Margarine
Margarine is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was originally named oleomargarine from Latin for oleum and Greek margarite. The name was later shortened to margarine, or sometimes oleo.
Meaning & Origin of Margarine
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Margarine is a spread used for flavoring, baking, and cooking. It is most often used as a substitute for butter. Although originally made from animal fats, most margarine consumed today is made from vegetable oil. The spread was originally named oleomargarine from Latin for oleum and Greek margarite. The name was later shortened to margarine, or sometimes oleo.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Margarine
Margarine first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1921, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1931, when 9 Margarines were born — ranking #2,972 that year. As of 2026, Margarine ranks #4,483 for baby girls with 7 births, with steady use. In total, more than 82 Margarines have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Margarine
Phonetically similar names — useful when Margarine is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Margarine
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About the name Margarine
Margarine is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 82 births in the dataset. Margarine's peak popularity came in 1931 when it ranked #2,972. Use the chart and map above to compare Margarine's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1931 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "M" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.