
The short answer
Greta is a feminine name used in German and Italian. Behind the Name describes it this way: "Short form of Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990)." It ranked #908 for girls in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, short form of Margareta. A famous bearer of this name was the Swedish actress Greta Garbo (1905-1990). The entry lists its usage as German, Italian, Swedish, Lithuanian and others.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Greta ranked #908 for girls in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #908 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (German) and that sit near Greta in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Greta mean?
Behind the Name does not give Greta a one-word meaning. It describes the name as follows: short form of Margareta.
Is Greta a popular name?
Greta ranked #908 for girls in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Greta a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Greta appears in the girls' list; Behind the Name labels it feminine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Greta — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.