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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201968peak #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 1968

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedAKMaine: #190 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 981 girlsMEVermont: #131 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 541 girlsVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNHWashington: #172 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 840 girlsWAIdaho: #228 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 880 girlsIDMontana: #156 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 599 girlsMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #156 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 803 girlsMNIllinois: #313 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 2,092 girlsILWisconsin: #236 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,628 girlsWIMichigan: #283 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 1,877 girlsMINew York: #380 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 2,477 girlsNYMassachusetts: #206 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 1,388 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: #185 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 874 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 · 16 births · 1 in 1,256 girlsIAIndiana: #186 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 925 girlsINOhio: #231 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 1,354 girlsOHPennsylvania: #192 for girls · 79 births · 1 in 1,066 girlsPANew Jersey: #244 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,419 girlsNJConnecticut: #208 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,072 girlsCTCalifornia: #364 for girls · 71 births · 1 in 2,166 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #185 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 819 girlsCONebraska: #166 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 764 girlsNEMissouri: #225 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 1,218 girlsMOKentucky: #436 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,993 girlsKYWest Virginia: #326 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,438 girlsWVVirginia: #256 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,648 girlsVAMaryland: #277 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,806 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDEArizona: #367 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,846 girlsAZNew Mexico: #327 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,531 girlsNMKansas: #202 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 920 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: #497 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 4,860 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #468 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 4,364 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #487 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,061 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #266 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,317 girlsLAMississippi: #394 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,577 girlsMSAlabama: #569 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,221 girlsALGeorgia: #390 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,897 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: #454 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 3,030 girlsTXFlorida: #362 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 2,347 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Vermont#131 · 1 in 541
  2. Montana#156 · 1 in 599
  3. Minnesota#156 · 1 in 803
  4. Nebraska#166 · 1 in 764
  5. Washington#172 · 1 in 840

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#13151 in 541
Minnesota#156351 in 803
Montana#15671 in 599
Nebraska#166131 in 764
Washington#172281 in 840
Colorado#185191 in 819
Oregon#185151 in 874
Indiana#186431 in 925
Maine#19071 in 981
Pennsylvania#192791 in 1,066
Kansas#202151 in 920
Massachusetts#206301 in 1,388
Connecticut#208191 in 1,072
Iowa#224161 in 1,256
Missouri#225271 in 1,218
Idaho#22851 in 880
Ohio#231611 in 1,354
Wisconsin#236201 in 1,628
New Jersey#244341 in 1,419
Virginia#256201 in 1,648
Louisiana#266231 in 1,317
Maryland#277141 in 1,806
Michigan#283371 in 1,877
Illinois#313401 in 2,092
West Virginia#32651 in 2,438
New Mexico#32751 in 1,531
Florida#362181 in 2,347
California#364711 in 2,166
Arizona#36771 in 1,846
New York#380551 in 2,477
Georgia#390131 in 2,897
Mississippi#39471 in 2,577
Kentucky#43661 in 3,993
Texas#454311 in 3,030
North Carolina#46891 in 4,364
South Carolina#48751 in 4,061
Tennessee#49761 in 4,860
Alabama#56951 in 5,221
Alaska———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
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 1968

girls
#293
887 births · 1 in 1,849 girls

Top girls' names in 1968

  1. #1Lisa49,534
  2. #2Michelle33,223
  3. #3Kimberly31,906
  4. #4Jennifer26,853
  5. #5Melissa21,733
  6. #6Mary21,727
  7. #7Angela20,670
  8. #8Tammy20,058
  9. #9Karen19,560
  10. #10Susan19,503
  11. #293Gretchen887
More about 1968

girls

1,640,389 girls got a published name in 1968; 1 in 1,849 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 96.4% of the 8,198 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #290Kara908
  2. #291Alison904
  3. #292Cherie892
  4. #293Gretchen887
  5. #293Amber887
  6. #295Janine882
  7. #296Rosemary876
  8. #297Tammi873

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

Biggest movers since 1967
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,132Coretta#3,656 → #524
  2. ↑ 1,257Tamika#1,980 → #723
  3. ↑ 1,150Tamiko#1,702 → #552
  4. ↑ 607Chantel#1,348 → #741
  5. ↑ 490Chantal#1,441 → #951
Fallers
  1. ↓ 602Wende#857 → #1,459
  2. ↓ 545Zina#959 → #1,504
  3. ↓ 341Evonne#970 → #1,311
  4. ↓ 294Portia#902 → #1,196
  5. ↓ 285Mariann#973 → #1,258

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

See the top 100 for 1968 →