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Name Lineage

    The first name Gretchen

    A girl’s name from German.

    Pronounced /ˈɡɹɛt͡ʃən/ 2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    German origin

    A female given name from German origin; a pet form of Margaret.

    Gretchen is a short form of

    .

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    Gretchen last appeared in the official list in 2017, given to 4 girls. It peaked in 2014, with 8 births (#2,862).

    0510 1996200020052010201520202025
    30
    babies named Gretchen, 1996–2025
    #4,763
    rank in 2017
    2014
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Gretchen with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Gretchen at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 33 girls born in the United States were named Gretchen, the 4,292nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1973, when 1,351 were.

    01,0002,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    53,837
    babies named Gretchen since 1880
    #4,292
    rank in 2025
    1973
    peak year

    US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.

    Famous people named Gretchen

    22 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Gretchen Whitmer
      American politician and attorney (born 1971)
    • Gretchen Mol
      American actress and former model, born 1972
    • Gretchen Carlson
      American broadcast journalist, author, television personality and female empowerment advoc, born 1966
    • Gretchen Walsh
      American swimmer, born 2003
    • Gretchen Fraser
      American alpine skier (1919-1994)
    • Gretchen C. Daily
      American biologist, born 1964
    • Gretchen Wilson
      American country singer, born 1973
    • Gretchen Bleiler
      American snowboarder, born 1981
    • Gretchen Lederer
      Actress, 1891–1955
    • Gretchen Egolf
      American actress, born 1973
    • Gretchen Corbett
      American actress (born 1945)
    • Gretchen Peters
      American musician, born 1957

    More German girls’ names

    All 62 names of German origin

    Questions

    What is the origin of the name Gretchen?
    Gretchen comes from German.
    How popular is the name Gretchen?
    In 2017, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Gretchen, ranking 4,763rd. Its peak was 2014, with 8 births.
    Is Gretchen a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 53,837 US babies named Gretchen since 1880 were girls.
    When was Gretchen most popular?
    1973 in the United States, when 1,351 babies were named Gretchen, its highest rank at 191st.
    How do you pronounce Gretchen?
    Gretchen is /ˈɡɹɛt͡ʃən/, 2 syllables.