Total births
630
Girls' name · since 1904
Grethel
Grethel has 630 recorded births since 1904 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1921 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #9591
- among girls today
- 630
- born since 1904
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Grethel is the #9591 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 630 recorded since 1904.
Grethel has 630 recorded births among girls since 1904, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #9591 as of the latest data, more common than 46% of girls, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1904 to 2025.
- #9591 among girls today
- 630 born since 1904
- 1910s peak decade
- 46% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Grethel is currently the #9591 girls' name in America, more common than 46% of girls - 630 born since 1904, peaking in the 1910s.
- #9591
- among girls today
- 630
- born since 1904
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 46%
- more common than other girls
Grethel vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#9591
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 46% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
20% of everyone ever named Grethel was born in this single decade.
1921
Single peak year
20 babies were named Grethel in 1921 - its busiest year on record.
How Grethel compares
630 Top 40% higher than 60% 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
Grethel's all-time total is 65% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Grethel | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 630 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 20 | 48 | 19,840 |
Grethel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Grethel splits its recorded history at 1948: 45% of all births land in the more recent half, 55% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1904 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1921 peak of 20 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Grethel at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1921
Current rank
#9,591
Active since
1904
Grethel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1904–2025
- Peak year (1921)
- 20
- Annual births at peak, across 122 years of records
Grethel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Grethel's strongest decade.
128 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Grethel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 27
1900s
27 births
- 1910s
1910s
128 births
- 1920s
1920s
110 births
- 1930s
1930s
52 births
- 1940s 39
1940s
39 births
- 1950s 11
1950s
11 births
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
- 1990s 29
1990s
29 births
- 2000s 45
2000s
45 births
- 2010s
2010s
112 births
- 2020s
2020s
62 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 128 births (20% of all-time use).
How Grethel 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 Grethel's total volume
Grethel vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Grethel by state
Where Grethel concentrates geographically, total births since 1904
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 24 | 3.8% |
| #2 | Kentucky | | 12 | 1.9% |
| #3 | California | | 6 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 5 | 0.8% |
| #5 | West Virginia | | 5 | 0.8% |
Texas share of Grethel's total US births 3.8%
Even split
24 of 630 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 5 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Grethel? ▼
Since 1904, Social Security records show 630 babies named Grethel. Today it holds rank #9591 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1921, with 20 births.
When was Grethel most popular? ▼
Grethel was most popular in the 1910s decade with 128 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
Where is Grethel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Grethel are Texas (24 births), Kentucky (12 births), California (6 births).
How long has the name Grethel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Grethel since 1904 -- 122 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Grethel? ▼
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 Grethel's data
- Grethel's usage has stayed within range of its 1910s decade-level peak (128 total births) through the 2020s (62) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- Texas records the most Grethels (24 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 Grethel
Nearby Names Like Grethel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Grethel
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 Grethel side by side: Grethel vs Gretchen Grethel vs Greta Grethel vs Grecia
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Grethel
Warren #9590
984 births · Peak 1929
Hyla #9592
560 births · Peak 1931
Delphina #9589
910 births · Peak 1921
Ludmila #9593
288 births · Peak 1916
Delena #9588
2,173 births · Peak 1967
Florentina #9594
1,056 births · Peak 1928
Daniel #9587
8,279 births · Peak 1985
Vickie #9595
110,046 births · Peak 1956
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, 1904–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Grethel: #9591 Girls' Name - 630 Births, Peak 1921." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/grethel. 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 Grethel 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.