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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201916peak #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 1916

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAKMaine: #189 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 953 girlsMEVermont: 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: #169 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,082 girlsMNIllinois: #281 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 2,896 girlsILWisconsin: #186 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,238 girlsWIMichigan: #192 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,291 girlsMINew York: #361 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 4,946 girlsNYMassachusetts: #300 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,159 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: #209 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,168 girlsSDIowa: #133 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 647 girlsIAIndiana: #208 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 1,581 girlsINOhio: #254 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 2,525 girlsOHPennsylvania: #302 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 4,057 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #402 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,911 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedCONebraska: #134 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 662 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: #349 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,959 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNCSouth 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: #553 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,504 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Iowa#133 · 1 in 647
  2. Nebraska#134 · 1 in 662
  3. Minnesota#169 · 1 in 1,082
  4. Wisconsin#186 · 1 in 1,238
  5. Maine#189 · 1 in 953

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Iowa#133321 in 647
Nebraska#134171 in 662
Minnesota#169201 in 1,082
Wisconsin#186191 in 1,238
Maine#18961 in 953
Michigan#192251 in 1,291
Indiana#208151 in 1,581
South Dakota#20951 in 1,168
Ohio#254191 in 2,525
Illinois#281201 in 2,896
Massachusetts#30081 in 4,159
Pennsylvania#302221 in 4,057
Kansas#34951 in 2,959
New York#361191 in 4,946
California#40251 in 3,911
Texas#553101 in 4,504
Alabama———
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Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
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Idaho———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maryland———
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Missouri———
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Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Carolina———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
Tennessee———
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 1916

girls
#357
296 births · 1 in 3,528 girls

Top girls' names in 1916

  1. #1Mary61,438
  2. #2Helen32,661
  3. #3Dorothy27,418
  4. #4Margaret24,953
  5. #5Ruth23,189
  6. #6Mildred15,633
  7. #7Anna15,228
  8. #8Elizabeth14,940
  9. #9Frances13,746
  10. #10Virginia12,487
  11. #357Gretchen296
More about 1916

girls

1,044,334 girls got a published name in 1916; 1 in 3,528 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 93.1% of the 5,161 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #354Dolly302
  2. #355Nola301
  3. #356Linda297
  4. #357Gretchen296
  5. #357Philomena296
  6. #359Judith295
  7. #360Yolanda292
  8. #361Paula289

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

Biggest movers since 1915
Risers
  1. ↑ 567Trinidad#1,317 → #750
  2. ↑ 388Coral#1,367 → #979
  3. ↑ 377Coletta#1,317 → #940
  4. ↑ 370Clifford#1,285 → #915
  5. ↑ 327Maida#1,231 → #904
Fallers
  1. ↓ 364Louis#934 → #1,298
  2. ↓ 354Herminia#944 → #1,298
  3. ↓ 346Gertha#900 → #1,246
  4. ↓ 344Lahoma#934 → #1,278
  5. ↓ 310Hassie#900 → #1,210

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

See the top 100 for 1916 →