The baby name Margot had a presence in the 1930s and 1940s and has climbed even higher in popularity today.
Thanks to Asha for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
MARGARET AND MARGUERITE
Margaret is a familiar classic, derived from the Greek word margarites, meaning “pearl.” Through time it produced forms like Margalit and Margarita and, in French, Marguerite.
Margot developed as a diminutive of Marguerite.
Some sources credit Marguerite of Valois—who married King Henry IV of France in the late 16th century—with popularizing the nickname, but records show Margot in use at least a century before her birth. What’s clear is that the queen helped cement the nickname in history.
LA REINE MARGOT
The French queen was fashionable and well educated; she even wrote memoirs, an uncommon achievement for women of her era. Yet her life was entangled in the religious and political conflicts of the time. Her marriage was intended to secure a truce in the Wars of Religion, but it generated controversy, scandal, and political rivalry.
Marguerite appears in history as an intelligent and capable figure, though many portrayals emphasize the more scandalous aspects of her life. Alexandre Dumas père’s novel La Reine Margot is among the most enduring depictions and casts the queen in an unflattering light.
MARGOT FONTEYN
Despite mixed historical portrayals, the name persisted in France and beyond.
Dame Margot Fonteyn, the legendary English ballerina born in 1919, is one notable bearer. Though she initially used the stage name Margaret, she is remembered by her birth name. Fonteyn reached the height of her fame in the 1950s and achieved international acclaim when she partnered with Rudolf Nureyev in performances such as Giselle in 1962, despite their nearly twenty-year age difference.
Fonteyn’s fame didn’t quite translate into dominant baby-name stats; Margot had its prior modest peak in the 1930s and hovered near the US Top 500 rather than breaking into the mainstream.
MARGOT OR MARGO?
The silent “t” in Margot sparks debate. In French, final consonants are often silent—think escargot or haricot—but in English the pronunciation and spelling can cause uncertainty.
Mid-century American film offers examples of both spellings. Bette Davis played Margo in All About Eve (1950), while Grace Kelly’s character in Dial M for Murder (1954) uses the T spelling. Despite these high-profile uses and Fonteyn’s fame, neither spelling rose sharply in the charts; the highest placement for either was Margo at #295 in 1951.
Names ending in -o for girls have appeared sporadically—Cleo is another example—but -ot endings are uncommon, which helps make Margot distinctive.
MARGOT TENENBAUM
The unusual spelling and French flair contribute to Margot’s offbeat but polished feel: creative, sophisticated, spirited, and slightly unconventional while still feeling familiar.
Wes Anderson’s 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums gave the name renewed visibility in the U.S. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot is talented and eccentric, fitting the film’s quirky ensemble. At the time of the movie’s release Margot was especially popular in France but had been rare in U.S. naming charts since the 1960s. The Tenenbaums brought a subtle uptick in use around 2001–2002, though not enough to push the name fully into the mainstream.
COUNTESS MARGOT TO MARGOT ROBBIE
Other notable bearers include:
- The Countess of Oxford and Asquith, wife of a British prime minister in the 1910s.
- Anne Frank’s older sister, who was named Margot.
- Model and actress Margaux Hemingway, born Margot Louise, who altered the spelling inspired by the wine Château Margaux.
- Margot Kidder, best known for playing Lois Lane in the 1978 Superman.
Margot appears in literature and film as well—Evelyn Waugh included a Margot in his 1928 novel Decline and Fall, and Nicole Kidman starred in Margot at the Wedding (2007).
Today Margot Robbie is a high-profile bearer whose career has likely contributed to the name’s modern resurgence. Robbie’s roles—from The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) to acclaimed turns that earned Oscar nominations and her producing role in Barbie (2023)—have kept her in the public eye. Margot returned to the U.S. Top 1000 after nearly fifty years following Robbie’s breakout performance, and the -t spelling has become common again.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME MARGOT?
As of 2023, Margot ranked #148 in the United States, while Margo also gained ground at #542. That places Margot near classic Margaret in popularity and ahead of some diminutives like Maisie.
SMART, SOPHISTICATED, UPBEAT
Margot benefits from what some call the “100-year rule” in naming: names often rise, decline, and later return to favor across generations. Margot and Margo fit this pattern, and the name’s recent climb has been especially strong.
The name’s upbeat -o ending, its nickname-resistant form, and its subtle Frenchness make it feel both classic and fresh. Margot reads as smart, sophisticated, and lively—a name that suits a person at every stage of life.
Today Margot is more popular than it has been in decades, offering parents a modern, stylish choice grounded in history and culture.
What do you think of the baby name Margot?
First published June 12, 2013; revised October 23, 2018, and again October 8, 2024.