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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201944peak #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 1944

  • 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: #153 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 894 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: #155 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,133 girlsMNIllinois: #271 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 2,639 girlsILWisconsin: #172 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,567 girlsWIMichigan: #193 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,533 girlsMINew York: #272 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 2,637 girlsNYMassachusetts: #241 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,957 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: #151 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 905 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: #231 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,016 girlsIAIndiana: #191 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,539 girlsINOhio: #192 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 1,392 girlsOHPennsylvania: #196 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 1,567 girlsPANew Jersey: #290 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,273 girlsNJConnecticut: #229 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,041 girlsCTCalifornia: #273 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 2,158 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #232 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,460 girlsCONebraska: #129 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 838 girlsNEMissouri: #328 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,414 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: #321 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,052 girlsWVVirginia: #433 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,879 girlsVAMaryland: #297 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,005 girlsMDDelaware: 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: #306 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,880 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: #399 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,441 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #493 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 6,861 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: #216 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,536 girlsDCOklahoma: #424 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,057 girlsOKLouisiana: #329 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,235 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: #522 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 4,730 girlsTXFlorida: #433 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,456 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Nebraska#129 · 1 in 838
  2. Oregon#151 · 1 in 905
  3. Washington#153 · 1 in 894
  4. Minnesota#155 · 1 in 1,133
  5. Wisconsin#172 · 1 in 1,567

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Nebraska#129121 in 838
Oregon#151111 in 905
Washington#153211 in 894
Minnesota#155211 in 1,133
Wisconsin#172171 in 1,567
Indiana#191201 in 1,539
Ohio#192431 in 1,392
Michigan#193331 in 1,533
Pennsylvania#196511 in 1,567
District of Columbia#21661 in 1,536
Connecticut#22971 in 2,041
Iowa#231101 in 2,016
Colorado#23271 in 1,460
Massachusetts#241121 in 2,957
Illinois#271241 in 2,639
New York#272401 in 2,637
California#273371 in 2,158
New Jersey#290101 in 3,273
Maryland#29761 in 3,005
Kansas#30651 in 2,880
West Virginia#32161 in 3,052
Missouri#32891 in 3,414
Louisiana#329121 in 2,235
Tennessee#39971 in 4,441
Oklahoma#42451 in 4,057
Florida#43351 in 4,456
Virginia#43351 in 5,879
North Carolina#49361 in 6,861
Texas#522161 in 4,730
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
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 1944

girls
#302
490 births · 1 in 2,709 girls

Top girls' names in 1944

  1. #1Mary62,476
  2. #2Barbara39,196
  3. #3Linda38,415
  4. #4Patricia36,874
  5. #5Carol30,456
  6. #6Sandra26,024
  7. #7Nancy23,218
  8. #8Sharon22,433
  9. #9Judith22,431
  10. #10Betty19,761
  11. #302Gretchen490
More about 1944

girls

1,327,223 girls got a published name in 1944; 1 in 2,709 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 94.2% of the 5,243 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #299Sallie507
  2. #300Dana503
  3. #301Guadalupe499
  4. #302Gretchen490
  5. #302Genevieve490
  6. #304Jimmie484
  7. #305Earnestine483
  8. #306Camille481

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

Biggest movers since 1943
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,229Dorinda#1,834 → #605
  2. ↑ 611Deirdre#1,556 → #945
  3. ↑ 504Alana#1,251 → #747
  4. ↑ 460Elyse#1,327 → #867
  5. ↑ 407Joella#1,395 → #988
Fallers
  1. ↓ 613Michal#996 → #1,609
  2. ↓ 493Aloma#762 → #1,255
  3. ↓ 448Louvenia#916 → #1,364
  4. ↓ 347Norine#889 → #1,236
  5. ↓ 341Lyla#864 → #1,205

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

See the top 100 for 1944 →