Meaning: Its source is margaron, a Greek name meaning "Pearl."

Languages: This girl's name is used in German, English, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish.

Nickname For: Margareta

Alternative Spellings: Gretta

Variant Forms: Gretel

Popularity: The name Greta ranked 769th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics and 728th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Narrative: This name came into use among English speakers by way of Latin (as Margarita) and Old French (as Marguerite). It has been closely identified with Scotland, to the point that one commentator has pronounced it ''the national Scottish female name.''

However, in the late 20th century it has been most prominently borne by Englishwoman Margaret Thatcher, the United Kingdom's first female Prime Minister.