Gretna
From Scottish Gaelic, a feminine name meaning "small green area by water".
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Gretna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gretna today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gretna births was 1920 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gretna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Gretna is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Gretnas were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gretna. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1920
13 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1948 SSA rank
#5,542
Tracked since 1904
Popularity
Gretna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gretna from the 1900s through to the 1940s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 43 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1920s peak, Gretna remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gretna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gretna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gretna
The name Gretna is an English place name that originated from the town of Gretna Green in Scotland. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Brittonic language, which was spoken in Britain before the Anglo-Saxon invasion. The name is derived from the elements "gret" meaning gravel or sand, and "na" meaning stream or valley.
The town of Gretna Green became famous in the 18th century as a destination for couples from England who wished to marry quickly. At the time, English laws required a lengthy period of residence before a marriage could take place, but Scottish laws were more relaxed. Gretna Green, being the first village across the Scottish border, became a popular elopement spot.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Gretna can be found in the writings of Sir Walter Scott, the famous Scottish novelist and poet. In his novel "The Antiquary," published in 1816, one of the characters is named Gretna Sampson, likely in reference to the elopement tradition.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the first name Gretna. One example is Gretna Wilkinson (1870-1947), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's rights and was involved in the militant wing of the suffrage movement.
Another prominent figure was Gretna Campbell (1900-1986), an American actress and dancer who appeared on Broadway and in several Hollywood films during the 1920s and 1930s.
In the field of sports, Gretna Everett (1924-2005) was an American basketball player who played for the All-American Redheads, a professional women's basketball team, in the 1940s and 1950s.
Gretna Rayner (1912-1997) was a British actress and singer who performed in several West End musicals and films throughout her career.
Finally, Gretna Wyer (1924-2008) was an American artist and illustrator known for her works depicting the American West and Native American culture.
These examples demonstrate the enduring use of the name Gretna over the centuries, often associated with its unique historical significance and connection to the Scottish town.
People
Gretna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gretna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gretna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gretna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gretna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Gretna a common name?
We classify Gretna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 112 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gretna most popular?
The single biggest year for Gretna was 1920, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gretna is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gretna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gretna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gretna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gretna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gretna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gretna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Gretna?
You can see how many people have the name Gretna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.