Gretta: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#5,466

among girls · ↓1,050 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

named Gretta · -28% vs 2024

How common

1 in 69,881

girls born in 2025

Peak year

1966

100 babies

All-time total

4,139

#2,918 all-time among girls

First recorded

1881

in Social Security records

Gretta popularity over time

4,139 babies have been named Gretta since 1881, 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

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	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	38	4	–	#872
1890s	98	10	+158%	#800
1900s	110	11	+12%	#1,014
1910s	206	21	+87%	#1,045
1920s	260	26	+26%	#1,295
1930s	389	39	+50%	#1,049
1940s	315	32	-19%	#1,240
1950s	314	31	0%	#1,656
1960s	491	49	+56%	#1,043
1970s	337	34	-31%	#1,670
1980s	193	19	-43%	#2,871
1990s	234	23	+21%	#3,339
2000s	423	42	+81%	#2,880
2010s	543	54	+28%	#2,594
2020s (to 2025)	188	31	-42%	#3,787

Where Gretta 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	22	0.01	outside top 500
2027	20	0.01	outside top 500
2028	19	0.01	outside top 500
2029	19	0.01	outside top 500
2030	18	0.01	outside top 500

The story of Gretta

Gretta is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #5,466 in 2025 with 23 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1881, 4,139 American babies have been named Gretta. Its peak came in 1966, when 100 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 Gretta stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Gretta?

The median living Gretta is about 41 years old; half are between 16 and 61. An estimated 2,900 people named Gretta are alive in the United States today.

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

Gretta year by year

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

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	23	#5,466
2024	32	#4,416
2023	31	#4,497
2022	40	#3,787
2021	30	#4,547
2020	32	#4,296
2019	52	#3,108
2018	47	#3,361
2017	50	#3,214
2016	64	#2,716
2015	51	#3,231
2014	46	#3,450
2013	63	#2,737
2012	58	#2,946
2011	42	#3,685
2010	70	#2,594
2009	46	#3,531
2008	38	#4,117
2007	49	#3,395
2006	35	#4,191
2005	57	#2,880
2004	45	#3,353
2003	39	#3,620
2002	29	#4,318
2001	44	#3,159
2000	41	#3,294
1995	26	#4,012
1990	16	#5,640
1985	13	#5,460
1980	29	#3,021
1975	34	#2,374
1970	47	#1,865
1965	27	#2,313
1960	53	#1,527
1955	28	#2,037
1950	27	#1,848
1945	31	#1,460
1940	35	#1,255
1935	42	#1,077
1930	34	#1,300
1925	19	#2,067
1920	25	#1,678
1915	31	#1,270
1910	10	#1,564
1905	13	#1,072
1900	12	#1,132
1895	16	#800
1890	11	#847
1885	5	#1,110
1880	–	–

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Gretta?

The median living Gretta is about 41 years old. Half of all living Grettas are between 16 and 61 years old.

How many people named Gretta are alive today?

An estimated 2,900 people named Gretta are alive in the United States, based on 4,139 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Gretta mean?

From Margaret. A rare variant of Greta.

How popular is the name Gretta in 2025?

Gretta ranked #5,466 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 23 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Gretta?

4,139 babies have been named Gretta in the United States since 1881, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Gretta most popular?

Gretta peaked in 1966, when 100 newborns received the name.

Is Gretta a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Gretta rising or falling?

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

Will Gretta become more popular?

Gretta is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 18 girls named Gretta in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Gretta

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

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