Everyone has their own taste when it comes to baby names, but some names seem to appear out of nowhere and become widely popular. One such name that has captured the attention of many — including myself — is Margot. It feels like this once old-timey name is now everywhere, and baby name expert Colleen Slagen says it’s a name that is “hurting” a lot of people right now.
Margot is not a new name by any means, but it has gone from being fairly niche to becoming the ‘It girl’ name of today. “Margot is the name, I think, breaking a lot of hearts right now because it’s growing in popularity,” Slagen explained on the Name 911 podcast. “And people are wondering, ‘Is it too popular?’”
So, how did it become so popular? Let’s go back to the beginning. Margot is one of those lovely classic girl names of French origin and means “pearl,” which already gives it a lot to love. In 2013, Margot first started to climb back up the charts — a development that, according to Nameberry, came after a half-century absence. That was the same year Aussie actress Margot Robbie shot into the global spotlight with her role alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street, but she’s not the first famous Margot.
The name originated as a pet form of Marguerite, a name that came from Greek origins. Other spellings of the name include Margo and Margaux, and it’s long been used as a nickname for Margaret, too. American model and actress Margaux Hemingway was originally Margot, but changed the spelling to honour the wine from the French village of Margaux that her parents drank on the night she was conceived.
Slagen’s podcast co-host Jessie Paquette pointed out that there is now a generation of women who have grown up with pop culture figures, including Robbie and the character Margo in the novel and movie Paper Towns, that have moulded the idea of this “niche” name. “[It’s a] hive mind. Everyone thinks it’s a little niche [and share the] same experiences, so all these people that have waited [to use the name], they’re disappointed,” she said of the unexpected popularity of Margot.
A quick Google reveals threads on forums like Reddit and mum communities asking if Margot was “too popular” and “too common” now. Many people are pointing their fingers at Robbie for pushing the name so far into the zeitgeist, particularly through her huge movies like Barbie, which has only made her star shine brighter.
In terms of popularity, in 2024 Margot climbed as high as 72 in Australia, 33 in New Zealand, 28 in England and in America reached 126 in the baby name charts. The name definitely is popular, but it’s not hitting the same popularity as the girl names dominating the top charts around the country, like Charlotte, Amelia and Isla. However, it is undoubtedly on an upward trajectory.
Margot falls into a category of what Slagen refers to as ‘Goldilocks names’ — ones that straddle being classic but not too popular, something a lot of her clients are looking for. “When everyone is looking the other way at the same time, a trend is born along with the baby,” she told People. “French names have a classic elegance that people are really drawn to.”
Margot nails this brief, and other options include Eloise, Celine, Juliette, Elodie and Collette. While it may feel like it is the name everyone has on their list, Margot is certainly not dominating Australian playgrounds… yet.
