Margarethe

Margarethe is a feminine given name, a German form of Margaret. The name derives from the Greek margarites, meaning "pearl," via Latin margarita. Over time it produced numerous spellings and variants, including Margareta, Margaretta, Margarete, and Margrethe, with regional forms common in German-speaking and Scandinavian countries. In Denmark and Norway, the form Margrethe is common; in German-speaking areas Margarethe and Margarete are traditional spellings, while Margaretta and Margarete appear in historical usage.

Historical and contemporary figures bearing the name include Margarete Steiff (1847–1909), a German entrepreneur who founded the Steiff toy company; Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky (1897–2000), an Austrian architect known for the Frankfurt Kitchen; Margrethe von Trotta (born 1942), a German film director and writer; and Margrethe II (born 1940), the queen of Denmark since 1972. The name has also given rise to various diminutives, such as Greta and Gretel, and remains in use across Europe, reflecting a long-standing tradition of the name.