Gretel
Gretel is a German shortening of the given name Margarete, meaning "pearl".
- German
- Literature
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 (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- German
- Literature
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
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.
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
- Gettle
- Gradle
- Crittle
- Getal
- Credle
- Credal
- Crotal
- Crottle
- Crottal
- Grizzle
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gretel
What does the name Gretel mean?
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How popular is Gretel in 2026?
When was Gretel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Gretel most popular?
Is Gretel a unisex name?
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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 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.