Watch Maggie Gyllenhaal Learn Her REAL Hebrew Name

Maggie Gyllenhaal just learned her own name–and it’s super-Jewish.

On “Live with Kelly & Michael,” Maggie revealed that she had no idea her given name was not actually Maggie until she decided to take husband Peter Sarsgaard’s last name in addition to her own. Her parents rummaged around for a birth certificate and found that–surprise!–Maggie is, in fact, short for Margalit.

According to Kveller’s Jewish name bank, Margalit is Hebrew for pearl. How pretty!

Can we ask?

It's important to us to keep the warm, joyfully Jewish community on Kveller accessible for all. Reader donations help us do just that. Can you spare a few to keep Kveller free? (We'll love you forever.)

Support Us

WATCH Margalit explain the whole name snafu to Kelly Ripa on the ABC website.

We still love you, Margalit, or whatever your name is….

Like this post? Get the best of Kveller delivered straight to your inbox.

Rachel Silberstein

Rachel Silberstein is a journalist and editor. She has written about politics, crime, health, immigration, religion and parenting. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Tablet Magazine, New York Daily News, Jewcy, Feet In Two Worlds, XOJane, and now, Kveller. She received a BA from Brooklyn College, where she served as editor in chief of the campus weekly, The Kingsman, and won two coveted journalism prizes for her investigative reporting. She lives in Brooklyn with her son and guinea pig.