Gretchen
Gretchen is a girl's name of Germanic origin.
Meaning
Pearl.
Origin and history
Gretchen originated as a German diminutive of Grete, which is short for Margaret. Derived from the Greek word for pearl, it gained international recognition through Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's classic drama Faust. In the United States, it reached peak popularity in the late 20th century and remains a distinctive classic.
Popularity in the United States
53,799 babies in the United States have been named Gretchen since 1880. It ranks #556 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #1780.
States where it is most popular
- PA (8.8 %)
- OH (8.3 %)
- CA (7.8 %)
- NY (7.4 %)
- IL (5.8 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 95 |
| 1890-1900 | 320 |
| 1900-1910 | 479 |
| 1910-1920 | 1,797 |
| 1920-1930 | 1,454 |
| 1930-1940 | 2,994 |
| 1940-1950 | 5,192 |
| 1950-1960 | 6,093 |
| 1960-1970 | 9,745 |
| 1970-1980 | 11,800 |
| 1980-1990 | 5,668 |
| 1990-2000 | 3,098 |
| 2000-2010 | 3,067 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,676 |
| 2020-2029 | 321 |
Famous people named Gretchen
- Gretchen Carlson: Journalist, Advocate
- Gretchen Wilson: Singer, Songwriter
- Gretchen Mol: Actress
Fun facts
- The name achieved literary fame as the central female character in Goethe's famous tragedy Faust.
- It originated in German as a pet form of Margaret using the diminutive suffix '-chen'.