ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1915

First Year

2026

Last Year

2022

Peak Year

#2578

Peak Rank

2K

Total Count

95

Years Active

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## Meaning & Origin of Gretel

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Gretel is a German shortening of the given name Margarete, meaning "pearl".

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretel) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretel)

### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

* German
* Literature

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Gretel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/32/Hansel_and_Gretel_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_19993.jpg/330px-Hansel_and_Gretel_-_Project_Gutenberg_etext_19993.jpg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretel)

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## The Story of Gretel

The earliest SSA record of Gretel as a baby girl name dates back to 1915, when 7 babies received it. 2022 was its biggest year on record, with 68 newborns named Gretel — #2,578 in the national rankings. About 28% of every Gretel on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Gretel ranks #3,047 for baby girls with 53 births, rising sharply (+25% over the past five years). All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to 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

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## Variants & Related Forms of Gretel

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gretel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Greta](/greta)
* [Gretchen](/gretchen)
* [Grete](/grete)
* Greti
* [Grit](/grit)
* Madicken
* Madita
* [Marga](/marga)
* [Margareta](/margareta)
* [Margarete](/margarete)
* [Margaretha](/margaretha)
* [Margarethe](/margarethe)
* [Margit](/margit)
* Margitta
* [Margot](/margot)
* [Margret](/margret)
* [Margrit](/margrit)
* Margrith
* [Meta](/meta)
* [Rita](/rita)

🎶

## Names that sound like Gretel

Phonetically similar names — useful when Gretel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* Griddle
* [Gretta](/gretta)
* Gettle
* Gradle
* Crittle
* Getal
* Credle
* Credal
* Crotal
* Crottle
* Crottal
* Grizzle

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Gretel

What does the name Gretel mean?

Gretel is a German shortening of the given name Margarete, meaning "pearl".

What is the origin of the name Gretel?

Gretel has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: German, Literature.

How popular is Gretel in 2026?

In 2026, Gretel ranks #3,047 among girls' names in the U.S., with 53 babies given the name that year.

When was Gretel most popular?

Gretel reached its peak popularity in 2022, ranking #2,578 that year with 68 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Gretel most popular?

Gretel has historically been most popular in South Carolina, Texas, Georgia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Gretel.

Is Gretel a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Gretel is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Gretel?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Gretel include Aletheia, Kahlia, Luretha. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Gretel?

Common variants and related forms of Gretel include Greta, Gretchen, Grete, Greti, Grit, Madicken. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

## Similar Names

[👧AletheiaPeak #2578](/aletheia)[👧KahliaPeak #2578](/kahlia)[👧LurethaPeak #2577](/luretha)[👧VearPeak #2579](/vear)[👧SherraPeak #2577](/sherra)[👧JaneenePeak #2579](/janeene)[👧AngenettePeak #2577](/angenette)[👧KimberyPeak #2577](/kimbery)

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## About the name Gretel 

Gretel is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Gretel's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #2,578\. Use the chart and map above to compare Gretel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 2022 → ](/year/2022)
* [ Names of the 2020s → ](/decade/2020s)
* [ 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. 

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