Fun Facts About the Name Maggie
- An established favorite: Maggie held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 31 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1910.
- More than 123 thousand babies named Maggie: U.S. records list 123,346 babies given the name Maggie from 1880 through 2025. Even 282 boys received the name Maggie - about 1 boy for every 436 girls.
What Does the Name Maggie Mean?
Maggie is an English diminutive of Margaret, and its established meaning is 'pearl.' The name Margaret came into English through Old French Marguerite, from Latin Margarita, from Greek margaritēs, 'pearl.' The Greek word supplies the immediate meaning; its deeper origin is uncertain, though it is often traced to an Iranian language. Maggie has no separate etymology of its own: it is formed from the shortened stem Mag- plus the English diminutive ending -ie, a pattern also seen in Margaret pet forms such as Meg and Peggy.
Maggie Name History & Origins
Margaret was widely used in medieval Europe, and it produced many familiar forms. Maggie is one of those forms, used in English and Scottish speech as a pet form of Margaret. The ending -ie is a diminutive suffix that became common in English; joined to the short stem Mag-, it produced Maggie. In time, Maggie also came into use as an independent given name in English-speaking countries, not only as a nickname for Margaret.
Literary works use a name that already existed as a pet form; they are not its origin. Maggie Tulliver is the central character in George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss (1860), and Maggie Johnson is the title character in Stephen Crane's Maggie: A Girl of the Streets (1893). The name also appears as a character name in Tennessee Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955).
How Popular is the Name Maggie?
Maggie remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1910. Its highest annual birth count was in 2007, and people born that year turn 19 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #294 | 1,041 | 0.0648% |
| 2024 | #300 | 1,051 | 0.0652% |
| 2023 | #319 | 976 | 0.0609% |
| 2022 | #295 | 1,074 | 0.0655% |
| 2021 | #285 | 1,121 | 0.0684% |
| 2020 | #293 | 1,090 | 0.0675% |
| 2019 | #295 | 1,135 | 0.0677% |
| 2018 | #294 | 1,128 | 0.0663% |
| 2017 | #248 | 1,287 | 0.0746% |
| 2016 | #242 | 1,324 | 0.0747% |
| 2015 | #241 | 1,338 | 0.0750% |
| 2014 | #238 | 1,355 | 0.0759% |
| 2013 | #232 | 1,385 | 0.0789% |
| 2012 | #247 | 1,308 | 0.0743% |
| 2011 | #230 | 1,389 | 0.0790% |
| 2010 | #225 | 1,409 | 0.0793% |
| 2009 | #233 | 1,426 | 0.0776% |
| 2008 | #214 | 1,607 | 0.0850% |
| 2007 | #181 | 1,874 | 0.0975% |
| 2006 | #189 | 1,853 | 0.0975% |
| 2005 | #210 | 1,658 | 0.0897% |
| 2004 | #205 | 1,631 | 0.0888% |
| 2003 | #188 | 1,718 | 0.0940% |
| 2002 | #190 | 1,697 | 0.0944% |
| 2001 | #181 | 1,819 | 0.1010% |
| 2000 | #198 | 1,614 | 0.0889% |
| 1999 | #224 | 1,423 | 0.0802% |
| 1998 | #248 | 1,238 | 0.0701% |
| 1997 | #277 | 1,054 | 0.0606% |
| 1996 | #256 | 1,103 | 0.0629% |
| 1995 | #250 | 1,137 | 0.0647% |
| 1994 | #233 | 1,225 | 0.0686% |
| 1993 | #281 | 984 | 0.0544% |
| 1992 | #271 | 1,040 | 0.0564% |
| 1991 | #296 | 937 | 0.0500% |
| 1990 | #288 | 958 | 0.0505% |
| 1989 | #308 | 840 | 0.0456% |
| 1988 | #281 | 888 | 0.0499% |
| 1987 | #279 | 877 | 0.0504% |
| 1986 | #296 | 828 | 0.0483% |
| 1985 | #265 | 945 | 0.0549% |
| 1984 | #286 | 843 | 0.0501% |
| 1983 | #314 | 738 | 0.0442% |
| 1982 | #383 | 602 | 0.0356% |
| 1981 | #440 | 487 | 0.0292% |
| 1980 | #463 | 460 | 0.0277% |
| 1979 | #439 | 469 | 0.0292% |
| 1978 | #532 | 342 | 0.0223% |
| 1977 | #473 | 410 | 0.0267% |
| 1976 | #470 | 404 | 0.0276% |
| 1975 | #461 | 409 | 0.0281% |
| 1974 | #498 | 353 | 0.0241% |
| 1973 | #505 | 341 | 0.0234% |
| 1972 | #648 | 236 | 0.0155% |
| 1971 | #716 | 212 | 0.0127% |
| 1970 | #808 | 172 | 0.0098% |
| 1969 | #789 | 170 | 0.0101% |
| 1968 | #751 | 175 | 0.0107% |
| 1967 | #660 | 211 | 0.0128% |
| 1966 | #740 | 178 | 0.0105% |
| 1965 | #756 | 175 | 0.0099% |
| 1964 | #653 | 245 | 0.0129% |
| 1963 | #606 | 273 | 0.0142% |
| 1962 | #614 | 267 | 0.0136% |
| 1961 | #571 | 308 | 0.0153% |
| 1960 | #535 | 325 | 0.0161% |
| 1959 | #523 | 346 | 0.0171% |
| 1958 | #560 | 305 | 0.0152% |
| 1957 | #559 | 296 | 0.0145% |
| 1956 | #555 | 287 | 0.0143% |
| 1955 | #486 | 348 | 0.0178% |
| 1954 | #481 | 346 | 0.0178% |
| 1953 | #465 | 336 | 0.0179% |
| 1952 | #425 | 407 | 0.0219% |
| 1951 | #425 | 387 | 0.0215% |
| 1950 | #383 | 444 | 0.0259% |
| 1949 | #385 | 420 | 0.0245% |
| 1948 | #353 | 483 | 0.0284% |
| 1947 | #347 | 528 | 0.0298% |
| 1946 | #350 | 469 | 0.0298% |
| 1945 | #326 | 440 | 0.0337% |
| 1944 | #296 | 516 | 0.0389% |
| 1943 | #291 | 566 | 0.0406% |
| 1942 | #289 | 546 | 0.0404% |
| 1941 | #277 | 539 | 0.0446% |
| 1940 | #278 | 512 | 0.0448% |
| 1939 | #260 | 567 | 0.0517% |
| 1938 | #262 | 580 | 0.0526% |
| 1937 | #251 | 634 | 0.0596% |
| 1936 | #242 | 662 | 0.0636% |
| 1935 | #240 | 686 | 0.0654% |
| 1934 | #233 | 729 | 0.0698% |
| 1933 | #233 | 677 | 0.0672% |
| 1932 | #224 | 734 | 0.0688% |
| 1931 | #222 | 742 | 0.0697% |
| 1930 | #216 | 794 | 0.0705% |
| 1929 | #212 | 859 | 0.0769% |
| 1928 | #198 | 1,020 | 0.0884% |
| 1927 | #188 | 1,090 | 0.0914% |
| 1926 | #189 | 1,092 | 0.0921% |
| 1925 | #179 | 1,215 | 0.0998% |
| 1924 | #181 | 1,259 | 0.1008% |
| 1923 | #176 | 1,248 | 0.1035% |
| 1922 | #170 | 1,313 | 0.1093% |
| 1921 | #173 | 1,300 | 0.1054% |
| 1920 | #172 | 1,299 | 0.1084% |
| 1919 | #155 | 1,428 | 0.1264% |
| 1918 | #158 | 1,394 | 0.1204% |
| 1917 | #161 | 1,268 | 0.1173% |
| 1916 | #157 | 1,277 | 0.1223% |
| 1915 | #150 | 1,269 | 0.1290% |
| 1914 | #141 | 1,055 | 0.1385% |
| 1913 | #127 | 1,019 | 0.1632% |
| 1912 | #115 | 1,013 | 0.1815% |
| 1911 | #111 | 822 | 0.1965% |
| 1910 | #95 | 940 | 0.2371% |
| 1909 | #98 | 794 | 0.2287% |
| 1908 | #95 | 772 | 0.2309% |
| 1907 | #91 | 846 | 0.2656% |
| 1906 | #84 | 839 | 0.2841% |
| 1905 | #84 | 809 | 0.2774% |
| 1904 | #81 | 805 | 0.2923% |
| 1903 | #80 | 780 | 0.2977% |
| 1902 | #78 | 853 | 0.3230% |
| 1901 | #80 | 746 | 0.3117% |
| 1900 | #75 | 1,045 | 0.3486% |
| 1899 | #70 | 814 | 0.3493% |
| 1898 | #72 | 876 | 0.3385% |
| 1897 | #75 | 760 | 0.3245% |
| 1896 | #69 | 871 | 0.3661% |
| 1895 | #67 | 890 | 0.3809% |
| 1894 | #66 | 895 | 0.4015% |
| 1893 | #64 | 886 | 0.4161% |
| 1892 | #64 | 883 | 0.4158% |
| 1891 | #60 | 841 | 0.4534% |
| 1890 | #61 | 891 | 0.4680% |
| 1889 | #61 | 825 | 0.4625% |
| 1888 | #57 | 882 | 0.4938% |
| 1887 | #55 | 740 | 0.5069% |
| 1886 | #53 | 756 | 0.5231% |
| 1885 | #51 | 716 | 0.5381% |
| 1884 | #48 | 749 | 0.5805% |
| 1883 | #49 | 663 | 0.5903% |
| 1882 | #50 | 627 | 0.5814% |
| 1881 | #51 | 532 | 0.5786% |
| 1880 | #46 | 582 | 0.6396% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | #13,260 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 2005 | #12,615 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2004 | #6,381 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1993 | #7,305 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #6,632 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1942 | #3,873 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1941 | #3,362 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1939 | #2,731 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #3,060 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1937 | #3,379 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1936 | #3,868 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #3,539 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1933 | #2,898 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1932 | #3,006 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1931 | #3,005 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1930 | #2,925 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1929 | #2,540 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1928 | #2,982 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1927 | #3,665 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #4,016 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #3,300 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #2,765 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1923 | #4,638 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #4,131 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #2,914 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1920 | #3,695 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1919 | #2,455 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1918 | #2,481 | 12 | 0.0012% |
| 1913 | #2,679 | 6 | 0.0012% |
| 1912 | #2,768 | 5 | 0.0012% |
| 1910 | #1,755 | 5 | 0.0026% |
| 1906 | #833 | 10 | 0.0075% |
| 1905 | #1,179 | 6 | 0.0045% |
| 1900 | #1,426 | 5 | 0.0033% |
| 1898 | #954 | 7 | 0.0057% |
| 1892 | #1,184 | 5 | 0.0041% |
| 1891 | #745 | 8 | 0.0079% |
| 1890 | #652 | 10 | 0.0090% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
