| Katherine | Margaret | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pure | Pearl |
| Origin | Greek | Greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | KATH-rin | MAR-gret |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1990 (11,625) | 1921 (28,468) |
| In 2025 | 1,670 | 2,436 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Katherine | Margaret |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 10,675 | 13,477 |
| 2010s | 34,144 | 20,036 |
| 2000s | 65,356 | 23,919 |
| 1990s | 96,885 | 31,294 |
| 1980s | 99,175 | 30,352 |
| 1970s | 54,048 | 31,947 |
| 1960s | 50,619 | 81,870 |
| 1950s | 66,855 | 149,582 |
| 1940s | 39,912 | 173,028 |
| 1930s | 25,193 | 157,369 |
| 1920s | 42,745 | 245,011 |
| 1910s | 36,884 | 189,234 |
| 1900s | 12,105 | 57,919 |
| 1890s | 9,408 | 37,937 |
| 1880s | 6,922 | 21,799 |
Katherine comes from the Greek Aikaterine, of debated origin, long associated with katharos, “pure.” A name of saints, empresses and queens, it offers an unusual wealth of nicknames.
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.
Margaret is more popular than Katherine today: about 2,436 US babies were given the name Margaret in 2025, compared with 1,670 named Katherine.
Katherine means Pure (Greek origin), while Margaret means Pearl (Greek origin).
In US records, Katherine first appears in 1880 and Margaret in 1880, so Katherine has the longer recorded history.