Given name & surname
Marge
“resembling a pearl”·“the child of light”
Marge is a variant of Margaret. Interpretations include “resembling a pearl” and “the child of light”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Marge is a variant of Margaret. Interpretations include “resembling a pearl” and “the child of light”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Marge is an affectionate form of Margaret. Margaret has been associated with Greek and Hebrew naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Marge is a diminutive of Margaret. In English usage, Marge is an affectionate form of Margaret.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1889. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Marge through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,784
- 0 boys · 3,784 girls
- Most popular year
- 1941
- 114 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 1976. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 114 in 1941. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,993 as a first name in 2020; 138 as a surname in 2000.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Marge’s family of names
In English usage, Marge is a diminutive of Margaret. Marge has a related form in Marjorie. In English usage, Marge is an affectionate form of Margaret.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Marge has relatives in 4 languages.
5 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 3
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 3
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Marge
- Marge ChampionAmerican dancer and actress (1919–2020)
- Marge PiercyAmerican novelist and poet (born 1936)
- Marge RoukemaAmerican politician (1929-2014)
- MargeAmerican cartoonist (1904–1993)
- Marge RedmondAmerican actress and singer (1924-2020)
- Marge KotliskyAmerican actress (1927-1997)
- Marge KõrkjasEstonian Paralympic swimmer (born 1974)
- Marge SchottMajor League Baseball owner (1928-2004)
Characters named Marge: Marge Simpson (The Simpsons franchise).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Marge, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.