Name of the Day: Marjorie
She’s a nursery rhyme staple – and just might be ready for a revival.
Thanks to Lola for suggesting the Medieval Margery and JNE for nominating the Victorian Marjorie as Names of the Day.
Plenty of popular names appear in nursery rhymes – there’s Jack, of course, fellow water-fetcher Jill, Mary Quite Contrary as well as Polly, Peter, Tom, Simon and Cole.
Open any copy of Mother Goose, and odds are you’ll find “See Saw Margery Daw.” First published in the eighteenth century, odds are some version of the rhyme is far older – and, of course, all nursery rhymes invite ongoing debate about their true meanings.
Margery emerged in Medieval England. Thanks to a popular fourth century saint, Margaret – from the Greek margarites, pearl – was widely known in Europe. The French called her Marguerite; when they brought her to England, she became Margery. A Margaret in the official records might’ve been called Margery, but Margery herself became one of the more popular names for women of the era. Variant spellings were common, including Margerie.
Margery Kempe penned The Book of Margery Kempe all the way back in the early fifteenth century. It’s among the earliest first-person accounts written by a middle class woman in Europe – and perhaps the first European autobiography. She spent years on pilgrimmages to distant lands, providing plenty of material.
As for Marjorie, she’s the exact same name – but with a spelling influenced by marjoram, the herb.
The name rings royal thanks to the thirteenth century Marjorie of Carrick, mother of Scotland’s Robert the Bruce. Her granddaughter wore the name, too, as did a bunch of other nobly-born women.
The name’s popularity faded by the 1700s. When she was rediscovered in the nineteenth century, Marjorie was far more popular than her medieval predecessor. The connection to Margaret was all-but-erased, too.
A few literary notables wearing the name include:
- Velveteen Rabbit author Margery Williams;
- Crime writer Margery Allingham, best known for creating detective Albert Campion;
- Herman Wouk’s fictional Marjorie Morningstar, an aspiring actress who ends up becoming a Westchester housewife. The book was an instant bestseller back in 1955 and was adapted for the big screen just a few years later, with Natalie Wood in the title role. Like many a successful film, there’s often talk of a remake.
Sketch comedy Little Britain includes a character known as Marjorie Dawes; there’s also a Japanese anime character called Margery Daw. And silent film actress Margaret House used the stage name Marjorie Daw in the 1920s. And, of course, she of the blue-haired bouffant, Marge Simpson, is also a Marjorie.
Back in the 1920s, Marjorie reached as high as #16 in the US, and she spent 1904 through 1945 in the Top 100. But she disappeared from the rankings entirely after 1993. Margery has never fared as well, though she regularly appeared in the US Top 1000 until 1958.
Today, Marjorie just might be part of the next wave of retro chic baby names. With Hannah and Clara gone mainstream, perhaps some daring parents will dust off Marjorie.
Filed under: Literary Babes, Little Ruler, Medieval Monikers, Names for Girls, Names of the Day, Silver Screen | 19 Comments
Tags: Margaret, Margerie, Margery, Marguerite, Marjorie
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I had a great-aunt Margie, short for Marjorie and for that I will always love the name. Odds are I won’t ever use it, though. It still has an old lady vibe as opposed to an old-fashioned vibe, if you see the difference. I do prefer the J spelling. Margery looks like it’s pronounced MAR-ga-ree, whereas Marjorie’s pronunciation is quite clear to me.
Thanks for covering this name, Verity! This is a name I quite like, but I have a hard time with nicknames. Marge evokes Simpsons, I don’t much like Geri or its variants. I had a neighbor, Margaret, that went by Margie but with a hard ‘g’ and that is all old lady to me… with the soft g, Margie is still not quite right. Don’t like Jo which is an option with this spelling. Best I’ve come up with is Mara or Gigi, and Mara is probably more my thing. Marjorie has one big obstacle for me and that’s (surprise, surprise) my husband. Still, I keep putting her up for consideration on regular intervals. The name really pleases me, outside of the nickname issue… for me it is old-fashioned (rather than old lady), has the British connection, which I like, given my husband’s home country, and I think it has a quite sweet sound, without being little girl or saccharin. I’d love to hear any other possible nicknames if anyone is up for suggesting them. She is firmly on my list at this point.
