| Margaret | Cynthia | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pearl | Moon goddess epithet |
| Origin | Greek | greek |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MAR-gret | SIN-thee-ah |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1921 (28,468) | 1957 (39,340) |
| In 2025 | 2,436 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Margaret | Cynthia |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13,477 | 1,855 |
| 2010s | 20,036 | 5,946 |
| 2000s | 23,919 | 15,172 |
| 1990s | 31,294 | 31,313 |
| 1980s | 30,352 | 41,666 |
| 1970s | 31,947 | 80,196 |
| 1960s | 81,870 | 196,597 |
| 1950s | 149,582 | 263,432 |
| 1940s | 173,028 | 58,061 |
| 1930s | 157,369 | 9,666 |
| 1920s | 245,011 | 3,661 |
| 1910s | 189,234 | 1,911 |
| 1900s | 57,919 | 694 |
| 1890s | 37,937 | 701 |
| 1880s | 21,799 | 582 |
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.
Cynthia is from Greek Kynthia, an epithet of Artemis meaning 'from Mount Cynthus,' her birthplace on Delos. The moon association comes because Artemis (and Selene) were called Cynthia; it is cultural, not a literal 'moon' etymology.
Margaret is more popular than Cynthia today: about 2,436 US babies were given the name Margaret in 2025, compared with 0 named Cynthia.
Margaret means Pearl (Greek origin), while Cynthia means Moon goddess epithet (greek origin).
In US records, Margaret first appears in 1880 and Cynthia in 0, so Cynthia has the longer recorded history.