Margaret vs Pauline
Margaret and Paulinecompared 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 1966, Margaret was ranked #34 and Pauline #86 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1971, Margaret was ranked #73 and Pauline #86 among girls in New Zealand.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2018, Margaret was ranked #150 and Pauline #896 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2023, Margaret was ranked #522 and Pauline #395 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Margaret was ranked #413 and Pauline #4201 among girls in England and Wales.
Margaret and Pauline over time
Margaret and Pauline appear together in 5 published lists, across 129 years of shared records. Margaret held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Pauline in 1.
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 3 of those lists, Pauline 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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Margaret and Pauline changed places 7 times in Norway · Girls between 1946 and 2023, ending at #522 and #395.
- Longest-running competitions
Margaret and Pauline were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 45 years, from 1964 to 2018, ending at #150 and #896.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New South Wales, Australia · Girls within 2 years — Margaret #3 in 1952, Pauline #52 in 1954.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #3 and #12 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 9 places apart; by 2018 they were #150 and #896.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls45 shared years, 1964–2018
Margaret held the stronger position in 45 of those years, Pauline in 0.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #2 in 1965, Pauline #12 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2018: Margaret #150, Pauline #896.
England and Wales · Girls28 shared years, 1996–2025
Margaret held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Pauline in 0.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #357 in 2020, Pauline #1076 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Margaret #413, Pauline #4201.
Norway · Girls23 shared years, 1946–2023
Margaret held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Pauline in 12.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #108 in 1953, Pauline #280 in 2007.
The order changed in 1994: Pauline moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #560 and #565; by 1994 that had become #528 and #343.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Margaret #522, Pauline #395.
New Zealand · Girls18 shared years, 1954–1971
Margaret held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Pauline in 0.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #3 in 1954, Pauline #31 in 1955.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1971: Margaret #73, Pauline #86.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls15 shared years, 1952–1966
Margaret held the stronger position in 15 of those years, Pauline in 0.
Highest recorded here: Margaret #3 in 1952, Pauline #52 in 1954.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1966: Margaret #34, Pauline #86.
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 | Margaret | Pauline |
|---|---|---|
| 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/ | |
| 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, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #135 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Margaret has a recorded origin (Greek); Pauline does not have one recorded yet.
- Margaret and Pauline both have 3 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Margaret; Pauline doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.
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
Pauline
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #396 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2018
Highest recorded position: #12 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2018).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4201 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls