Margot
Meaning
pearl; nickname-style for Margaret
Say it: MAR-goh
The story
Margot is a French short form of Marguerite, itself related to Margaret and the Greek word for pearl. The name's most famous trick is visible rather than audible: the final t is normally silent in French. That quiet letter keeps the history on the page while the spoken name remains smooth and compact. Margot has moved easily between court, stage, and screen. Marguerite de Valois, the sixteenth-century French queen later called La Reine Margot, supplied history and legend; British ballerina Margot Fonteyn gave the name disciplined grace in the twentieth century. Neither bearer defines it, but together they show how two syllables can feel both lively and composed. Mar and Margo are possible everyday forms, although many people prefer the complete French shape. The pearl meaning adds luster without turning the name delicate. Margot's real charm lies in restraint: a long European name family folded neatly, one consonant written and withheld, and an effect that is elegant without demanding an elaborate pronunciation.
The formal names behind Margot
Margot is an established short form of each of these names.
Margaret · Greek origin · pearl
Marguerite · French origin · pearl, daisy flower
Margot around the world
One shared root links 17 names across 7 languages.
Shared root: from Greek margarites "pearl", by way of Latin Margarita
The constellation
13 more branches of this family
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Margot peaked in the 2020s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
835 people · the #9,364 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 250,000 · median age 57
Among people named Margot living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1960s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 130 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Margot
Most people given the name Margot in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Margot deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Margot truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Margot fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Names like Margot · Middle names for Margot · British and London baby names
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