Top names of the 1900s (2024)

The following table shows the 200 most popular given names for male and female babies born during the 1900s. For each rank and sex, the table shows the name and the number of occurrences of that name. The 200 most popular names were taken from a universe that includes 1,467,404 male births and 3,106,282 female births

Popular names of the period 1900s

Rank	Name	Number	Name	Number
	Males		Females
1	John	84,591	Mary	161,504
2	William	69,320	Helen	69,428
3	James	62,170	Margaret	57,920
4	George	43,589	Anna	54,918
5	Charles	36,184	Ruth	51,010
6	Robert	35,849	Elizabeth	41,708
7	Joseph	35,173	Dorothy	39,112
8	Frank	29,046	Marie	37,091
9	Edward	24,516	Florence	36,191
10	Thomas	21,783	Mildred	36,173
11	Henry	21,772	Alice	35,232
12	Walter	19,997	Ethel	34,868
13	Harry	17,906	Lillian	32,519
14	Willie	17,746	Gladys	30,285
15	Arthur	15,409	Edna	29,832
16	Albert	15,318	Frances	28,499
17	Clarence	13,573	Rose	28,106
18	Fred	13,076	Annie	27,748
19	Harold	12,795	Grace	26,927
20	Paul	12,636	Bertha	24,247
21	Raymond	11,650	Emma	24,176
22	Richard	10,676	Bessie	23,984
23	Roy	10,632	Clara	23,899
24	Joe	10,466	Hazel	23,802
25	Louis	10,372	Irene	23,656
26	Carl	9,865	Gertrude	23,607
27	Ralph	9,298	Louise	22,862
28	Earl	9,251	Catherine	22,007
29	Jack	9,222	Martha	21,750
30	Ernest	8,657	Mabel	21,625
31	David	8,620	Pearl	20,913
32	Samuel	8,149	Edith	20,884
33	Howard	8,014	Esther	20,026
34	Charlie	7,928	Minnie	19,715
35	Francis	7,021	Myrtle	19,691
36	Herbert	6,957	Ida	18,866
37	Lawrence	6,846	Josephine	18,785
38	Theodore	6,490	Evelyn	18,603
39	Alfred	6,356	Elsie	18,452
40	Andrew	6,278	Eva	18,357
41	Elmer	6,161	Thelma	18,265
42	Sam	6,161	Ruby	18,175
43	Eugene	5,909	Agnes	17,616
44	Leo	5,629	Sarah	17,342
45	Michael	5,220	Viola	16,559
46	Lee	5,158	Nellie	16,339
47	Herman	5,064	Beatrice	16,282
48	Anthony	5,043	Julia	16,107
49	Daniel	5,036	Laura	15,532
50	Leonard	5,022	Lillie	15,391
51	Floyd	4,968	Lucille	15,041
52	Donald	4,632	Ella	14,763
53	Kenneth	4,579	Virginia	14,539
54	Jesse	4,559	Mattie	13,837
55	Russell	4,552	Pauline	13,310
56	Clyde	4,524	Carrie	13,140
57	Oscar	4,517	Alma	13,092
58	Peter	4,376	Jessie	12,756
59	Lester	4,361	Mae	12,711
60	Leroy	4,300	Lena	12,703
61	Ray	4,256	Willie	12,357
62	Stanley	4,156	Katherine	12,105
63	Clifford	4,055	Blanche	11,730
64	Lewis	4,042	Hattie	11,717
65	Benjamin	4,009	Marion	11,713
66	Edwin	3,961	Lucy	11,020
67	Frederick	3,900	Stella	11,014
68	Chester	3,788	Mamie	10,618
69	Claude	3,704	Vera	10,457
70	Eddie	3,695	Cora	10,372
71	Cecil	3,610	Fannie	10,346
72	Lloyd	3,507	Eleanor	10,030
73	Jessie	3,379	Bernice	10,010
74	Martin	3,346	Jennie	9,988
75	Bernard	3,296	Ann	9,932
76	Tom	3,293	Leona	9,848
77	Will	3,246	Beulah	9,716
78	Norman	3,178	Lula	9,518
79	Edgar	3,154	Rosa	9,297
80	Harvey	3,104	Ada	9,121
81	Ben	3,028	Ellen	8,339
82	Homer	2,915	Kathryn	8,333
83	Luther	2,866	Maggie	8,289
84	Leon	2,859	Doris	8,252
85	Melvin	2,840	Dora	8,011
86	Philip	2,817	Betty	7,921
87	Johnnie	2,781	Marguerite	7,912
88	Jim	2,718	Violet	7,844
89	Milton	2,695	Lois	7,691
90	Everett	2,597	Daisy	7,687
91	Allen	2,558	Anne	7,615
92	Leslie	2,531	Sadie	7,461
93	Alvin	2,484	Susie	7,312
94	Victor	2,447	Nora	7,172
95	Marvin	2,324	Georgia	7,142
