girls' name ★ peaked 1967

Greta

Meaning From German and Swedish Greta, a contraction of Margareta Gender Girl Rank 2025 #908 Trend ↓ Falling 32%

From German and Swedish Greta, a contraction of Margareta.

Rank 2025
#908
among girls · ↓46 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
291
named Greta · -7% vs 2024
How common
1 in 5,523
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1967
534 babies
All-time total
27,791
#875 all-time among girls
First recorded
1885
in Social Security records

Greta popularity over time

27,791 babies have been named Greta since 1885, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 44 – 44 4 – #649
1890s 190 – 190 19 +332% #561
1900s 271 – 271 27 +43% #566
1910s 741 – 741 74 +173% #568
1920s 1,168 – 1,168 117 +58% #397
1930s 2,879 5 2,884 288 +147% #317
1940s 1,266 – 1,266 127 -56% #569
1950s 2,309 – 2,309 231 +82% #521
1960s 3,462 – 3,462 346 +50% #394
1970s 2,210 – 2,210 221 -36% #544
1980s 1,416 – 1,416 142 -36% #780
1990s 1,445 – 1,445 145 +2% #856
2000s 3,755 – 3,755 376 +160% #675
2010s 4,712 – 4,712 471 +25% #575
2020s (to 2025) 1,918 – 1,918 320 -32% #740

Where Greta is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 273 0.17 outside top 500
2027 259 0.16 outside top 500
2028 247 0.15 outside top 500
2029 238 0.15 outside top 500
2030 230 0.14 outside top 500

Where Greta is most popular

Girls named Greta per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.191 per 1,000. Strongest in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Greta born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Girls 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Minnesota 209 1.94 +915%
North Dakota 18 1.37 +618%
Wisconsin 88 0.854 +348%
Utah 64 0.769 +303%
Massachusetts 57 0.471 +147%
South Dakota 6 0.420 +120%
Oregon 25 0.384 +101%
Iowa 21 0.359 +88%
Colorado 38 0.340 +78%
Washington 48 0.332 +74%
Kansas 19 0.329 +73%
Missouri 38 0.315 +65%
Illinois 63 0.275 +44%
Pennsylvania 60 0.254 +33%
Michigan 43 0.236 +24%
Indiana 29 0.207 +8%
Ohio 49 0.207 +8%
New Mexico 5 0.206 +8%
Nebraska 7 0.195 ≈ national
North Carolina 40 0.176 -8%
New York 60 0.152 -21%
Idaho 5 0.149 -22%
Tennessee 22 0.139 -27%
Texas 101 0.126 -34%
California 104 0.124 -35%
Virginia 19 0.111 -42%
Connecticut 6 0.103 -46%
Arizona 14 0.100 -48%
Maryland 7 0.066 -65%
New Jersey 6 0.033 -83%
Georgia 7 0.031 -84%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Florida – – –
Hawaii – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Nevada – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Greta

Greta is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #908 in 2025 with 291 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1885, 27,791 American babies have been named Greta. Its peak came in 1967, when 534 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Greta stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Greta?

The median living Greta is about 29 years old; half are between 13 and 58. An estimated 22 thousand people named Greta are alive in the United States today.

median 29 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Greta year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 291 #908 – –
2024 314 #862 – –
2023 283 #938 – –
2022 324 #859 – –
2021 336 #827 – –
2020 370 #740 – –
2019 462 #637 – –
2018 519 #589 – –
2017 466 #634 – –
2016 473 #633 – –
2015 533 #575 – –
2014 494 #597 – –
2013 479 #594 – –
2012 444 #642 – –
2011 411 #684 – –
2010 431 #671 – –
2009 417 #696 – –
2008 434 #696 – –
2007 434 #675 – –
2006 411 #688 – –
2005 405 #685 – –
2004 379 #708 – –
2003 376 #695 – –
2002 319 #756 – –
2001 279 #829 – –
2000 301 #757 – –
1995 132 #1,275 – –
1990 106 #1,471 – –
1985 110 #1,245 – –
1980 199 #811 – –
1975 194 #742 – –
1970 344 #544 – –
1965 255 #607 – –
1960 321 #540 – –
1955 236 #602 – –
1950 143 #718 – –
1945 95 #769 – –
1940 149 #569 – –
1935 271 #388 – –
1930 345 #360 – –
1925 67 #909 – –
1920 62 #924 – –
1915 103 #653 – –
1910 28 #817 – –
1905 38 #566 – –
1900 32 #625 – –
1895 20 #708 – –
1890 14 #741 – –
1885 6 #972 – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Greta

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Greta Thunberg Greta Thunberg Swedish activist (born 2003) Contemporary
  2. 2 Greta Gerwig Greta Gerwig American actress and filmmaker (born 1983) Contemporary
  3. 3 Greta Scacchi Greta Scacchi Italian-born actress (born 1960) Contemporary
  4. 4 Greta Garbo Greta Garbo Swedish and American actress (1905–1990) Contemporary
  5. 5 Greta Schröder Greta Schröder German actress 1891–1967 · 19th century
  6. 6 Greta Nissen Greta Nissen Norwegian-American actress (1906–1988) Contemporary
  7. 7 Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir Greta Salóme Stefánsdóttir Musical artist b. 1986 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Greta Andersen Greta Andersen Danish swimmer (1927–2023) Contemporary
  9. 9 Greta Johansson Greta Johansson Swedish diver and swimmer (1895-1978) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Greta, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Greta?

The median living Greta is about 29 years old. Half of all living Gretas are between 13 and 58 years old.

How many people named Greta are alive today?

An estimated 22 thousand people named Greta are alive in the United States, based on 27,791 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Greta mean?

From German and Swedish Greta, a contraction of Margareta.

How popular is the name Greta in 2025?

Greta ranked #908 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 291 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Greta?

27,791 babies have been named Greta in the United States since 1885, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Greta most popular?

Greta peaked in 1967, when 534 newborns received the name.

Is Greta a boy or girl name?

Greta is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Greta rising or falling?

Greta is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Greta become more popular?

Greta is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 230 girls named Greta in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Greta?

Well-known people named Greta include Greta Thunberg (social activist), Greta Gerwig (actor), Greta Scacchi (actor).

Names like Greta

Names that sound and feel close to Greta: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Greta with similar names → More names starting with G →