Margarethe

Margarethe is the German form of Margaret, ultimately derived from the Greek word margaritēs, meaning pearl. The name passed into Latin as Margarita and spread widely across medieval Europe through the veneration of Saint Margaret of Antioch, a popular martyr whose cult made the name enormously fashionable. Margarethe has been borne by several notable German-speaking women, including Margarethe of Austria, the influential regent of the Netherlands in the sixteenth century. Related forms include Margareta, Margaretta, Marguerite, and Margherita.