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Maggie Names: Marigold, Magdalena, Marguerite

March 13, 2023 By appellationmountain 27 Comments

Maggie namesMaggie names range from the obvious Margaret to the well-why-not Marigold, with plenty of options in between.

As nicknames go, Maggie feels like a classic. It’s heard in nearly every era. There’s Dame Maggie Smith and Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May.” More recently, Maggie Q and Maggie Gyllenhaal are among many actors with the name. And that’s not counting fictional Maggies, like the youngest character on The Simpsons.

It might work independently, of course. In the 1880s, the US popularity charts list just Maggie as a Top 100 name.

But chances are that most Maggies have a formal name waiting. With so many options, it’s tempting to pair friendly, accessible Maggie with a surprising longer version.

If that idea appeals to you, this list of Maggie names is your starting point!

MARGARET

As as Elizabeth and Katherine, timeless Margaret is the obvious formal name for Maggie. And Maggie? It’s the go-to nickname.

Originally from the Greek word for pearl – margarites – Margaret has been worn by saints and queens, writers and politicians. In any field of endeavor, there’s an accomplished Margaret, and a surprising number of them answered to Maggie – at least at some point in their lives.

MADRIGAL

Move over Harmony and Cadence!  Madrigal makes for another musical name, this one from sixteenth century Italy. The term originally referred to a type of secular music. The connection to Encanto – it’s the magical family’s surname – helps, too.

MAGALI and MAGALIE

Originally an Occitan form of Magdalena, Magali/e seems like the most obvious of the Maggie names on this list – and yet both spellings are very rare in the US.

MAGDA

Another Magdalena nickname, Magda is heard mostly in German, Polish, and other parts of eastern Europe. But in English, Magda might be the full name and Maggie the short form.

MAGDALA

A place name from the ancient world, Magdala stood on the shores of the sea of Galilee. Mary Magdalene called it home – hence her name. Magdalene has been whispered down the alley into Madeline and Madelyn, but the original place name belongs with the Maggie names. It comes from a Hebrew word meaning tower.

MAGDALENA and MAGDALENE

Heard in Poland and Spain, Sweden and Croatia, this pan-European name borrowed from Magdala is an another appealing possibility.

MAGNOLIA

A fast-rising floral, Magnolia benefits from that -lia ending and lots of nicknames, including, of course, Maggie.

MAGNILDA, MAGNHILD, and MAGNHILDE

Like your names nearly extinct? Crushed that Matilda feels mainstream? Magnilda and Magnhilde come from Germanic elements meaning “mighty” and “battle.” It has history in Scandinavia, thanks to a nineteenth century Norwegian novel by the name.

MAGUIRE

If girls can answer to Mackenzie and Madison, why not Maguire?

MARGARETA and MARGARITA

The pizza and the drink make Margarita challenging in English, but it is the version of the name most common in Spanish, as well as several Slavic languages.

MARGALIT

Hebrew Margalit also comes from the Greek “pearl,” making it a cousin to Margaret and a possible formal name for Maggie.

MARGANITA

In Israel, Marganita refers to a flowering plant, and so fits right in with so many botanical favorites.

MARGOLIS

Like Maguire, Margolis is a surname name that ultimately traces its roots to margarites – pearl, just like Margaret.

MARGOT and MARGO

Ends-with-o names for girls are among the most vibrant choices in use today, and Margot is the grande dame – for many years, the only familiar choice ending with o for a daughter. Today Margot feels traditional, slightly bohemian, and terribly appealing. Few parents choose Margot to shorten it to Maggie, but the Margots themselves may choose to do so.

MARGUERITE

The French form of Margaret, elegant and rare.

MARIGOLD

Another name that’s just as vivacious and blooming as Magnolia, but even rarer, Marigold could shorten to Maggie – though Goldie and Mari might seem more obvious.

MARY AGNES and MARY AGATHA

Here’s an unexpected entry on the Maggie names list: any double name that includes a strong M and G sound, with an ‘a’ in there, too. Mary Agnes and Mary Agatha spring to mind, but possibilities abound. Mary Greta or Mae Gabrielle, maybe?