96	Stephen	2,247	Maude	7,142
97	Alexander	2,230	Marjorie	7,025
98	Jacob	2,191	Opal	6,791
99	Hugh	2,176	Hilda	6,783
100	Patrick	2,141	Velma	6,558
101	Virgil	2,134	Emily	6,423
102	Horace	2,125	Theresa	6,396
103	Glenn	2,122	Charlotte	6,194
104	Oliver	2,088	Inez	6,115
105	Morris	2,059	Olive	6,027
106	Vernon	2,053	Flora	6,015
107	Archie	2,048	Della	5,958
108	Julius	2,038	Lola	5,949
109	Gerald	2,014	Jean	5,931
110	Sidney	1,981	Effie	5,870
111	Maurice	1,980	Nancy	5,733
112	Marion	1,967	Nettie	5,680
113	Otis	1,966	Sylvia	5,559
114	Vincent	1,954	May	5,546
115	Guy	1,913	Lottie	5,482
116	Earnest	1,907	Alberta	5,475
117	Wilbur	1,839	Eunice	5,376
118	Gilbert	1,822	Sallie	5,306
119	Willard	1,821	Katie	5,304
120	Ed	1,814	Genevieve	5,292
121	Roosevelt	1,790	Estelle	5,259
122	Hubert	1,771	Lydia	5,242
123	Manuel	1,751	Loretta	5,151
124	Warren	1,748	Mable	5,148
125	Otto	1,746	Goldie	4,966
126	Alex	1,745	Eula	4,871
127	Ira	1,714	Rosie	4,828
128	Wesley	1,693	Lizzie	4,824
129	Curtis	1,683	Vivian	4,818
130	Wallace	1,654	Verna	4,752
131	Lonnie	1,645	Ollie	4,725
132	Gordon	1,642	Harriet	4,600
133	Isaac	1,638	Lucile	4,566
134	Jerry	1,636	Addie	4,563
135	Charley	1,633	Marian	4,531
136	Jose	1,627	Henrietta	4,514
137	Nathan	1,616	Jane	4,498
138	Max	1,567	Lela	4,473
139	Mack	1,562	Essie	4,467
140	Rufus	1,552	Caroline	4,276
141	Arnold	1,546	Ora	4,262
142	Irving	1,524	Iva	4,212
143	Percy	1,517	Sara	4,210
144	Bill	1,513	Maria	4,174
145	Dan	1,499	Madeline	4,080
146	Willis	1,468	Rebecca	4,052
147	Bennie	1,438	Wilma	4,012
148	Jimmie	1,372	Etta	4,003
149	Orville	1,365	Barbara	3,999
150	Sylvester	1,343	Rachel	3,974
151	Rudolph	1,339	Kathleen	3,924
152	Glen	1,337	Irma	3,909
153	Nicholas	1,334	Christine	3,901
154	Dewey	1,320	Geneva	3,861
155	Emil	1,319	Sophie	3,839
156	Roland	1,316	Juanita	3,837
157	Steve	1,307	Nina	3,743
158	Calvin	1,291	Naomi	3,700
159	Mike	1,281	Victoria	3,692
160	Johnie	1,276	Amelia	3,664
161	Bert	1,253	Erma	3,623
162	August	1,245	Mollie	3,475
163	Clifton	1,197	Susan	3,447
164	Franklin	1,196	Flossie	3,410
165	Matthew	1,188	Ola	3,410
166	Emmett	1,187	Nannie	3,391
167	Phillip	1,161	Norma	3,335
168	Wayne	1,158	Sally	3,294
169	Edmund	1,151	Olga	3,172
170	Abraham	1,145	Alta	3,091
171	Nathaniel	1,143	Estella	3,068
172	Marshall	1,135	Celia	2,971
173	Dave	1,133	Freda	2,932
174	Elbert	1,131	Isabel	2,926
175	Clinton	1,122	Amanda	2,923
176	Felix	1,108	Frieda	2,897
177	Alton	1,102	Luella	2,895
178	Ellis	1,100	Matilda	2,892
179	Nelson	1,064	Janie	2,853
180	Amos	1,062	Fern	2,813
181	Clayton	1,057	Cecelia	2,793
182	Aaron	1,050	Audrey	2,707
183	Perry	1,047	Winifred	2,689
184	Adam	1,021	Elva	2,677
185	Tony	1,020	Ina	2,667
186	Irvin	1,007	Adeline	2,646
187	Jake	989	Leola	2,615
188	Dennis	988	Hannah	2,605
189	Jerome	972	Geraldine	2,589
190	Mark	971	Amy	2,576
191	Cornelius	956	Allie	2,574
192	Ollie	952	Miriam	2,566
193	Douglas	950	Isabelle	2,514
194	Pete	949	Bonnie	2,496
195	Ted	942	Virgie	2,466
196	Adolph	941	Sophia	2,460
197	Roger	928	Cleo	2,441
198	Jay	926	Jeanette	2,438
199	Roscoe	916	Nell	2,436
200	Juan	912	Eliza	2,397
	Source: 100% sample based on Social Security card application data as of of March 2024. See the limitations of this data source.

