Gretel
Girl name · #3258 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Gretel? In official American birth records, Gretel has been tracked continuously since 1915, giving it 110 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 48 baby girls were named Gretel, placing it at #3258 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4069, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 37,500 girls born in 2025 was named Gretel.
Babies named Gretel per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 110-year story
Gretel first appears in the Social Security records in 1915, when 7 girls received the name. Its all-time peak is essentially right now: 2022, with 68 babies and a rank of #2579. Names at their peak can keep climbing — or be one trend cycle from the long slide that eventually hits most popular names. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Gretel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Gretel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Gretel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Gretel will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Gretel is most common
State-level data for Gretel is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Gretel
Statistically, parents drawn to Gretel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gittel, Grettel, Cristel, Raizel, and Israel.
GittelGrettelCristelRaizelIsraelPerelHayzelRebel
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Gretel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 | #3249 |
| 2024 | 49 | #3225 |
| 2023 | 50 | #3225 |
| 2022 | 68 | #2579 |
| 2021 | 49 | #3250 |
| 2020 | 43 | #3498 |
| 2019 | 40 | #3718 |
| 2018 | 45 | #3438 |
| 2017 | 41 | #3697 |
| 2016 | 57 | #2934 |
| 2015 | 36 | #4069 |
| 2014 | 63 | #2739 |
| 2013 | 46 | #3404 |
| 2012 | 37 | #4047 |
| 2011 | 37 | #3999 |
| 2010 | 33 | #4397 |
| 2009 | 25 | #5537 |
| 2008 | 19 | #6799 |
| 2007 | 15 | #8098 |
| 2006 | 20 | #6356 |
| 2005 | 20 | #5999 |
| 2004 | 20 | #5969 |
| 2003 | 21 | #5586 |
| 2002 | 14 | #7444 |
| 2001 | 22 | #5174 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Gretel?
In official American birth records, the name Gretel first appeared in 1915 (over 110 years ago), when 7 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 110 years.
Is Gretel a popular girl name?
Gretel ranked #3258 among girls in 2025 with 48 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4069.
When was the name Gretel most popular?
Gretel peaked in 2022, when 68 American girls received the name (ranked #2579 that year). That peak is current — the name is at or near its all-time high right now.
How rare is the name Gretel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 37,500 newborn American girls was named Gretel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.