MEGAN

Like Margot, Megan evolved as a pet form of Margaret. We usually imagine it shortening to Meg, but it could just as easily be Maggie.

What are your favorite Maggie names?

First published on May 24, 2013, this post was revised substantially and re-published on May 27, 2021 and again on March 13, 2023.

formal names for Maggie formal names for Maggie formal names for Maggie

 

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Comments

  1. Jonquil says

    May 29, 2021 at 12:58 AM

    How’s this for something different, leading to Maggie or Margo? – the Hebrew name Marganita, a rare flower name..
    The famous British writer Marghanita Laski was given this name by her father, after the scarlet pimpernel flower he had seen growing in Israel.

    Reply
  2. Katy says

    May 17, 2018 at 7:19 PM

    My great grandmother was named Mary Agnes. I’ve always loved the combination!

    Reply
  3. Mrs. W says

    August 14, 2013 at 1:26 PM

    I just had a daughter in July and named her Magdalena. My husband really liked the NN Maggie but we didn’t want to get there from Margaret. My other top choice was Mary Agnes (Agnes is a family name for me) but it was “too Catholic” for my husband. So far we have been very happy with Magdalena.

    Reply
  4. Elizabeth says

    May 29, 2013 at 10:51 AM

    I also like Margot.

    Reply
  5. Elizabeth says

    May 29, 2013 at 10:48 AM

    I like Marigold, but I prefer Molly as a nickname.

    Reply
  6. Laney says

    May 29, 2013 at 8:58 AM

    I love Magdalena from this list, also Madalena which is very close. I love the nickname Maggie, but one of our cats is named Maggie (we call her Mags too sometimes) and I’m not crazy about Maddie.

    Reply
  7. Katybug says

    May 27, 2013 at 2:10 PM

    Marguerite and Mary Agnes are both family names, and I think they are both gorgeous. Great list–I would add surname Madigan (also in my family tree), and Margery/Marjorie.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 27, 2013 at 3:59 PM

      Good additions – thank you!

      Reply
  8. Sara A. says

    May 26, 2013 at 9:50 AM

    Margalit is a Hebrew name that’s gone out of style in Israel that works well here. It also means “pearl” and is pronounced Mar-GAH-leet.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 27, 2013 at 6:43 AM

      That’s a great addition to the list, Sara. Thank you!

      Reply
  9. Havoye says

    May 24, 2013 at 10:37 PM

    The ‘ag’ sound in Maggie does seem to be a turnoff to some people, although the hard G sound itself is present in some of the more popular names of today – Logan and Abigail, for instance. I think Maggie and Mags are cute nicknames, although I wonder if Greta or even Daisy, Peg or Meg wouldn’t be the trendier choice of nickname from Margaret these days.

    I like Marigold as a name, but the flower leaves me cold and I could never use it for that reason. I have the same problem with Zinnia and Dahlia – gorgeous names, uninteresting flowers (at least to me).

    I hope to see Megan make a resurgence some day; Meg is such a pretty nickname.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 27, 2013 at 6:48 AM

      I guess if you name your daughter Zinnia, you’re setting her up for a lifetime of receiving bouquets of zinnias. And certainly you know what your “congratulations on your new baby” flowers will be … Hmmm … It’s a good point. Is it enough to love the name, or do you have to love the blooms, too?

      Reply
  10. Megalady says

    May 24, 2013 at 5:34 PM

    Margaret is lovely. Sweet, mature. Magda is short and fun. Love Magdalena, one of my favorites along with Magnolia and Marigold.

    As for what I’d use… Maewyn Persephone Grace “Maggie Grace” has pretty much been “the name” for several years now.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 24, 2013 at 6:56 PM

      That’s such a gorgeous name!

      Reply
  11. Alexia Mae says

    May 24, 2013 at 4:43 PM

    What about Maggie as a nn for Pearl?

