UK girl's name
Margot
A feminine name of French origin meaning "pearl".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Margot is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Margot popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #28, with 1,243 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 1,243 births.
This profile covers 7,116 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
Margot is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 7,404 living people in the UK are called Margot. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Margot ranked #28 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 1,243 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 1,243 girls were registered as Margot.
- • Margot ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #55 in 2024.
- • About 7,404 living people in the UK are estimated to have Margot as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#28
2024
Births in 2024
1,243
Latest year
Peak year
2024
1,243 births
Estimated living
7,404
2026
Meaning
What does Margot mean?
The name Margot traces its origins back to the French form of the name Margaret, which itself is derived from the Greek name Margarites, meaning "pearl." The name gained popularity in France during the Middle Ages and was often associated with royalty and nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Margot can be found in the 13th-century French courtly literature, where it was used as a diminutive form of Margaret. The name was particularly popular among the French aristocracy and was borne by several notable historical figures.
In the 15th century, Margot de Valois, also known as Queen Margot, was a prominent figure in French history. Born in 1553, she was the daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. Her tumultuous life and marriages were the subject of numerous historical accounts and literary works, including the novel "La Reine Margot" by Alexandre Dumas.
Another famous bearer of the name was Margot Fonteyn, a renowned English ballerina who lived from 1919 to 1991. She was widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century and was particularly celebrated for her roles in the works of Frederick Ashton.
In the literary world, Margot Heinemann was a notable English author and literary critic who lived from 1913 to 1992. She was a pioneer in the field of feminist literary criticism and made significant contributions to the study of women's writing.
Margot Robbie, born in 1990, is a contemporary Australian actress who has gained international acclaim for her roles in films such as "The Wolf of Wall Street," "I, Tonya," and "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood." She has become a prominent figure in Hollywood and has been recognized with numerous awards and nominations for her performances.
Throughout history, the name Margot has been associated with a sense of elegance, refinement, and intellect. Its French origins and cultural significance have made it a popular choice across various regions and time periods, reflecting the enduring appeal of this beautiful and historically significant name.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Margot over time
The chart below shows babies named Margot registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Margot, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 1,243 births in 2024, compared with 1,243 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Margot by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Margot was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #54 | 4,622 | 5 |
| 2010s | #419 | 2,249 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1347 | 204 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1826 | 41 | 4 |
Geography
Where Margot is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Margot. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Margot ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #55 in 2024.
Across the UK
Margot in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#124 in 2024
13 years of NRS records, 198 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#55 in 2024
8 years of NISRA records, 121 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Margot
-
Margot James
businessperson; politician
British politician (born 1957)
1957-
-
Margot Livesey
writer; university teacher; novelist; essayist
Novelist, short story writer, essayist
1953-
-
Margot Wells
athletics competitor
British athlete
1952-
-
Margot Hilton
writer; biographer
Australian writer
1947-
-
Margot Parker
politician
UK politician (born 1943)
1943-
-
Margot Perryman
painter
British artist (born 1938)
1938-
-
Margot Sandeman
painter; sculptor
Scottish artist (1922–2009)
1922-2009
-
Margot Heinemann
writer
British writer
1913-1992
Related
Names similar to Margot
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Margot: questions and answers
How popular is the name Margot in the UK right now?
In 2024, Margot was ranked #28 for girls in England and Wales, with 1,243 births registered.
When was Margot most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 1,243 babies registered as Margot in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Margot?
A feminine name of French origin meaning "pearl".
How many people are called Margot in the UK?
A total of 7,116 babies have been registered as Margot across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 198 more in Scotland and 121 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Margot most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Margot ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #55 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.