Jennifer vs Margaret
Jennifer 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 1974, Jennifer was ranked #10 and Margaret #93 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1984, Jennifer was ranked #18 and Margaret #80 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Jennifer was ranked #413 and Margaret #135 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jennifer was ranked #384 and Margaret #244 among girls in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Jennifer was ranked #354 and Margaret #418 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Jennifer was ranked #650 and Margaret #413 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2020, Jennifer was ranked #493 and Margaret #455 among girls in Norway.
Jennifer and Margaret over time
Jennifer and Margaret appear together in 6 published lists, across 193 years of shared records. Jennifer held the stronger position in more years in 6 of them, Margaret in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 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, Jennifer in 2. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1955, Jennifer moved ahead of Margaret in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #4 and #3 the year before became #2 and #4.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Jennifer and Margaret changed places 4 times in Northern Ireland · Girls between 1997 and 2022, ending at #354 and #418.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 23 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Jennifer and Margaret averaged 29.6 places apart, ending at #10 and #93.
- Longest-running competitions
Jennifer and Margaret were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #650 and #413.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Jennifer held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Margaret in 25.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #4 in 1981, Margaret #2 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jennifer #413, Margaret #135.
Norway · Girls33 shared years, 1946–2020
Jennifer held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Margaret in 9.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #192 in 1985, Margaret #122 in 1956.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Jennifer #493, Margaret #455.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Jennifer held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Margaret in 5.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #54 in 1996, Margaret #357 in 2020.
The order changed in 2025: Margaret moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #483 and #493; by 2025 that had become #650 and #413.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Jennifer #650, Margaret #413.
New Zealand · Girls24 shared years, 1954–1984
Jennifer held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Margaret in 3.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #4 in 1957, Margaret #3 in 1954.
The order changed in 1957: Jennifer moved ahead. In 1956 they stood at #6 and #5; by 1957 that had become #4 and #5.
Most recent shared year, 1984: Jennifer #18, Margaret #80.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls23 shared years, 1952–1974
Jennifer held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Margaret in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #1 in 1956, Margaret #3 in 1952.
The order changed in 1955: Jennifer moved ahead. In 1954 they stood at #4 and #3; by 1955 that had become #2 and #4.
Most recent shared year, 1974: Jennifer #10, Margaret #93.
Northern Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1997–2022
Jennifer held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Margaret in 2.
Highest recorded here: Jennifer #55 in 1997, Margaret #119 in 2000.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Jennifer #354, Margaret #418.
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 | Jennifer | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | From a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar (Guinevere), combining 'gwyn' and 'hwyfar'. Confined mainly to Cornwall until George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play The Doctor's Dilemma sparked wider adoption. | 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 | Welsh, via Cornish transmission | Greek |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪ.fəɹ/ | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #413 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 76/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jennifer is recorded with a Welsh, via Cornish transmission origin, while Margaret is recorded with a Greek origin.
- Jennifer and Margaret both have 3 syllables.
- Jennifer's recorded meaning differs from Margaret's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Jennifer
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #331 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1952–2003
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1956 (recorded 1952–2003).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #650 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