Baby Names Have Never Been More Varied
If you were a boy born in the 1880s, there was a good chance you were called John, William, James, George or Charles. Today there is no such safe bet. We looked at every name in the US Social Security Administration’s baby-name records, from 1880 to 2024, to see how concentrated names have been in each decade.
Fast facts
- In the 1880s, 41.3% of boys and 22.5% of girls got a top-10 name.
- In 2020–2024, it was 7.8% of boys and 7.4% of girls.
- The number of different boys’ names recorded rose from 1,891 in the 1880s to 25,594 in the 2010s.
The top 10 names cover far fewer babies
| Decade | Boys with a top-10 name | Girls with a top-10 name | Top girls’ name | Top boys’ name |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 41.3% | 22.5% | Mary | John |
| 1890s | 36.1% | 20.1% | Mary | John |
| 1900s | 32.6% | 20.0% | Mary | John |
| 1910s | 30.8% | 22.8% | Mary | John |
| 1920s | 32.5% | 22.7% | Mary | Robert |
| 1930s | 33.3% | 22.9% | Mary | Robert |
| 1940s | 34.0% | 24.0% | Mary | James |
| 1950s | 31.7% | 21.3% | Mary | James |
| 1960s | 28.5% | 15.1% | Lisa | Michael |
| 1970s | 25.5% | 16.5% | Jennifer | Michael |
| 1980s | 22.2% | 17.1% | Jessica | Michael |
| 1990s | 16.1% | 12.1% | Jessica | Michael |
| 2000s | 10.9% | 8.7% | Emily | Jacob |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 8.3% | Emma | Noah |
| 2020s | 7.8% | 7.4% | Olivia | Liam |
The share stayed high for boys until the 1950s and then fell steadily. Girls’ names were always more varied than boys’, but the gap has nearly closed: in the 2010s exactly the same share of boys and girls (8.3%) got a top-10 name.
More names than ever
| Decade | Different boys’ names | Different girls’ names |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,891 | 2,060 |
| 1900s | 2,489 | 3,829 |
| 1920s | 8,143 | 9,965 |
| 1950s | 7,327 | 11,660 |
| 1970s | 11,489 | 20,299 |
| 1990s | 19,603 | 30,840 |
| 2010s | 25,594 | 34,509 |
These counts include every name given to at least five babies of the same sex in a single year. Early decades are undercounted because many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security number, but the trend is far too big to be explained by that alone.
What it means if you are choosing a name
A name that sounds “very popular” today is far less common than a popular name was for your grandparents. Olivia, the top girls’ name of 2020–2024, was given to about 1 in 99 girls; Mary in the 1950s was given to about 1 in 31. Our baby name generator shows the “1 in X” figure for every name, so you can see exactly how common it is.
Frequently asked questions
Are baby names more varied today?
Yes. In the 1880s, 41.3% of boys got a top-10 name; in 2020–2024 it was 7.8%.
How many different baby names are there?
The number of different boys' names recorded rose from 1,891 in the 1880s to 25,594 in the 2010s.
Sources
- Popular Baby Names: national data, US Social Security Administration.
- Calculations by NameGeneratorHQ. 2020s figures cover 2020–2024.
