Girtie
A girl's name of Germanic origin with 385 recorded U.S. births.
Meaning & Origin
At 6 letters and one syllable, Girtie hits the middle ground most parents look for: long enough to feel complete, short enough for everyday use. It has been used as a girl's name in the U.S. since 1888, with 385 total recorded births.
Girtie is not in the current top 1,000, which means your child is unlikely to share the name with a classmate — a plus for parents who value distinctiveness.
Girtie is not in the current top 1,000 girl names nationally, making it an uncommon choice — though your state or community may differ.
Girtie is a girl's baby name of Germanic origin, a diminutive of Gertrude, from the Old German Geretrud meaning 'spear of strength' from ger (spear) and trud (strength).
Girtie has the old-fashioned, vintage charm of a nineteenth-century nickname — the kind worn by great-great-grandmothers in faded photographs. Like Gertie, Birdie, and Hattie, it belongs to a generation of -ie diminutives that served as everyday feminine names in an era before formality was required.
EtymologyShow more
The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Girtie's final sounds are bright, approachable — giving the name a friendly, informal feel. In English-language naming, many feminine names end on open vowels or soft consonants, creating a melodic, approachable quality. Girtie follows that feminine pattern.
Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Girtie's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.
At a Glance
Popularity Over Time
Girtie has 42+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1888.
Popularity by Decade
| Decade | Births | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5 | ▼ |
| 1930s | 48 | ▼ |
| 1920s | 108 | — |
| 1910s | 111 | ▲ |
| 1900s | 66 | ▲ |
| 1890s | 41 | ▲ |
| 1880s | 6 | — |
The Story of Girtie
A Greatest Generation name
Peaking in 1920, Girtie is a name steeped in history. Girls named Girtie are most likely born between 1910 and 1930.
How rare is Girtie?
With fewer than 500 recorded births, Girtie is an exceptionally rare name — a one-of-a-kind choice.
The journey through the decades
First appeared in the records in 1888, grew steadily over the decades, peaked in the 1910s with 111 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.
Girtie by the numbers
- Would fill 8 school buses
- Meeting one Girtie per day would take 1.1 years
Year-by-Year Data
View complete yearly data(42 years, 1888–1953)
| Year | Births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | 5 | #5987 |
| 1939 | 5 | #4497 |
| 1937 | 7 | #3573 |
| 1935 | 7 | #3544 |
| 1934 | 8 | #3278 |
| 1933 | 5 | #4471 |
| 1932 | 7 | #3709 |
| 1930 | 9 | #3162 |
| 1929 | 8 | #3506 |
| 1928 | 6 | #4392 |
| 1927 | 10 | #3147 |
| 1926 | 8 | #3705 |
| 1925 | 10 | #3204 |
| 1924 | 10 | #3228 |
| 1923 | 12 | #2799 |
| 1922 | 10 | #3241 |
| 1921 | 14 | #2553 |
| 1920 | 20 | #1980 |
| 1919 | 18 | #2018 |
| 1918 | 15 | #2319 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Girtie a boy's or girl's name?
When was Girtie most popular?
How popular is the name Girtie?
Explore More
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1888–1953