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Top names of the 1900s

	Males	Females
Rank	Name	Name
1	John	Mary
2	William	Helen
3	James	Margaret

92 more rows

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What was the most popular name in 1901? ›

1901

Males. John. William. James. Joseph. George. Charles. Frank. Henry. Robert. Edward.
Females. Mary. Helen. Anna. Margaret. Elizabeth. Ruth. Marie. Gladys. Florence. Rose.

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What is the rarest name in the world? ›

While vintage girls names such as Arrowyn, Ettalyn, Daffodil and Ulyssia are also among the least used names of the last year. Girls' names with an international flair are also some of the rarest on the list including Kauai, Lucetta, Villanelle, Endellion, Madelief, Niloufar and Zabelle.

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What is the most old-fashioned name? ›

Popular Vintage Baby Names

Vera.
Clayton.
Sylvia.
Mallory.
Maximilian.
Nellie.
Winifred.
Trisha.

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Apr 30, 2024

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What is the most popular name on earth? ›

What is the most common name on earth? According to a 2023 study, Muhammad is the most popular first name in the world, with an estimated 133,349,300 people bearing the name. Maria comes in second place with 61,134,526 people, followed by Nushi with 55,898,624.

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What is a rarest girl's name? ›

Rare Baby Girl Names

Tinie.
Dova.
Hedley.
Hermia.
Pheby.
Vincentina.
Babs.
Patte.

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Apr 4, 2024

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What was a popular name in the 1920s? ›

Top names of the 1920s

	Males
Rank	Name	Number
1	Robert	576,374
2	John	564,053
3	James	515,302

92 more rows

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What was a popular name in 1914? ›

Top baby names of 1914

	Girls	Boys
1	Mary	John
2	Helen	William
3	Dorothy	James
4	Margaret	Robert

96 more rows

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What is the oldest used name? ›

ŠIM) is supposedly the earliest known recorded name of a person in writing. The name "Kushim" is found on several Uruk period (c. 3400–3000 BC) clay tablets used to record transactions of barley. It is uncertain if the name refers to an individual, a generic title of an officeholder, or an institution.

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What name is almost extinct? ›

They'll be no singing “Happy Birthday” to little Myrtle any time soon. The once-buzzy baby name — along with Al, Bess, Cathy, Vern, Wally and more — is in the top 23 newborn names on the verge of virtual extinction.

What's the most unpopular name? ›

Likewise, Ashley, Sophia, Lorraine, Kristen, and Suzanne also made it onto the list as the least-desired names. While, for the boys, Kobe, Jeffrey, Nigel, and Ashton topped the list of the most unpopular – followed by Graham, Stuart, Chad, Gary, and Bill.

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What boy names are no longer in use? ›

Boys' Names

Name	1923 Ranking	Last Appeared In Top 1000
Glenn	84th	2008 (865th)
Herbert	40th	2002 (977th)
Herman	66th	1999 (980th)
Lester	71st	1999 (876th)

21 more rows

Oct 17, 2023

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What was a common name in the 1920s? ›

Top names of the 1920s

	Males	Females
Rank	Name	Name
1	Robert	Mary
2	John	Dorothy
3	James	Helen

92 more rows

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What was a common name in 1914? ›

Top baby names of 1914

	Girls	Boys
1	Mary	John
2	Helen	William
3	Dorothy	James
4	Margaret	Robert

96 more rows

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What male names were popular 100 years ago? ›

These Were the 20 Most Popular Baby Names Exactly 100 Years Ago

1920 Top 20 Boys' Names. John. William. Robert. James. Charles. George. Joseph. Edward. Frank. Richard. Thomas. Harold. Walter. Paul. Raymond. ...
1920 Top 20 Girls' Names. Mary. Dorothy. Helen. Margaret. Ruth. Mildred. Virginia. Elizabeth. Frances. Anna. Betty. Evelyn. Marie. Doris. Alice.

Jan 13, 2020

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What are some 19th century baby names? ›

Popular Names

These include Alice, Charlotte, Clara, Emily, Isabella, Julia, Laura and Sophia for girls and Benjamin, Charles, Daniel, Henry Jacob, James, Samuel, and William for boys.

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Top names of the 1900s (2024)

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References