Margaretha, derived from Latin ' Margarita,' meaning 'pearl,' is a feminine given name of Germanic origin. It evolved from the Old High German ' marger,' which means 'to border' or 'to fence,' and was initially a byname for women who lived near hedges or fortified walls. Margaretha gained popularity during the Middle Ages due to St. Margaret of Antioch, a Christian martyr whose legend contributed to the name's spread throughout Europe.
The name Margaretha had its heyday around the early to mid-1900s with peaks in popularity during World War I years like 1916 and 1917, with 15 births each year. However, it's important to note that there was a significant drop-off post-WWII, with only a handful of births each year from the late-1940s onwards, except for occasional spikes in the mid-to-late 1950s and early 1960s. The name has been extremely rare since then, with only five births recorded in both 2004 and 2011.