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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201941peak #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 1941

  • 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: #98 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 458 girlsWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedIDMontana: #172 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 869 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #124 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 774 girlsMNIllinois: #241 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 2,183 girlsILWisconsin: #155 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,251 girlsWIMichigan: #246 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 2,393 girlsMINew York: #281 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 2,923 girlsNYMassachusetts: #227 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,437 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: #198 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,283 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: #224 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,032 girlsIAIndiana: #175 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,308 girlsINOhio: #182 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 1,394 girlsOHPennsylvania: #201 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 1,603 girlsPANew Jersey: #391 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,834 girlsNJConnecticut: #160 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,113 girlsCTCalifornia: #314 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 2,534 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #259 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,822 girlsCONebraska: #150 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 899 girlsNEMissouri: #324 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,312 girlsMOKentucky: 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: #252 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,131 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #469 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 6,502 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: #213 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,460 girlsDCOklahoma: #386 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,377 girlsOKLouisiana: 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: #621 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 6,376 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Washington#98 · 1 in 458
  2. Minnesota#124 · 1 in 774
  3. Nebraska#150 · 1 in 899
  4. Wisconsin#155 · 1 in 1,251
  5. Connecticut#160 · 1 in 1,113

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Washington#98281 in 458
Minnesota#124301 in 774
Nebraska#150101 in 899
Wisconsin#155201 in 1,251
Connecticut#160111 in 1,113
Montana#17251 in 869
Indiana#175221 in 1,308
Ohio#182411 in 1,394
Oregon#19861 in 1,283
Pennsylvania#201491 in 1,603
District of Columbia#21351 in 1,460
Iowa#224101 in 2,032
Massachusetts#227131 in 2,437
Illinois#241281 in 2,183
Michigan#246201 in 2,393
Kansas#25261 in 2,131
Colorado#25951 in 1,822
New York#281331 in 2,923
California#314221 in 2,534
Missouri#32491 in 3,312
Oklahoma#38661 in 3,377
New Jersey#39151 in 5,834
North Carolina#46961 in 6,502
Texas#621101 in 6,376
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Kentucky———
Louisiana———
Maine———
Maryland———
Mississippi———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
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 1941

girls
#310
441 births · 1 in 2,739 girls

Top girls' names in 1941

  1. #1Mary58,048
  2. #2Barbara39,543
  3. #3Patricia36,905
  4. #4Carol24,187
  5. #5Linda23,721
  6. #6Judith23,320
  7. #7Betty20,905
  8. #8Nancy20,885
  9. #9Sandra19,500
  10. #10Shirley16,954
  11. #310Gretchen441
More about 1941

girls

1,208,119 girls got a published name in 1941; 1 in 2,739 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 93.9% of the 5,085 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #307Mona444
  2. #307Terry444
  3. #309Cheryl442
  4. #310Gretchen441
  5. #311Lenora440
  6. #312Lorene439
  7. #313Polly435
Biggest movers since 1940
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,130Jerilyn#2,737 → #607
  2. ↑ 1,258Trina#2,109 → #851
  3. ↑ 372Karan#1,347 → #975
  4. ↑ 371Kristine#1,313 → #942
  5. ↑ 356Sherri#1,186 → #830
Fallers
  1. ↓ 447Kenneth#971 → #1,418
  2. ↓ 421Janna#997 → #1,418
  3. ↓ 366Beatriz#989 → #1,355
  4. ↓ 338Merna#997 → #1,335
  5. ↓ 337Eldora#957 → #1,294

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

See the top 100 for 1941 →