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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201965peak #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 1965

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAKMaine: #220 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,368 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #179 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,009 girlsNHWashington: #189 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 852 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: #174 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 897 girlsMNIllinois: #301 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 2,075 girlsILWisconsin: #242 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,665 girlsWIMichigan: #244 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 1,506 girlsMINew York: #345 for girls · 62 births · 1 in 2,479 girlsNYMassachusetts: #188 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 1,181 girlsMARhode Island: #157 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 913 girlsRIOregon: #191 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 842 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: #287 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,013 girlsIAIndiana: #279 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,868 girlsINOhio: #217 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 1,295 girlsOHPennsylvania: #225 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 1,367 girlsPANew Jersey: #277 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,857 girlsNJConnecticut: #158 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 853 girlsCTCalifornia: #328 for girls · 83 births · 1 in 1,948 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #183 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 795 girlsCONebraska: #289 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,924 girlsNEMissouri: #255 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,584 girlsMOKentucky: #330 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,435 girlsKYWest Virginia: #304 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,260 girlsWVVirginia: #329 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,431 girlsVAMaryland: #320 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 2,351 girlsMDDelaware: #178 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 791 girlsDEArizona: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAZNew Mexico: #358 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,938 girlsNMKansas: #307 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,924 girlsKSArkansas: #391 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,986 girlsARTennessee: #362 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 2,910 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #391 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 3,215 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #433 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,753 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #340 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,128 girlsOKLouisiana: #232 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 1,153 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMSAlabama: #533 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,916 girlsALGeorgia: #528 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,106 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: #427 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 2,740 girlsTXFlorida: #398 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 2,960 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Rhode Island#157 · 1 in 913
  2. Connecticut#158 · 1 in 853
  3. Minnesota#174 · 1 in 897
  4. Delaware#178 · 1 in 791
  5. New Hampshire#179 · 1 in 1,009

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Rhode Island#15781 in 913
Connecticut#158271 in 853
Minnesota#174351 in 897
Delaware#17851 in 791
New Hampshire#17951 in 1,009
Colorado#183201 in 795
Massachusetts#188401 in 1,181
Washington#189261 in 852
Oregon#191161 in 842
Ohio#217681 in 1,295
Maine#22061 in 1,368
Pennsylvania#225681 in 1,367
Louisiana#232291 in 1,153
Wisconsin#242221 in 1,665
Michigan#244491 in 1,506
Missouri#255231 in 1,584
New Jersey#277291 in 1,857
Indiana#279231 in 1,868
Iowa#287111 in 2,013
Nebraska#28961 in 1,924
Illinois#301441 in 2,075
West Virginia#30461 in 2,260
Kansas#30781 in 1,924
Maryland#320121 in 2,351
California#328831 in 1,948
Virginia#329151 in 2,431
Kentucky#330111 in 2,435
Oklahoma#34081 in 2,128
New York#345621 in 2,479
New Mexico#35851 in 1,938
Tennessee#362111 in 2,910
Arkansas#39151 in 2,986
North Carolina#391131 in 3,215
Florida#398151 in 2,960
Texas#427351 in 2,740
South Carolina#43361 in 3,753
Georgia#52881 in 5,106
Alabama#53361 in 4,916
Alaska———
Arizona———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
North Dakota———
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 1965

girls
#295
906 births · 1 in 1,948 girls

Top girls' names in 1965

  1. #1Lisa60,271
  2. #2Mary34,270
  3. #3Karen32,869
  4. #4Kimberly28,836
  5. #5Susan26,321
  6. #6Patricia23,552
  7. #7Donna19,700
  8. #8Linda19,345
  9. #9Cynthia19,239
  10. #10Angela18,754
  11. #295Gretchen906
More about 1965

girls

1,765,164 girls got a published name in 1965; 1 in 1,948 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 96.1% of the 7,535 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #292Bernadette911
  2. #293Joanna910
  3. #294Bobbie908
  4. #295Gretchen906
  5. #296Marla901
  6. #297Rochelle900
  7. #298Nicole898
Biggest movers since 1964
Risers
  1. ↑ 723Marni#1,610 → #887
  2. ↑ 654Dionne#1,281 → #627
  3. ↑ 432Marnie#1,016 → #584
  4. ↑ 426Keli#1,383 → #957
  5. ↑ 368Gia#1,334 → #966
Fallers
  1. ↓ 1,326Djuna#738 → #2,064
  2. ↓ 470Djuana#756 → #1,226
  3. ↓ 383Shirl#714 → #1,097
  4. ↓ 297Beverley#955 → #1,252
  5. ↓ 275Dottie#912 → #1,187

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

See the top 100 for 1965 →