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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Margaret?

74 replies

HereThereMer · 05/05/2026 20:23

I love Margaret (and it's a name that DH and I agree on), but my parents and in-laws are not so keen. It's been called old-fashioned, ugly, frumpy. Margaret Thatcher has been mentioned. My mum has even said that she will hate her name once she's a teen. Whilst I recognise that this is a possibility, it doesn't dissuade me. My opinion is that most, if not all, people have disliked their own name and wished that their parents had called them a different name at some point. There are all sorts of reasons that people hate their name (too common, too unusual, too long, too short, too old-fashioned, too modern, too hard to spell, too hard to pronounce). It is not certain that our child will like any name (even if not Margaret) that we have chosen in the future. Am I wrong? Thoughts?

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Megsdaughter · 06/05/2026 15:48

DM was Margaret and DNiece who was born 2 weeks after she died had it as her middle name. DN now at 22 uses it instead of her first name. Like DM insists on the full name no nickname.

ScruffMuffin · 06/05/2026 15:39

Great name, which will come back into fashion eventually. Plenty of diminutives too, if you like that kind of thing. I like Gretel for a little girl.

Peregrina · 06/05/2026 07:28

I think of Princess Margaret before Thatcher.

And in her youth Princess Margaret was very glamourous

PrancerandDancer · 06/05/2026 07:27

I have a Maggie (now 9)

We had a couple of comments about MT when she was born but mainly positive comments on her name.

She really suits it now. Ironically, she is just Maggie but we call her Margaret as a nickname 🙈 mainly when she's been cheeky!

thornbury · 06/05/2026 07:19

My mother's middle name (she's 80) and my goddaughter is Maggie. Classic but not dated, I think.

Nushi21 · 06/05/2026 07:18

It’s your baby at the end of the day. I personally think this is taking old names to another level. Some should stay in the past.
If you are going to shorten it to Maggie, Meg and the other choices people then that defeats the whole purpose of the name Margaret.
Most people will automatically relate the name to someone they know like me with the ex prime minister and also a racist woman I used to work with for 5 years. But your baby and her generation won’t know who that is or know of any evil Margarets😂😂😂😂😂😂

Cantthinkofannewname · 06/05/2026 07:09

Dyoulikeyourname · 05/05/2026 22:49

I quite like it, but I can imagine it might be a name that stands out as a bit dated, and hard for a girl if this generation to wear.
The nicknames are all brilliant though, so much choice! I would use Maggie or Daisy.

None of my DD's friends have any clue it's dated, and her teachers etc. aren't exactly going to hold it against her!

ArtemisNutella · 06/05/2026 02:26

I love the name Margaret! I always thought it sounded classic and graceful. I think of Princess Margaret before Thatcher. I love Meg or Margo as a nickname. Your parents don’t get a say in the naming, and anyone can dislike their own name for any reason.

LivingTheDreamish · 06/05/2026 01:59

I like it but only with Meg or Maggie as nicknames otherwise it is a bit frumpy.

SwedishEdith · 06/05/2026 01:02

I love the way everyone saying they like it because of the nicknames ie so you could be not Margaret. It's always been an old fashioned, stern, cold name to me.

Pistachiocake · 06/05/2026 00:55

There's many nicknames for it too-maybe more than most people think, which is nice as it gives you a choice.
I like it, but one of my favourite people in the world was called it.
Your family probably sees it as an "old" name but the old names have come around again, like Ava, Rose etc came into fashion again a few years back.

Magsbd · 06/05/2026 00:30

Margaret is my name and I hate it.

HotChocolateBubbleBath · 06/05/2026 00:22

I love it. I toyed with Dorothy for my DD but didn’t go for it, I wish I had. Lots of lovely diminutives for both too.

BeaLola · 06/05/2026 00:14

I once worked with an American lady called Spencer Margaret and really liked the combination - probably because she was so nice - i didn’t love either name on it’s own and to me Spencer was a boys name. But somehow Spencer Margaret worked.

I so like Margot more

Corvidsarethebest · 05/05/2026 23:41

I don't love it but I think if you knew a little Margaret it would grow on you.

I don't think Peggy or Peg is a cute name though, who wants to be called 'Peggy'! Or 'Peg'.

CoalTit · 05/05/2026 23:00

I know too many crotchety, miserable old Margarets to like the full name, but Margaret is like Elizabeth in that you can christen your daughter the full name, then decide on Peggy, Daisy, Rita, Meg or one of all the many other variants as the one you actually call her.
That sort of thing used to cause confusion in the past when people rang asking for Lisa, and you only knew the woman in question as Beth, but I think mobile phones have resolved that problem

MyDuvetDay · 05/05/2026 22:57

Oh I like Margaret, mainly because it has so many great nicknames: maggie, peggy, daisy, margie

aWeeCornishPastie · 05/05/2026 22:55

Please don’t

BooneyBeautiful · 05/05/2026 22:53

PinkCatCushion · 05/05/2026 20:28

It’s cool. I imagine some kind of strong, scientist.
Peggy is cute as a nickname.

Yes, DM was a Margaret, but usually called either Peg or Peggy.

Dyoulikeyourname · 05/05/2026 22:49

I quite like it, but I can imagine it might be a name that stands out as a bit dated, and hard for a girl if this generation to wear.
The nicknames are all brilliant though, so much choice! I would use Maggie or Daisy.

LadyGAgain · 05/05/2026 22:43

It’s about time it came back. Great name!

Scrumbless · 05/05/2026 22:26

My DM is a Margaret. She hates it.

CurlewKate · 05/05/2026 21:57

my mother wanted to call me Emily-but everyone told her it was old fashioned and frumpy…..When I called my dd Grace people said it was old fashioned and frumpy….. Classic names are cyclical!

WoahThreeAces · 05/05/2026 21:57

Oh! I met a tiny Margaret recently! She was so cute. She goes by Margie (Mar-jee) 😍

At first it was a bit odd to me as Margaret is the name of half the old women at my church 😆 but it really worked on little Margie. Great name!

Cantthinkofannewname · 05/05/2026 21:51

Name changed as am a frequent poster.
I have a Margaret who is 11, it's so unusual I am pretty sure someone will recognise us! There were only 83 born in the UK in her year of birth.
When she was born we named her after a family member but Thatcher was in the back of her mind. Now however it is just her - it's become her not anyone else.
There are lots of older ladies with the name and they are all delighted to meet a young Margaret.
She doesn't use a nickname but she knows there are a few (she doesn't believe me when I tell her Peggy is one!).
Other adults with kids the same age often mishear and she's often called Margot or Madeleine. They seem surprised that it's Margaret but we love it and it's well known but unusual.
Another odd thing is that children have never heard it and it doesn't end -ie or -a so before they meet her lots don't know it's a girls name.