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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201930peak #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.

Where Gretchen is popular in 1930

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #201 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,631 girlsMNIllinois: #360 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 4,400 girlsILWisconsin: #271 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 2,682 girlsWIMichigan: #414 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 6,007 girlsMINew York: #472 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 7,989 girlsNYMassachusetts: #258 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,521 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSDIowa: #176 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,171 girlsIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedINOhio: #349 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 4,341 girlsOHPennsylvania: #374 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 5,861 girlsPANew Jersey: #373 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,882 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #404 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,725 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedCONebraska: #247 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,818 girlsNEMissouri: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #490 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,093 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Iowa#176 · 1 in 1,171
  2. Minnesota#201 · 1 in 1,631
  3. Nebraska#247 · 1 in 1,818
  4. Massachusetts#258 · 1 in 3,521
  5. Wisconsin#271 · 1 in 2,682

Best ever in a state: #78 in Maine, 1974.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Iowa#176161 in 1,171
Minnesota#201121 in 1,631
Nebraska#24761 in 1,818
Massachusetts#25891 in 3,521
Wisconsin#27191 in 2,682
Ohio#349121 in 4,341
Illinois#360131 in 4,400
New Jersey#37351 in 5,882
Pennsylvania#374141 in 5,861
California#404101 in 3,725
Michigan#41471 in 6,007
New York#472121 in 7,989
North Carolina#49051 in 7,093
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

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 1930

girls
#500
178 births · 1 in 6,325 girls

Top girls' names in 1930

  1. #1Mary64,153
  2. #2Betty38,240
  3. #3Dorothy30,411
  4. #4Helen19,913
  5. #5Margaret18,350
  6. #6Barbara18,279
  7. #7Patricia15,751
  8. #8Joan15,478
  9. #9Doris15,464
  10. #10Ruth14,942
  11. #500Gretchen178
More about 1930

girls

1,125,927 girls got a published name in 1930; 1 in 6,325 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 90.5% of the 5,247 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #497Lucia180
  2. #498Charlie179
  3. #498Jaunita179
  4. #500Gretchen178
  5. #500Ione178
  6. #500Philomena178
  7. #503Rosalee177
  8. #504Ardith176
  9. #504Petra176

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1929
Risers
  1. 701Claudette#1,642#941
  2. 583Ardeth#1,212#629
  3. 445Julianne#1,339#894
  4. 376Sonja#1,223#847
  5. 374Armida#1,174#800
Fallers
  1. 348Ingrid#941#1,289
  2. 315Coralie#895#1,210
  3. 229Elenor#981#1,210
  4. 229Mammie#981#1,210
  5. 226Sibyl#902#1,128

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

See the top 100 for 1930