Marit
Feminine · “Greek "pearl”
Margaret means pearl, and the daisy is named after the name. French marguerite is both the woman's name and the flower, so the flower was called after the pearl-word by way of the person — and the word for pearl itself came into Greek from somewhere further east.
How old is the name Marit?
Marit first appears in US birth records in 1947 — 78 years ago. The typical Marit alive today was born around 1994, making them about 31 years old. About 800 people named Marit are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Marit most popular?
Marit peaked in 1967, reaching #3211 nationally. Today it ranks #7491, 4,280 places below that high. See the whole 1967 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From margarites to Marit
The story of Marit
Pearls came to the Mediterranean along trade routes from the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and the word came with them: Greek margarites has no Greek etymology and is generally taken as a loan, with Sanskrit mañjarī, a pearl or a flower cluster, offered as one candidate. Latin margarita spread the word through Europe, and Saint Margaret of Antioch — one of the voices Joan of Arc reported hearing — spread the name. Scandinavian languages produced Margit, Marit and Merete; Marit is standard in Norway and among Sami speakers. The American figures peak in 1967.
Meaning
Greek "pearl"
From Greek margarites, a pearl, a word Greek borrowed rather than inherited — probably from an Iranian or Indic source, since the Greeks did not fish pearls. Latin took it as margarita, and the name spread across Europe with the cult of Saint Margaret of Antioch. Marit is the Norwegian and Sami form. The French marguerite names the oxeye daisy, applied to the flower after the personal name was established.
How the name formed
- margarites
- margarita
- Margareta
- Marit
Related forms: Marit · Margit · Margarete · Marguerite
Pronouncing Marit
MAH-rit
Two syllables, stress on the first, with a short second vowel and a clear final t. English speakers sometimes say muh-REET, which is not the Norwegian pattern.
Nicknames for Marit
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1947
- Most girls named
- 201420 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #3211reached in 1967
- Change vs 2024
- +40.0%14 in 2025, from 10
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Marit in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Marit in Norwegian — same name
- Margit in Swedish — same name
- Margarete in German — related form
- Marguerite in French — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: Minnesota.
Marits among us
people named Marit are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 114,805 born in 2025 was named Marit
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Scotty test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Marit's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Scotty climbed just as high around 1940, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Scotty's path sketches the road Marit is walking now.
Marit sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Marit beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Marit in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The meaning is settled and pleasant, and the word has a long trade history.
- It is short, two syllables and easy to spell.
- It is fully established in Norway and Sweden.
- It is rare in America and will need spelling out.
- English speakers regularly move the stress to the second syllable.
- It is easily confused with Marie, Maret and Merit.
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What they receive
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Marit
Feminine · #7491 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Marits are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 800 people named Marit are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Marit in 2025?
- Marit ranks #7491 among US girl names in 2025, with 14 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Marit?
- About 1 in every 114,805 US girls born in 2025 was named Marit — 14 in all.
- Will my child share the name Marit with classmates?
- Marit will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Marit
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Christie#7491 · Carmelita#7491 · Jetta#7491 · Hildegard#7491 · Rickie#7491 · Billy#7491 · Angelyn#7491 · Jewell#7491
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Marit? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Marit and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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