| Margaret | Sarah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Pearl | Princess |
| Origin | Greek | Hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | MAR-gret | SAIR-uh |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1921 (28,468) | 1982 (28,483) |
| In 2025 | 2,436 | 2,710 |
| Trend | Steady | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Margaret | Sarah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 13,477 | 16,944 |
| 2010s | 20,036 | 46,657 |
| 2000s | 23,919 | 124,545 |
| 1990s | 31,294 | 224,423 |
| 1980s | 30,352 | 272,637 |
| 1970s | 31,947 | 118,823 |
| 1960s | 81,870 | 43,913 |
| 1950s | 149,582 | 39,966 |
| 1940s | 173,028 | 39,977 |
| 1930s | 157,369 | 36,513 |
| 1920s | 245,011 | 46,769 |
| 1910s | 189,234 | 38,120 |
| 1900s | 57,919 | 17,342 |
| 1890s | 37,937 | 17,154 |
| 1880s | 21,799 | 14,715 |
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.
Sarah is Hebrew for “princess” or “noblewoman.” In the Bible she is the wife of Abraham and a matriarch of Israel, renamed by God from Sarai.
Sarah is more popular than Margaret today: about 2,710 US babies were given the name Sarah in 2025, compared with 2,436 named Margaret.
Margaret means Pearl (Greek origin), while Sarah means Princess (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Margaret first appears in 1880 and Sarah in 1880, so Margaret has the longer recorded history.