This interesting and unusual name is of early medieval English origin, and is one of the metronymic forms of the surname derived from the female given name Margaret or Margery. The personal name is ultimately of Persian origin, and is thought to mean "child of light", although when the name was borrowed into Greek and Latin it was influenced by the Greek vocabulary word "margarites", meaning "pearl". The name was borne by several early Christian saints, and became a popular female given name throughout Europe, generating a variety of derivative surnames, including the metronymic forms Marger(r)ison, Marger(e)son, Margetson, Margesson, Margi(t)son, Marginson, and Marget(t)s. Metronymic surnames, deriving from the name of the first bearer's mother, are unusual because most surnames from given names are patronymic, from the father's name. Among the recordings of the name in London is that of the christening of one John Margetson at St. Giles, Cripplegate, on February 28th 1594. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Richard Margretson, which was dated 1381, The Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns, during the reign of King Richard 11, "Richard of Bordeaux", 1377 - 1399. Surnames became necessary when governments introduced personal taxation. In England this was known as Poll Tax. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

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