Gretchen is an established girls' name that peaked in 1973 and has since faded.
Gretchen is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #4,292 for girl births in the United States (and #7,471 across all names), given to 33 babies. Gretchen was first reported in SSA data in 1882 and peaked in 1973 (1,351 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | 33 | #4,292 | — |
| 2024 | 45 | 45 | #3,474 | — |
| 2023 | 65 | 65 | #2,681 | — |
| 2022 | 52 | 52 | #3,136 | — |
| 2021 | 61 | 61 | #2,797 | — |
| 2020 | 65 | 65 | #2,607 | — |
| 2019 | 71 | 71 | #2,490 | — |
| 2018 | 96 | 96 | #2,032 | — |
| 2017 | 120 | 120 | #1,758 | — |
| 2016 | 170 | 170 | #1,380 | — |
| 2015 | 162 | 162 | #1,429 | — |
| 2014 | 191 | 191 | #1,263 | — |
| 2013 | 203 | 203 | #1,187 | — |
| 2012 | 203 | 203 | #1,207 | — |
| 2011 | 234 | 234 | #1,057 | — |
| 2010 | 226 | 226 | #1,102 | — |
| 2009 | 265 | 265 | #1,002 | — |
| 2008 | 283 | 289 | #954 | — |
| 2007 | 316 | 316 | #883 | — |
| 2006 | 355 | 361 | #779 | — |
| 2005 | 349 | 358 | #762 | — |
| 2004 | 275 | 294 | #886 | — |
| 2003 | 316 | 328 | #782 | — |
| 2002 | 285 | 299 | #816 | — |
| 2001 | 313 | 325 | #764 | — |
| 2000 | 310 | 329 | #743 | — |
| 1999 | 301 | 326 | #746 | — |
| 1998 | 290 | 321 | #747 | — |
| 1997 | 283 | — | #752 | — |
| 1996 | 290 | — | #722 | — |
| 1995 | 283 | — | #724 | — |
| 1994 | 281 | — | #739 | — |
| 1993 | 320 | — | #682 | — |
| 1992 | 317 | — | #683 | — |
| 1991 | 377 | — | #596 | — |
| 1990 | 356 | — | #628 | — |
| 1989 | 430 | — | #534 | — |
| 1988 | 344 | — | #588 | — |
| 1987 | 359 | — | #559 | — |
| 1986 | 405 | — | #513 | — |
| 1985 | 451 | — | #470 | — |
| 1984 | 524 | — | #404 | — |
| 1983 | 596 | — | #374 | — |
| 1982 | 747 | — | #325 | — |
| 1981 | 895 | — | #276 | — |
| 1980 | 923 | — | #271 | #5,793 |
| 1979 | 930 | — | #262 | — |
| 1978 | 947 | — | #251 | — |
| 1977 | 1,044 | — | #238 | — |
| 1976 | 1,223 | — | #198 | — |
| 1975 | 1,184 | — | #209 | #3,760 |
| 1974 | 1,286 | — | #199 | #3,971 |
| 1973 | 1,351 | — | #191 | — |
| 1972 | 1,261 | — | #221 | — |
| 1971 | 1,347 | — | #224 | — |
| 1970 | 1,249 | — | #251 | #5,001 |
| 1969 | 1,106 | — | #263 | — |
| 1968 | 887 | — | #294 | — |
| 1967 | 968 | — | #271 | — |
| 1966 | 960 | — | #269 | — |
| 1965 | 906 | — | #295 | — |
| 1964 | 974 | — | #294 | — |
| 1963 | 962 | — | #299 | — |
| 1962 | 1,001 | — | #289 | — |
| 1961 | 1,044 | — | #285 | — |
| 1960 | 937 | — | #306 | — |
| 1959 | 817 | — | #334 | #4,222 |
| 1958 | 687 | — | #350 | — |
| 1957 | 570 | — | #381 | #4,213 |
| 1956 | 567 | — | #369 | — |
| 1955 | 575 | — | #366 | — |
| 1954 | 563 | — | #367 | — |
| 1953 | 578 | — | #351 | — |
| 1952 | 583 | — | #343 | — |
| 1951 | 618 | — | #318 | — |
| 1950 | 545 | — | #329 | — |
| 1949 | 608 | — | #316 | — |
| 1948 | 640 | — | #303 | — |
| 1947 | 570 | — | #332 | — |
| 1946 | 567 | — | #309 | — |
| 1945 | 493 | — | #308 | — |
| 1944 | 490 | — | #303 | — |
| 1943 | 448 | — | #332 | — |
| 1942 | 464 | — | #321 | — |
| 1941 | 441 | — | #310 | — |
| 1940 | 471 | — | #289 | — |
| 1939 | 420 | — | #298 | — |
| 1938 | 483 | — | #285 | — |
| 1937 | 350 | — | #334 | — |
| 1936 | 303 | — | #363 | — |
| 1935 | 301 | — | #364 | — |
| 1934 | 288 | — | #373 | — |
| 1933 | 240 | — | #414 | — |
| 1932 | 233 | — | #430 | — |
| 1931 | 198 | — | #459 | — |
| 1930 | 178 | — | #500 | — |
| 1929 | 152 | — | #556 | — |
| 1928 | 177 | — | #521 | — |
| 1927 | 142 | — | #596 | — |
| 1926 | 143 | — | #593 | — |
| 1925 | 144 | — | #606 | — |
| 1924 | 123 | — | #671 | — |
| 1923 | 149 | — | #594 | — |
| 1922 | 149 | — | #589 | — |
| 1921 | 144 | — | #604 | — |
| 1920 | 131 | — | #626 | — |
| 1919 | 128 | — | #620 | — |
| 1918 | 176 | — | #523 | — |
| 1917 | 246 | — | #402 | — |
| 1916 | 296 | — | #357 | — |
| 1915 | 288 | — | #351 | — |
| 1914 | 196 | — | #380 | — |
| 1913 | 158 | — | #385 | — |
| 1912 | 134 | — | #398 | — |
| 1911 | 80 | — | #459 | — |
| 1910 | 95 | — | #403 | — |
| 1909 | 66 | — | #463 | — |
| 1908 | 60 | — | #466 | — |
| 1907 | 47 | — | #526 | — |
| 1906 | 55 | — | #461 | — |
| 1905 | 42 | — | #533 | — |
| 1904 | 44 | — | #497 | — |
| 1903 | 39 | — | #517 | — |
| 1902 | 30 | — | #605 | — |
| 1901 | 41 | — | #471 | — |
| 1900 | 55 | — | #454 | — |
| 1899 | 37 | — | #485 | — |
| 1898 | 39 | — | #496 | — |
| 1897 | 26 | — | #601 | — |
| 1896 | 40 | — | #459 | — |
| 1895 | 35 | — | #494 | — |
| 1894 | 24 | — | #600 | — |
| 1893 | 32 | — | #480 | — |
| 1892 | 24 | — | #569 | — |
| 1891 | 34 | — | #435 | — |
| 1890 | 29 | — | #485 | — |
| 1889 | 22 | — | #548 | — |
| 1888 | 18 | — | #598 | — |
| 1887 | 16 | — | #571 | — |
| 1886 | 11 | — | #710 | — |
| 1885 | 5 | — | #1,109 | — |
| 1884 | 6 | — | #965 | — |
| 1883 | 7 | — | #781 | — |
| 1882 | 10 | — | #613 | — |