Total births
1,514
Girls' name · since 1915
Gretel
1,514 babies named Gretel in U.S. Social Security records since 1915, with the highest year being 2022. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #3235
- among girls today
- 1,514
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Gretel currently ranks #3235 among girls' names in America, with 1,514 babies recorded since 1915.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Gretel has been recorded 1,514 times among girls since 1915, currently ranked #3235 nationally and more common than 82% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #3235 among girls today
- 1,514 born since 1915
- 2010s peak decade
- 82% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Gretel is currently the #3235 girls' name in America, more common than 82% of girls - 1,514 born since 1915, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3235
- among girls today
- 1,514
- born since 1915
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 82%
- more common than other girls
Gretel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#3235
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 82% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
29% of everyone ever named Gretel was born in this single decade.
2022
Single peak year
68 babies were named Gretel in 2022 - its busiest year on record.
How Gretel compares
1,514 Top 25% higher than 75% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Gretel's all-time total is 4x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Gretel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,514 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 68 | 48 | 19,840 |
Gretel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Gretel splits its recorded history at 1979: 76% of all births land in the more recent half, 24% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1922 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2022 peak of 68 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Gretel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2022
Current rank
#3,235
Active since
1915
Gretel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (2022)
- 68
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Gretel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Gretel's strongest decade.
435 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 29% of all-time use.
Gretel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 13
1910s
13 births
- 1920s 31
1920s
31 births
- 1930s 69
1930s
69 births
- 1940s 25
1940s
25 births
- 1950s 51
1950s
51 births
- 1960s 87
1960s
87 births
- 1970s 114
1970s
114 births
- 1980s 99
1980s
99 births
- 1990s 90
1990s
90 births
- 2000s
2000s
193 births
- 2010s
2010s
435 births
- 2020s
2020s
307 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 435 births (29% of all-time use).
How Gretel compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Gretel's total volume
Gretel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Gretel by state
Where Gretel concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 183 | 12.1% |
| #2 | California | | 140 | 9.2% |
| #3 | Florida | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 10 | 0.7% |
| #5 | South Carolina | | 5 | 0.3% |
Texas share of Gretel's total US births 12.1%
Even split
183 of 1,514 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Gretel? ▼
Since 1915, Social Security records show 1,514 babies named Gretel. Today it holds rank #3235 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2022, with 68 births.
When was Gretel most popular? ▼
Gretel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 435 total births. The single peak year was 2022.
Where is Gretel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Gretel are Texas (183 births), California (140 births), Florida (10 births).
How long has the name Gretel been used? ▼
Records for Gretel go back to 1915, giving 111 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Gretel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Gretchen, Greta, Grecia, Gretta, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Gretel's data
- Gretel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (435 total births) through the 2020s (307) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Gretels (183 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Gretel
Nearby Names Like Gretel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Gretel
Gretchen Girl
#3463 53,799 births
Greta Girl
#861 27,786 births
Grecia Girl
#1159 6,318 births
Gretta Girl
#4391 4,139 births
Greer Girl
#1987 3,085 births
Compare Gretel side by side: Gretel vs Gretchen Gretel vs Greta Gretel vs Grecia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Gretel
Avelina #3234
1,804 births · Peak 2025
Alona #3236
3,197 births · Peak 1985
Sandy #3233
69,072 births · Peak 1960
Wilder #3237
638 births · Peak 2022
Zenaida #3232
2,972 births · Peak 2023
Mylie #3238
1,982 births · Peak 2008
Talitha #3231
3,521 births · Peak 1982
Cristel #3239
1,037 births · Peak 2011
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1915–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Gretel: #3235 Girls' Name - 1,514 Births, Peak 2022." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/gretel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Gretel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.