Greta — Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity

Greta is a girls' name of Germanic/Margaret origin, meaning "pearl". Greta Garbo's mystique and Greta Thunberg's fire — a small name with big bearers.

Style & feel. With vintage and short on its style card, Greta sits comfortably in the modern naming landscape — familiar enough that nobody misreads it, distinctive enough that your child won't share it with three classmates. At 2 syllables, it flows across most middle-name combinations and survives every life stage from playground to résumé.

Pairing ideas. Greta pairs naturally with one- and two-syllable middles (Astrid, Ingrid share its sound-world). If you like Greta, you'll probably also love Astrid, Ingrid, Clara — same era, same energy, same bone structure.