I love Marjorie! And I had no idea the name was so old…
I think the nickname Jorie is cute (stress on the first sylable so the “jor” sounds sounds like the first part of Gorge).
I love Margery! Marjorie also delights me (as does Marjolaine).
I love Margery/Marjorie! It’s happy and sprightly. While it’s not at the top of our current list, I’d definitely consider it if I were to have enough daughters. Plus I have a very dear aunt named Margie (just Margie), but Margery would be a neat way to honor her.
JNE — Since Marjorie comes from Margaret, any of Margaret’s nicknames could work. Meg is my diminutive of choice (a la “Little Women”), but a Marjorie could certainly go by Maggie, Maisie, or Maj/Madge.
This name has always reminded me of the word margarine.
Margery’s my lovely cousin and I love the name! Sweetly feminine but not fluffy. Indeed, I’d call a Margery (or Marjorie) Daisy, Maisie or maybe even Pearl or Maggie. I agree with Emmy Jo, it’s a sprightly, happy name and I love Margery’s Medieval roots. Margery’s awesome. Marjorie’s the one that feels middle aged to me, I know a handful of women with that spelling who are fast approaching 60!
I love Marjorie! I had a high school teacher by that name who went by Marge and a girl a couple of grades ahead of me went by Margie, but I’ve always preferred the full name. I have such a good association with the name that I named the hard drive on my first computer Marge
I would love to meet a little Marjorie!
I knew a Marjorie – call Marj – who was in her late 60s when we met – and yet she was as stylish and smart as anyone I’d ever met. Nothing old lady about her, despite her year of birth!
She’s lent the name a certain trim appeal, and I do think the word “sprightly” is exactly right.
But the nickname thing is a possible issue – there’s always a challenge using a nickname that isn’t the obvious one. (Though I’m comfortable with pushing it, farther than most.) I love Gigi from Marjorie – and Jorie is a neat idea, too!
One of my mother’s best friends as I was growing up was named Marjorie. I had no clue the name had such a history, and always thought the name quintessentially American (I’m Canadian) because of my mother’s friend’s nationality and also because a book I’d read featured an American living in China who wished her name was “Marjorie” instead of Jean since she thought Marjorie sounded more American.
Ugh, sorry about the super-long sentence!
I went to school with a Marjorie but she always went by Jorie.
I’ve never ever considered Marjorie/ Margery at all, and I have to say, as I was reading this post, the appeal of her got higher and higher
For some odd reason she reminds me of jam and Britain, but she is quite feminine in a rather ‘reserved’ way, and very spritely indeed, as previously proposed!
She’s lovely
My husband’s aunt is called Margie, and for a few years I assumed it was short for Marjorie — but no, she’s just Margie. [Lovely woman, just turned 60 on Monday.]
I’ve always loved Margaret, and Margie as a nn is cute, but I’ve never warmed to Margery/Marjorie — the ‘jury’ sound puts me off.
i love the name Margerie! .. but spelt as ‘Margerie’, though. i think that particular spelling is the nicest, maybe it has something to do with the ‘ie’ at the end – that makes it a little more feminine, almost French, just in my opinion. i don’t think it’s too old fashioned, or old-lady like! in fact, i can see it in a classy young lady, a lady of a vintage, jazzy sort of nature. i could imagine a waitress in a small jazz cafe in the urban streets with brown shapely hair and a delicate figure serving weary gentlemen and women some well-brewed coffee during they’re lunch breaks. i could imagine a Margerie to be well-mannered but still a sharp and witty enough woman to be dangerously obscure at will, and at word play. cheeky, but elegant!
hrmm, or possibly i just have an overly vivid imagination.
My name is Marjorie! I go by M.J. instead, though. I was named after my grandmother! I didn’t have any idea it was such an old name, either. Going back to the Medieval times and all. It sounds interesting. Thanks for sharing! =]
my name is marjorie ! hihi
i have no idea that my name is so old .
but they say it is kind of unique ..
and they call me jorie .
its kind of pretty cool .
like a baby . haha
Jorie is a neat, modern nickname for such an old name – thanks for mentioning it!
..hi.. my name is MARJoRiE..
..JORIE and Majoe is my nickname..
..x) sHocks,,my name is so old..hehe
anY waY im proud that my nAme is Marjorie