Gretchen

#4,265 for girls in 2025, 33 births · Last seen for boys in 1980 at #5,525
Given to girls 99.9% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1973 · 1,351 births
Debut · girls
10 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
53,799
since 1882

Gretchen over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Gretchen has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201903peak #191, 1973girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#4,26533
2024#3,45945
2023#2,67465
2022#3,12352
2021#2,78461
2020#2,59765
2019#2,48271
2018#2,02696
2017#1,752120
2016#1,380170
2015#1,425162
2014#1,261191
2013#1,184203
2012#1,206203
2011#1,054234
2010#1,101226
2009#998265
2008#953283
2007#883316
2006#777355
2005#762349
2004#886275
2003#782316
2002#812285
2001#763313
2000#743310
1999#745301
1998#747290
1997#752283
1996#722290
1995#722283
1994#738281
1993#682320
1992#683317
1991#596377
1990#628356
1989#534430
1988#588344
1987#559359
1986#512405
1985#470451
1984#404524
1983#374596
1982#325747
1981#276895
1980#271917#5,5256
1979#262930
1978#251947
1977#2381,044
1976#1981,223
1975#2091,175#3,6599
1974#1991,278#3,8378
1973#1911,351
1972#2211,261
1971#2241,347
1970#2511,244#4,7245
1969#2631,106
1968#293887
1967#271968
1966#269960
1965#295906
1964#294974
1963#299962
1962#2891,001
1961#2851,044
1960#306937
1959#333812#3,9885
1958#350687
1957#381565#3,9935
1956#369567
1955#366575
1954#367563
1953#351578
1952#342583
1951#318618
1950#329545
1949#316608
1948#303640
1947#332570
1946#309567
1945#308493
1944#302490
1943#332448
1942#321464
1941#310441
1940#289471
1939#298420
1938#285483
1937#334350
1936#362303
1935#363301
1934#372288
1933#414240
1932#430233
1931#459198
1930#500178
1929#556152
1928#520177
1927#594142
1926#593143
1925#605144
1924#669123
1923#593149
1922#588149
1921#603144
1920#625131
1919#619128
1918#523176
1917#402246
1916#357296
1915#351288
1914#380196
1913#384158
1912#397134
1911#45980
1910#40395
1909#46366
1908#46460
1907#52147
1906#45855
1905#52842
1904#49344
1903#51439
1902#60030
1901#46741
1900#45355
1899#48037
1898#49139
1897#59426
1896#45740
1895#49335
1894#59724
1893#47332
1892#56524
1891#43034
1890#48329
1889#54322
1888#59318
1887#56016
1886#69311
1885#1,0475
1884#9306
1883#7547
1882#59610
1881
1880
First appearance
1882

The first year at least five girls were named Gretchen! It came in at #596, and was given to 10 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1883–1885, when fewer than 8 girls a year got the name.

See more about Gretchen
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 806 spots since 2024 (#3,459#4,265)
  • 1,668 spots since 2020 (#2,597#4,265)
  • 2,840 spots since 2015 (#1,425#4,265)
  • Biggest jump: 354 spots in 1886 (#1,047#693)
  • Biggest drop: 176 spots in 1884 (#754#930)
Rise & fade · girls
91 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1882
  • Peaked 1973 at #191 (1,351 births)
  • Births halved by 1983, 10 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 127 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 127 yrs · run 1886–2009
Share of babies · girls
1 in 1,079
  • Highest: 1 in 1,079 girls born in 1973 were named Gretchen (0.09%)
  • Latest: 1 in 48,705 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1970s
  • 21.9% of all girls named Gretchen (11,800) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s95#543 (1889)#715
1890s320#430 (1891)#506
1900s479#453 (1900)#496
1910s1,797#351 (1915)#428
1920s1,454#520 (1928)#595
1930s2,994#285 (1938)#382
1940s5,192#289 (1940)#312
1950s6,093#318 (1951)#351
1960s9,745#263 (1969)#286
1970s11,800#191 (1973)#224
1980s5,668#271 (1980)#431
1990s3,098#596 (1991)#702
2000s3,067#743 (2000)#836
2010s1,676#1,054 (2011)#1,487
2020s321#2,597 (2020)#3,150

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Gretchen in 1903

girls
#514
39 births · 1 in 6,717 girls

Top girls' names in 1903

  1. #1Mary14,275
  2. #2Helen6,129
  3. #3Anna5,098
  4. #4Margaret5,045
  5. #5Ruth4,517
  6. #6Elizabeth3,724
  7. #7Marie3,469
  8. #8Florence3,468
  9. #9Ethel3,257
  10. #10Mildred3,088
  11. #514Gretchen39
More about 1903

girls

261,970 girls got a published name in 1903; 1 in 6,717 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 75.3% of the 2,083 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 19.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #504Maye40
  2. #504Octavia40
  3. #504Rhea40
  4. #514Gretchen39
  5. #514Adell39
  6. #514Alda39
  7. #514Elmira39
  8. #522Adah38
  9. #522Easter38
  10. #522Lida38

Tied with 7 names at #514; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1902
Risers
  1. 1,004Rafaela#1,793#789
  2. 957Evia#1,793#836
  3. 862Euphemia#1,793#931
  4. 758Janette#1,594#836
  5. 758Louis#1,594#836
Fallers
  1. 889Littie#903#1,792
  2. 889Samantha#903#1,792
  3. 820Marianna#972#1,792
  4. 689Classie#903#1,592
  5. 667Venus#773#1,440

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1903