    Reply
  12. Julie says

    May 24, 2013 at 1:38 PM

    My cousin has a daughter who is just named Maggie. She was named after our Grandma Margaret, so I sort felt like that took Margaret out of the running for others in this generation. Despite that, I toyed with Marjolein or Marjolaine (the herb marjoram in Dutch and French) While Maggie isn’t an intuitive nickname, it would be one way to make the exotic names more approachable. With that in mind I could see Maggie as a nickname for Morgaine or Morgan.

    I really like the idea of a Mary Agnes going by Maggie!

    Reply
  13. Madelyn says

    May 24, 2013 at 1:15 PM

    I’m a Madelyn, who goes by Maddie, and I was often called Maggie by mistake. With that said, I’m not a huge fan of Maggie- maybe it’s my childhood annoyance at having to correct people, or maybe it’s the “ag” sound that really bothers me. I even crossed Agatha off my list because I was afraid of the nickname Aggie.

    I agree with Eva and would be more inclined to use Daisy, Greta, or Pearl.

    Reply
  14. Eva says

    May 24, 2013 at 11:23 AM

    Maggie is okay, that “ag” sound isn’t too pleasant I guess, though I do love Magali/Magalie. If it got more exposure somehow, I could definitely see it catching on as an alternative to Emily.

    If I ever used Margaret, I feel like there are much better nickname options than Maggie. I’d be more inclined to use Daisy, Margo, Greta, Mae, Maisie or even Meg.

    Reply
  15. C in DC says

    May 24, 2013 at 11:15 AM

    For a long time, I liked Madelyn Grace, nn Maggie. I dislike the nn Maddie. (Her sisters were to be Carolyn Ruth (Carrie) and Kathryn Drew (Kady).)

    Reply
    • Cat says

      May 19, 2018 at 2:27 PM

      Hmm..my sister is a Carolyn Ruth. Just goes by Carolyn. Thank God, too, because I ended up with a SIL named Carrie (not a nn). I’m a Catherine, and I think you and my parents would get along in name tastes. 🙂

      Reply
  16. Josie says

    May 24, 2013 at 10:16 AM

    So am I the only one who knows multiple Maggies that are Megans/Meghans/Meagans etc? (NOT Megs oddly) I don’t feel like Maggie ever went “away” style-wise, it only swapped forms of Margaret in the eighties?

    I’m oddly fond of Megan.

    I do adore Marguerite, Magnolia, and Marigold and consider them usable. Can’t get into Margaret at all.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 24, 2013 at 6:58 PM

      Interesting … I had Megan on the list initially, but thought it was a stretch. I’ve never known anyone who used Maggie as a nn for Megan, but I suppose it works.

      Reply
    • Megan Zimmer says

      October 29, 2016 at 12:12 AM

      My name is Megan actually and the only nickname I’ve ever had that was a play on my name was May-May from my grandpa, but I’ve always loved the name Maggie as a nickname.

      Reply
  17. Kristin says

    May 24, 2013 at 9:43 AM

    When just a girl, I dreamed of having a Margaret nicknamed Maggie. Then my father named not one, but TWO labrador retrievers Maggie. They still have the second Maggie. She turned 14 this spring, and has been the best dog. With that said, I’ll never have a Maggie, but I would love to meet a little Maggie, regardless of the full name. My favorites are Margaret, Marigold, Margot, Magdalene, and Mary Agnes/Agatha.

    Reply
    • appellationmountain says

      May 24, 2013 at 6:59 PM

      Oh dear – I can see that would take Maggie off the list!

      Reply
  18. Crystal says

    May 24, 2013 at 9:31 AM

    I adore the name Maggie. It has a sweet yet spunky feel to me. I have to say I like it best on its own though, which is unusual for me. It just feels more substantial to me than Maddy, Addy, or even Ellie. I do really like Magdalena and Magnolia but they would not work with a long surname and they just do not seem as usable to me as just Maggie does.

    Reply
  19. Nadia says

    May 24, 2013 at 8:35 AM

    After reading The Host, using Magnolia to get to Maggie seems very natural. I love Maggie for so many reasons! The only hurdle- my in-laws named their last calf Maggie… the one we ate! :/

    Reply

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