| Emily | Margaret | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rival; eager | Pearl |
| Origin | Latin | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | EM-uh-lee | MAR-gret |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1999 (26,542) | 1921 (28,468) |
| In 2025 | 5,451 | 2,436 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Emily | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 37,622 | 13,477 |
| 2010s | 117,646 | 20,036 |
| 2000s | 223,768 | 23,919 |
| 1990s | 237,262 | 31,294 |
| 1980s | 131,764 | 30,352 |
| 1970s | 46,839 | 31,947 |
| 1960s | 12,332 | 81,870 |
| 1950s | 12,839 | 149,582 |
| 1940s | 13,409 | 173,028 |
| 1930s | 11,916 | 157,369 |
| 1920s | 18,754 | 245,011 |
| 1910s | 17,069 | 189,234 |
| 1900s | 6,423 | 57,919 |
| 1890s | 5,476 | 37,937 |
| 1880s | 3,368 | 21,799 |
Emily comes from the Roman family name Aemilius, linked to “rival” or “eager,” via the Latin Aemilia. It is carried by the poet Emily Dickinson and the novelist Emily Brontë.
Margaret comes from the Greek margaritēs, “pearl.” Borne by saints and by queens across Europe, it has generated an unusually rich crop of nicknames, from Maggie and Meg to Peggy and Greta.
Emily is more popular than Margaret today: about 5,451 US babies were given the name Emily in 2025, compared with 2,436 named Margaret.
Emily means Rival; eager (Latin origin), while Margaret means Pearl (Greek origin).
In US records, Emily first appears in 1880 and Margaret in 1880, so Emily has the longer recorded history.