Gretchen

German, diminutive of Margarethe
"pearl"

Gretchen Origin and Meaning

The name Gretchen is a girl's name of German origin meaning "pearl".

Like Greta, Gretchen is a German Margaret diminutive that has become an American quasi-classic, though not much used today, having dropped off the list in 2009. She was at her high point in the 1970s, making it into the top 200.

Gretchen appears in Goethe's Faust, and has been seen more recently on Heroes and Breaking Bad. The name is currently enjoying a dash of modern glamour via actress Gretchen Mol.

# 996 in the US

Gretchen Rank in US Top 1000

# 829 on Nameberry

Gretchen Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Gretchen Popularity

Famous People Named Gretchen

  • Gretchen Mol
    American actress
  • Gretchen Craft Rubin
    American author and attorney
  • Gretchen Frances Wilson
    American country singer
  • Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson
    Miss America 1989
  • Gretchen Christine Rossi
    American reality TV personality of "Real Housewives of Orange County"
  • Gretchen Inga Geraghty
    American YouTuber
  • Gretchen Barretto
    Filipina actress
  • Gretchen Egolf
    American actress
  • Gretchen
    stage name of Maria Odete Brito de Miranda, Brazilian celebrity
  • Gretchen Esther Whitmer
    American politician from Michigan

Gretchen in Pop Culture

  • Gretchen Weiners
    character in the movie "Mean Girls"
  • Gretchen
    minor character in "Phineas and Ferb"
  • Gretchen Priscilla Grundler
    one of the main characters on animated series "Recess"
  • Greedy Gretchen
    character on TV's "Three's Company"
  • Gretchen
    character in book series "The Popularity Papers"
  • Gretchen Ross
    Jena Malone's character in "Donnie Darko"
  • Gretchen Louise Morgan
    character in "Prison Break"
  • Gretchen Berg
    from the TV show "Heroes"
  • Gretchen
    a side character in cartoon "Bob's Burgers"
  • Gretchen
    minor character on "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"
  • Gretchen Witter
    Pacey's sister on "Dawson's Creek"
  • Gretchen Cutler
    main character on "You're the Worst"
  • Gretchen
    character in Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy
  • Gretchen
    character on TV's Weeds
  • Gretchen Cutler
    a character from You're the Worst
  • Gretchen Schwartz
    character on TV's Breaking Bad
  • Gretchen
    character in the animated series “Invader Zim”
  • Gretchen Mannkusser
    character from Malcolm in the Middle
  • Gretchen
    character on animated series Camp Lazlo
  • Gretchen Grietchelson
    character from Camp Lakebottom
  • Gretchen Grimlock
    character in online game Poptropica.
  • Kriemhild Gretchen
    the witch form of Madoka Kaname, a character in manga/anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica
  • Gretchen Bodinski
    character on TV's Suits
  • Gretchen
    a character in George Tabori's farce stage,adoptation of Hitler's Mein Kampf