Margaret is an unusual name in that it has various diminutives that have seemingly little or nothing to do with the root. Whilst most names are shortened to their constituent parts (e.g. William, Will, Bill, Liam) Margaret’s diminutives are a little more unusual. These include:
- Pearl
- Daisy
- Peg
- Peggy
- Meg
- Moggy
- Marge
- Madge
- May
- Gretta
- etc
The last few are playful reductions of the name but the first two in particular seem unrelated until we look into the etymology of the name.
Margaret comes from the Greek word margarites meaning Pearl. This is also the root for Margarita and Margarite which are the Spanish and French words for Daisy.
The name Margaret appears to have been around from before the 3rd century AD (there is some evidence to suggest that various other forms existed prior to this) but was not popular in any form until the rise of reliquary in the medieval period and became a familiar name around the 14th century.
Margaret (in it’s many forms) has remained a popular name in Scotland which is often attributed to the importance of Saint Margaret (AKA Queen Margaret of Scotland AKA The Pearl of Scotland). Several other Margarets have also been canonised which has lead to the continued popularity of the name, in one form or another, across the world and particularly in the predominately catholic latin speaking countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please don your daisychain and raise a pearl-embossed glass of margarita to Margaret – a versitile and enduring epithet!
Dedicated to my Mother who passed away suddenly whilst on holiday in France.
Margaret Ann Kennedy (29 June 1948 – 25 July 2013) – Abitus sed non oblitus
Mr Kennedy's Commonplace Book 