Grethel
Every Grethel since 1904 — 630 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Grethel
Grethel is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #15,715 in 2025 with 5 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1904, 630 American babies have been named Grethel. Its peak came in 1921, when 20 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
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 Grethel stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Grethel year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | #15,715 |
| 2024 | 10 | #9,807 |
| 2023 | 16 | #7,048 |
| 2022 | 9 | #10,664 |
| 2021 | 6 | #14,096 |
| 2020 | 16 | #7,031 |
| 2019 | 13 | #8,287 |
| 2018 | 7 | #12,947 |
| 2017 | 11 | #9,545 |
| 2016 | 6 | #14,982 |
| 2015 | 12 | #9,150 |
| 2014 | 12 | #9,176 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8,290 |
| 2012 | 14 | #8,369 |
| 2011 | 15 | #7,930 |
| 2010 | 8 | #12,708 |
| 2009 | 6 | #15,924 |
| 2008 | 6 | #16,090 |
| 2007 | 7 | #14,438 |
| 2006 | 8 | #12,792 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,225 |
| 2004 | — | — |
| 2003 | 5 | #16,641 |
| 2002 | — | — |
| 2001 | 5 | #16,210 |
| 2000 | — | — |
| 1995 | 6 | #12,301 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1975 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1955 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | 6 | #4,048 |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | 9 | #3,170 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3,208 |
| 1920 | 19 | #2,034 |
| 1915 | 16 | #1,996 |
| 1910 | 7 | #2,015 |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Grethel in 2025?
Grethel ranked #15,715 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 5 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Grethel?
630 babies have been named Grethel in the United States since 1904, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Grethel most popular?
Grethel peaked in 1921, when 20 newborns received the name.
Is Grethel a boy or girl name?
Grethel is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Grethel rising or falling?
Grethel has been roughly stable over the past decade.