At a Glance
- Meaning
- Literally 'little Grete'; pearl via Margaret
- Origin
- German (diminutive of Grete)
- Gender
- Girl
- Pronunciation
- GRETCH-en
Gretchen is a German (diminutive of Grete) girl's name meaning “literally 'little Grete'; pearl via Margaret”. It appears in our list of 200+ Southern Gothic Baby Names With Dark Charm and Romance.
Meaning & Origin of Gretchen
Meaning: Literally 'little Grete'; pearl via Margaret.
Origin: German (diminutive of Grete).
A common claim: pearl Actually: Often glossed simply as 'pearl' via Margaret, but the literal formation is a diminutive meaning 'little Grete/Greta' — pearl is the more distant root, not the direct translation.
Source: Wiktionary, Wikipedia.
How to Pronounce Gretchen
GRETCH-enIPA /ˈɡrɛtʃən/
Popularity of Gretchen
Lists That Include Gretchen
Similar Names
Guinevere · Georgiana · Ambrose · Genevieve · Barnabas · Florentine
