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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201935peak #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 1935

  • 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: #232 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,795 girlsWAIdaho: 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: #150 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 879 girlsMNIllinois: #324 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 3,602 girlsILWisconsin: #175 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 1,415 girlsWIMichigan: #241 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,235 girlsMINew York: #289 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 3,067 girlsNYMassachusetts: #262 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,463 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: #176 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,013 girlsORNevada: 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: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedIAIndiana: #225 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,068 girlsINOhio: #213 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,831 girlsOHPennsylvania: #227 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 2,105 girlsPANew Jersey: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNJConnecticut: #217 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,890 girlsCTCalifornia: #245 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,663 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #210 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,330 girlsCONebraska: #155 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 874 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: #393 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,573 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: #466 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,112 girlsLAMississippi: 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: #648 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 6,306 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Minnesota#150 · 1 in 879
  2. Nebraska#155 · 1 in 874
  3. Wisconsin#175 · 1 in 1,415
  4. Oregon#176 · 1 in 1,013
  5. Colorado#210 · 1 in 1,330

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Minnesota#150221 in 879
Nebraska#155111 in 874
Wisconsin#175161 in 1,415
Oregon#17651 in 1,013
Colorado#21061 in 1,330
Ohio#213251 in 1,831
Connecticut#21751 in 1,890
Indiana#225111 in 2,068
Pennsylvania#227341 in 2,105
Washington#23251 in 1,795
Michigan#241171 in 2,235
California#245211 in 1,663
Massachusetts#26281 in 3,463
New York#289271 in 3,067
Illinois#324141 in 3,602
North Carolina#39381 in 4,573
Louisiana#46651 in 4,112
Texas#64891 in 6,306
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Maryland———
Mississippi———
Missouri———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Jersey———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
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 1935

girls
#363
301 births · 1 in 3,484 girls

Top girls' names in 1935

  1. #1Mary55,076
  2. #2Shirley42,366
  3. #3Barbara30,698
  4. #4Betty28,674
  5. #5Patricia22,879
  6. #6Dorothy19,406
  7. #7Joan18,220
  8. #8Margaret14,727
  9. #9Nancy14,544
  10. #10Helen12,785
  11. #363Gretchen301
More about 1935

girls

1,048,577 girls got a published name in 1935; 1 in 3,484 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 92.6% of the 4,893 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #360Ila312
  2. #361Pearlie308
  3. #362Gwen302
  4. #363Gretchen301
  5. #363Faith301
  6. #363Molly301
  7. #363Neva301
  8. #367Marylou300
  9. #368Eddie299
  10. #369Therese295

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

Biggest movers since 1934
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,736Norita#3,449 → #713
  2. ↑ 1,073Shelby#1,913 → #840
  3. ↑ 672Darla#1,344 → #672
  4. ↑ 396Shirleyann#1,292 → #896
  5. ↑ 375Loris#1,236 → #861
Fallers
  1. ↓ 545Marcelina#938 → #1,483
  2. ↓ 456Tomasa#925 → #1,381
  3. ↓ 393Glendora#938 → #1,331
  4. ↓ 388Marceline#993 → #1,381
  5. ↓ 358Rheta#526 → #884

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

See the top 100 for 1935 →