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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201991peak #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 1991

  • 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: #618 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,420 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: #162 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 916 girlsMNIllinois: #596 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 4,561 girlsILWisconsin: #322 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,189 girlsWIMichigan: #807 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 7,549 girlsMINew York: #512 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 3,606 girlsNYMassachusetts: #632 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 6,052 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedORNevada: 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: #361 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,585 girlsIAIndiana: #301 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 2,049 girlsINOhio: #398 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 3,051 girlsOHPennsylvania: #387 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 2,731 girlsPANew Jersey: #754 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 6,670 girlsNJConnecticut: #430 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,089 girlsCTCalifornia: #1,113 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 10,461 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedUTColorado: #594 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 4,165 girlsCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedNEMissouri: #361 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,498 girlsMOKentucky: #400 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,066 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedWVVirginia: #454 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 3,354 girlsVAMaryland: #320 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,124 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: #282 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,671 girlsKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedARTennessee: #694 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,083 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #852 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 7,970 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #539 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,579 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedALGeorgia: #668 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 5,232 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Gretchen, so not publishedHITexas: #1,133 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 10,493 girlsTXFlorida: #645 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 5,090 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Minnesota#162 · 1 in 916
  2. Kansas#282 · 1 in 1,671
  3. Indiana#301 · 1 in 2,049
  4. Maryland#320 · 1 in 2,124
  5. Wisconsin#322 · 1 in 2,189

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Minnesota#162301 in 916
Kansas#28281 in 1,671
Indiana#301171 in 2,049
Maryland#320131 in 2,124
Wisconsin#322131 in 2,189
Iowa#36161 in 2,585
Missouri#361131 in 2,498
Pennsylvania#387261 in 2,731
Ohio#398231 in 3,051
Kentucky#40071 in 3,066
Connecticut#43061 in 3,089
Virginia#454111 in 3,354
New York#512331 in 3,606
Louisiana#53971 in 3,579
Colorado#59451 in 4,165
Illinois#596171 in 4,561
Washington#61871 in 4,420
Massachusetts#63261 in 6,052
Florida#645151 in 5,090
Georgia#66881 in 5,232
Tennessee#69451 in 6,083
New Jersey#75471 in 6,670
Michigan#80781 in 7,549
North Carolina#85251 in 7,970
California#1,113251 in 10,461
Texas#1,133131 in 10,493
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arizona———
Arkansas———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
New Mexico———
North Dakota———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
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 1991

girls
#596
377 births · 1 in 4,973 girls

Top girls' names in 1991

  1. #1Ashley43,477
  2. #2Jessica43,398
  3. #3Brittany29,093
  4. #4Amanda28,896
  5. #5Samantha25,651
  6. #6Sarah25,233
  7. #7Stephanie22,775
  8. #8Jennifer20,673
  9. #9Elizabeth20,395
  10. #10Emily20,311
  11. #596Gretchen377
More about 1991

girls

1,875,007 girls got a published name in 1991; 1 in 4,973 of them was named Gretchen, which outranked 96.1% of the 15,466 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 14.9% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Gretchen
  1. #593Jana383
  2. #594Lara379
  3. #595Corina378
  4. #596Gretchen377
  5. #596Jena377
  6. #596Kristyn377
  7. #599Alycia376
  8. #600Constance375
  9. #600Viviana375

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

Biggest movers since 1990
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,600Rebeccah#2,600 → #1,000
  2. ↑ 1,221Ieshia#1,938 → #717
  3. ↑ 1,135Miriah#2,081 → #946
  4. ↑ 861Alexus#1,813 → #952
  5. ↑ 676Chynna#1,512 → #836
Fallers
  1. ↓ 568Infant#432 → #1,000
  2. ↓ 510Lakeshia#897 → #1,407
  3. ↓ 466Latifah#701 → #1,167
  4. ↓ 432Martika#757 → #1,189
  5. ↓ 416Cecily#575 → #991

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

See the top 100 for 1991 →