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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201952peak #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 1952

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAKMaine: #217 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,492 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #165 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 994 girlsNHWashington: #190 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,142 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 · 40 births · 1 in 882 girlsMNIllinois: #370 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 4,273 girlsILWisconsin: #169 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 1,252 girlsWIMichigan: #287 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 2,607 girlsMINew York: #369 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 3,861 girlsNYMassachusetts: #244 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 2,685 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: #224 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,509 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: #254 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,370 girlsIAIndiana: #318 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 3,328 girlsINOhio: #238 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 2,065 girlsOHPennsylvania: #237 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 1,949 girlsPANew Jersey: #279 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,860 girlsNJConnecticut: #293 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,374 girlsCTCalifornia: #292 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 2,153 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #331 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,709 girlsCONebraska: #312 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,889 girlsNEMissouri: #420 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,167 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWVVirginia: #398 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,296 girlsVAMaryland: 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: #322 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,000 girlsNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: #535 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,407 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #520 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 7,295 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #384 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,580 girlsOKLouisiana: #400 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,553 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMSAlabama: #526 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,365 girlsALGeorgia: #532 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 7,341 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: #502 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 4,843 girlsTXFlorida: #536 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,542 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Minnesota#155 · 1 in 882
  2. New Hampshire#165 · 1 in 994
  3. Wisconsin#169 · 1 in 1,252
  4. Washington#190 · 1 in 1,142
  5. Maine#217 · 1 in 1,492

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Minnesota#155401 in 882
New Hampshire#16551 in 994
Wisconsin#169321 in 1,252
Washington#190241 in 1,142
Maine#21761 in 1,492
Oregon#224111 in 1,509
Pennsylvania#237571 in 1,949
Ohio#238461 in 2,065
Massachusetts#244181 in 2,685
Iowa#254121 in 2,370
New Jersey#279171 in 2,860
Michigan#287311 in 2,607
California#292611 in 2,153
Connecticut#29361 in 3,374
Nebraska#31251 in 2,889
Indiana#318141 in 3,328
New Mexico#32251 in 2,000
Colorado#33161 in 2,709
New York#369401 in 3,861
Illinois#370221 in 4,273
Oklahoma#38461 in 3,580
Virginia#39891 in 4,296
Louisiana#400101 in 3,553
Missouri#42081 in 5,167
Texas#502221 in 4,843
North Carolina#52071 in 7,295
Alabama#52651 in 7,365
Georgia#53261 in 7,341
Tennessee#53551 in 7,407
Florida#53651 in 6,542
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Maryland———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
North Dakota———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
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 1952

girls
#342
583 births · 1 in 3,181 girls

Top girls' names in 1952

  1. #1Linda67,082
  2. #2Mary65,629
  3. #3Patricia53,101
  4. #4Deborah49,811
  5. #5Susan41,348
  6. #6Barbara39,864
  7. #7Nancy31,739
  8. #8Karen28,956
  9. #9Debra26,832
  10. #10Sandra26,097
  11. #342Gretchen583
More about 1952

girls

1,854,335 girls got a published name in 1952; 1 in 3,181 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 94.6% of the 6,389 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #339Olga589
  2. #340Laverne588
  3. #341Corinne585
  4. #342Gretchen583
  5. #342Glenna583
  6. #344Elsie575
  7. #345Lou569
  8. #346Janine564

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

Biggest movers since 1951
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,501Pandora#3,284 → #783
  2. ↑ 368Lise#1,314 → #946
  3. ↑ 353Vanessa#656 → #303
  4. ↑ 334Dorinda#1,170 → #836
  5. ↑ 332Mitzi#928 → #596
Fallers
  1. ↓ 380Rhona#988 → #1,368
  2. ↓ 342Sharleen#765 → #1,107
  3. ↓ 270Enid#908 → #1,178
  4. ↓ 237Allyn#988 → #1,225
  5. ↓ 230Sheron#908 → #1,138

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

See the top 100 for 1952 →