Gretchen

Gretchen is the German diminutive of Margareta (Margaret). Grete, Greta and Gretel also developed as diminutive forms of Margareta in Germany, names which eventually spread beyond the German borders. Margareta, like Margaret, both originated from the Hebrew “margaron” meaning “pearl” (as a diminutive form, Gretchen therefore means “little pearl”). For more information on the name Margaret, please see that name page. Generally considered isolated to Germany, Gretchen gained outside attention with the publication of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's tragic play, “Faust” (1808). In the play, Faust’s love interest is a German peasant girl named Margareta but whom Goethe mainly refers to as Gretchen throughout the story (see literary references below). Largely considered one of the great masterpieces of German literature, “Faust” actually influenced the German language – for instance, “Gretchenfrage” (literally, “Gretchen question”) is now a German term that generally refers to a penetrating question that gets to the heart of the matter (such as when Gretchen asks Faust if he’s religious). In any case, today, the name Gretchen is largely considered old-fashioned and out-dated in Germany (where, by the way, it’s pronounced GREHT-khen). In fact, we cannot find Gretchen on the naming charts of any country today.