Margaret vs Mariah
Margaret and Mariahcompared 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 2024, Margaret was ranked #181 and Mariah #898 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Margaret was ranked #350 and Mariah #350 among girls in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Margaret was ranked #413 and Mariah #1166 among girls in England and Wales.
Margaret and Mariah over time
Margaret and Mariah appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mariah in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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
Margaret and Mariah were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #413 and #1166.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Margaret held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Mariah in 1.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #357 in 2020, Mariah #402 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Margaret #413, Mariah #1166.
Republic of Ireland · Girls14 shared years, 1994–2024
Margaret held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Mariah in 0.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #45 in 1994, Mariah #425 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Margaret #181, Mariah #898.
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 Margaret
Pairs where Margaret shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.
- Margaret vs Pauline
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2018 they were #150 and #896.
Margaret · Pauline · 45 shared years, 1964–2018 · Started together, ended far apart
- Margaret vs Geraldine
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #9 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 6 places apart; by 2021 they were #190 and #883.
Margaret · Geraldine · 51 shared years, 1964–2021 · Started together, ended far apart
- Margaret vs Jacqueline
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #11 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 8 places apart; by 2025 they were #135 and #718.
Margaret · Jacqueline · 49 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
- Margaret vs Patricia
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #10 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 7 places apart; by 2025 they were #135 and #608.
Margaret · Patricia · 62 shared years, 1964–2025 · Started together, ended far apart
Side by side
| Field | Margaret | Mariah |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Greek | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑɹ.ɡɹɪt/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #1166 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Mariah does not have one recorded yet.
- Margaret has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Mariah.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Mariah doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
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
Mariah
Popularity journey
First recorded1994
First recorded at #502 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1994 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2002–2021
Highest recorded position: #339 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2002 (recorded 2002–2021).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #1166 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls