Margarete

Margarete is a feminine given name used in German-speaking countries. It is the German form of Margaret, which ultimately derives from the Greek margarites, meaning pearl, via Latin margarita. The name spread through Christian Europe in the medieval period, often carried by Saint Margaret of Antioch, and developed multiple local variants across languages.

In German usage, Margarete has been a traditional and widely used name, though it is less common for newborns today. Variants appear in other languages, such as Margaretha, Margareta, and Marguerite in French, Margherita in Italian, and Małgorzata in Polish. The English form is Margaret. Common diminutives in German include Grete, Greta, Margit, and Gretchen.

Notable bearers of the name include Margarete Steiff (1847–1909), the German businesswoman who founded the Steiff toy company and helped popularize the teddy bear; Margarete Buber-Neumann (1901–1989), a German-born author and political activist known for her memoirs of life under totalitarian regimes; and Margarete von Levetzow, a German noblewoman who is remembered as Goethe’s muse. The name also appears in literature and history across various periods, reflecting its long-standing presence in German-speaking culture.

See also: Margaret, Marguerite. The name Margarete remains part of the broader family of Margaret names and continues to appear in historical and cultural contexts within German-speaking communities.