Given name
Gretta
“resembling a pearl”
Gretta is a variant of Greta. One German interpretation is “resembling a pearl.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Gretta is a variant of Greta. One German interpretation is “resembling a pearl.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Gretta is a short form of Margaret. Margaret has been associated with Greek and Hebrew naming traditions. The precise derivation is uncertain.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English use, Gretta is used as a spelling variant of Greta.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1881. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Gretta through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 4,139
- 0 boys · 4,139 girls
- Most popular year
- 1966
- 100 babies
- 2025
- 23
- #5,466 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −36%
- Cooling
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 23 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,466 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 36.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 100 in 1966. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,004 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Gretta’s family of names
Gretta is a short form of Margaret. Gretta has an alternative spelling in Greta. Gretta has a related form in Greta.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 2
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Gretta
- Gretta TaslakianLebanese sprinterborn 1985
- Gretta Kokswimmerborn 1944
- Gretta ChambersCanadian journalist1927–2017
- Gretta DuisenbergDutch female political activistborn 1942
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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