.
- Longest-running competitions
Heather and Margaret were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #792 and #413.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Heather #44 in 1954, Margaret #3 in 1952.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Heather held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Margaret in 55.
Highest recorded here: Heather #83 in 2003, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heather #325, Margaret #135.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Heather held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Margaret in 16.
Highest recorded here: Heather #78 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order changed in 2010: Margaret moved ahead. In 2009 they stood at #438 and #469; by 2010 that had become #559 and #505.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Heather #792, Margaret #413.
New Zealand · Girls23 shared years, 1954–1976
Heather held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Margaret in 14.
Highest recorded here: Heather #15 in 1955, Margaret #3 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1976: Heather #86, Margaret #88.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls18 shared years, 1952–1969
Heather held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Margaret in 18.
Highest recorded here: Heather #44 in 1954, Margaret #3 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1969: Heather #94, Margaret #62.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1997–2007
Heather held the stronger position in 4 of those years, Margaret in 7.
Highest recorded here: Heather #166 in 2003, Margaret #119 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2007: Heather #351, Margaret #223.
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 | Heather | 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, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #325 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 82/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Heather does not have one recorded yet.
- Heather has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Margaret.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Heather doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Heather
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #45 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 recorded1954–1983
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1983).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #792 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