Medieval variant of Margery, from French Marguerite, ultimately from Greek 'margarites' meaning pearl.
Marjorie is an English form that grew out of the medieval name Margery, itself a descendant of Margaret, which ultimately comes from the Greek margarites, meaning "pearl." What makes Marjorie especially charming is that its spelling and sound were reshaped by the familiar herb name marjoram; in other words, botany helped soften and perfume the older Margaret line into something distinctly English and gently lyrical.
After flourishing in medieval forms, the name became comparatively rare for centuries before being revived in the late 19th century, when Victorian taste favored names that felt antique, floral, and faintly storybook. That revival gave Marjorie a long and dignified 20th-century life. It has been borne by figures as different as the American singer-actress Marjorie Main and the poet Marjorie Pickthall, and it appears often enough in literature and popular culture to feel familiar without ever becoming plain.
In sound and image, Marjorie has traveled from medieval household practicality to Edwardian refinement and then to modern vintage chic. Today it often reads as warm, intelligent, and slightly old-soul: a name with pearl-like ancestry, herbal overtones, and a history of graceful return.