MARGETTS
Margetts is a surname of English provenance which can be traced back to the medieval period. The name originates from the female personal name Margaret, itself derived from the Greek word margarites meaning “pearl”. Consequently the family name carries a connotation of a precious, valuable object.
The formation of the surname is best described as patronymic, signalling “son of Margaret”. In historical records it was not unusual for a man to be identified in this manner, with the female given name becoming the basis for an inherited family line. The earliest documented instance occurs in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, with a record for a John Margett dated in 1273. Other contemporary entries appear in the same year: a Hugh Margarete in Buckinghamshire and a John Margett in Suffolk, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of 1524.
The calendar of that era shows further matrimonial connections. On 13 May 1583 a John Margatt married Annys Stannedeg in Sunbury, on the Thames, London, and on 29 January 1615 Elizabeth Margretts united with Robert Jennison in St. James Church, Clerkenwell. In 1700 an infant Sarah Marg(a)rett was christened at St. Anne's, Soho, Westminster.
Over the following centuries the spelling of the family name diverged, giving rise to notable variants such as Margetts, Margatt, Margrett, and Margretta. Each spelling reflects the dialectical evolution of the family and the variable usage of the name by different people and in different counties.
In contemporary Britain the surname is found across a number of regions, from the northern counties of England to the cosmopolitan suburbs of London, and beyond to a limited number of communities abroad. Its place in the historical records remains an important symbol of cultural heritage and continuity of a family that can be traced to the medieval past.
Typical given names associated with the Margetts surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- Ian
- John
- Matt
- Michael
- Neil
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
- Stephen
Female
- Angela
- Claire
- Fm
- Helen
- Jane
- Janet
- Jill
- Lynn
- Margaret
- Mary
- Michelle
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Margetts in...
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There are approximately 1,631 people named Margetts in the UK. That makes it roughly the 4,988th most common surname in Britain. Around 25 in a million people in Britain are named Margetts.
Famous people named Margetts
- Jonny Margetts - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.