ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 1882 First Year 2026 Last Year 1973 Peak Year #191 Peak Rank 54K Total Count 145 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Gretchen What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Gretchen is a female given name of German origin that is most prevalent in the United States. Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen) ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * German * English 📖 ## The Story of Gretchen Gretchen first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1882, with 10 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1973: 1,350 births, good for #191 nationwide. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 22% of all recorded Gretchens. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,507 among baby girl names with 44 births, falling sharply (-39%). In total, more than 54K Gretchens have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time ## Popularity by State ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Gretchen Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gretchen. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Grete](/grete) * [Gretel](/gretel) * Greti * [Grit](/grit) * [Marga](/marga) * [Margaret](/margaret) * [Margareta](/margareta) * [Margarete](/margarete) * [Margaretha](/margaretha) * [Margarethe](/margarethe) * [Margaretta](/margaretta) * [Margarette](/margarette) * [Margery](/margery) * [Margit](/margit) * Margitta * [Margret](/margret) * [Margrit](/margrit) * Margrith * [Marjorie](/marjorie) * [Marjory](/marjory) * [Meta](/meta) ⭐ ## Notable people named Gretchen A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia. * ●Gretchen (singer) (born 1959), Brazilian singer * ●Gretchen Abaniel (born 1985), Filipino professional boxer * ●Gretchen Albrecht (born 1943), New Zealand painter * ●Gretchen Andrew (born 1988), American artist * ●Gretchen Baer (born 1963), American painter * ●Gretchen Bangert (born 1966), American politician * ●Gretchen Barretto (born 1970), Filipina actress * ●Gretchen J. Berg (born 1971), an American TV writer/producer Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen) 🎶 ## Names that sound like Gretchen Phonetically similar names — useful when Gretchen is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Grecian * [Gresham](/gresham) * [Gratian](/gratian) * Grenon * Groschen * Grison * [Grisham](/grisham) * Grillen * Grouching * Gritten * Grisson * Gritton Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Gretchen What does the name Gretchen mean? Gretchen is a female given name of German origin that is most prevalent in the United States. What is the origin of the name Gretchen? Gretchen has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: German, English. How popular is Gretchen in 2026? In 2026, Gretchen ranks #3,507 among girls' names in the U.S., with 44 babies given the name that year. When was Gretchen most popular? Gretchen reached its peak popularity in 1973, ranking #191 that year with 1,350 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Gretchen most popular? Gretchen has historically been most popular in Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gretchen. Is Gretchen a unisex name? In U.S. Social Security records, Gretchen is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name. What names go well with Gretchen? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gretchen include Lida, Eugenia, Tessa. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Gretchen? Common variants and related forms of Gretchen include Grete, Gretel, Greti, Grit, Marga, Margaret. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names [👧LidaPeak #190](/lida)[👧EugeniaPeak #190](/eugenia)[👧TessaPeak #190](/tessa)[👧DakotaPeak #190](/dakota)[👧MaliaPeak #192](/malia)[👧LuannPeak #192](/luann)[👧KianaPeak #190](/kiana)[👧AddysonPeak #192](/addyson) ## About the name Gretchen Gretchen is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 54K births in the dataset. Gretchen's peak popularity came in 1973 when it ranked #191\. Use the chart and map above to compare Gretchen's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1973 → ](/year/1973) * [ Names of the 1970s → ](/decade/1970s) * [ Names starting with "G" → ](/letter/g) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.