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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201971peak #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 1971

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #129 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 409 girlsAKMaine: #151 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 646 girlsMEVermont: #88 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 313 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #172 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 818 girlsNHWashington: #152 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 677 girlsWAIdaho: #196 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 698 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #107 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 451 girlsMNIllinois: #257 for girls · 62 births · 1 in 1,334 girlsILWisconsin: #147 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 773 girlsWIMichigan: #207 for girls · 63 births · 1 in 1,095 girlsMINew York: #254 for girls · 92 births · 1 in 1,361 girlsNYMassachusetts: #141 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 783 girlsMARhode Island: #179 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 997 girlsRIOregon: #162 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 668 girlsORNevada: #138 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 495 girlsNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSDIowa: #157 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 742 girlsIAIndiana: #200 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 1,028 girlsINOhio: #149 for girls · 110 births · 1 in 761 girlsOHPennsylvania: #127 for girls · 132 births · 1 in 609 girlsPANew Jersey: #254 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 1,366 girlsNJConnecticut: #181 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 971 girlsCTCalifornia: #234 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 1,216 girlsCAUtah: #295 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,541 girlsUTColorado: #170 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 749 girlsCONebraska: #216 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,060 girlsNEMissouri: #146 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 743 girlsMOKentucky: #223 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,181 girlsKYWest Virginia: #209 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 1,086 girlsWVVirginia: #216 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 1,102 girlsVAMaryland: #235 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,234 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDEArizona: #377 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,886 girlsAZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNMKansas: #169 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 752 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: #290 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,830 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #389 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 3,097 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #387 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,593 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #400 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,521 girlsOKLouisiana: #225 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 1,041 girlsLAMississippi: #524 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,730 girlsMSAlabama: #586 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 5,315 girlsALGeorgia: #447 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,530 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: #347 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 1,888 girlsTXFlorida: #358 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 2,171 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Vermont#88 · 1 in 313
  2. Minnesota#107 · 1 in 451
  3. Pennsylvania#127 · 1 in 609
  4. Alaska#129 · 1 in 409
  5. Nevada#138 · 1 in 495

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#8891 in 313
Minnesota#107601 in 451
Pennsylvania#1271321 in 609
Alaska#12961 in 409
Nevada#13861 in 495
Massachusetts#141501 in 783
Missouri#146461 in 743
Wisconsin#147401 in 773
Ohio#1491101 in 761
Maine#151111 in 646
Washington#152331 in 677
Iowa#157261 in 742
Oregon#162201 in 668
Kansas#169181 in 752
Colorado#170221 in 749
New Hampshire#17261 in 818
Rhode Island#17961 in 997
Connecticut#181191 in 971
Idaho#19671 in 698
Indiana#200401 in 1,028
Michigan#207631 in 1,095
West Virginia#209121 in 1,086
Nebraska#216101 in 1,060
Virginia#216301 in 1,102
Kentucky#223221 in 1,181
Louisiana#225281 in 1,041
California#2341221 in 1,216
Maryland#235191 in 1,234
New Jersey#254341 in 1,366
New York#254921 in 1,361
Illinois#257621 in 1,334
Tennessee#290171 in 1,830
Utah#29571 in 1,541
Texas#347551 in 1,888
Florida#358221 in 2,171
Arizona#37781 in 1,886
South Carolina#38781 in 2,593
North Carolina#389131 in 3,097
Oklahoma#40071 in 2,521
Georgia#447111 in 3,530
Mississippi#52451 in 3,730
Alabama#58651 in 5,315
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Montana———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
South Dakota———
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 1971

girls
#224
1,347 births · 1 in 1,235 girls

Top girls' names in 1971

  1. #1Jennifer56,771
  2. #2Michelle33,160
  3. #3Lisa32,907
  4. #4Kimberly30,708
  5. #5Amy26,237
  6. #6Angela25,901
  7. #7Melissa23,875
  8. #8Tammy17,656
  9. #9Mary16,703
  10. #10Julie15,322
  11. #224Gretchen1,347
More about 1971

girls

1,663,823 girls got a published name in 1971; 1 in 1,235 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 97.7% of the 9,645 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #221Rosa1,377
  2. #222Joanna1,372
  3. #223Norma1,361
  4. #224Gretchen1,347
  5. #225Vickie1,332
  6. #226Candace1,308
  7. #227Marsha1,305
Biggest movers since 1970
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,115Yesenia#2,522 → #407
  2. ↑ 1,431Shayla#2,267 → #836
  3. ↑ 853Ebony#1,681 → #828
  4. ↑ 749Consuela#1,706 → #957
  5. ↑ 510Candida#1,196 → #686
Fallers
  1. ↓ 572Sebrina#916 → #1,488
  2. ↓ 382Janene#684 → #1,066
  3. ↓ 375Treena#989 → #1,364
  4. ↓ 356Tisa#910 → #1,266
  5. ↓ 351Shaun#929 → #1,280

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

See the top 100 for 1971 →