Names From the 1890s

Real names given to babies in the US from 1890 to 1899. The top names were Mary for girls and John for boys.

Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate 1890s names for more.

  1. Martha Rushing#25 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 114 girls#1,866 surname in the 2020 US Census
  2. Esta Perkins#454 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 5,877 girls#235 surname in the 2020 US Census
  3. Ethel Holliday#8 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 71 girls#1,755 surname in the 2020 US Census
  4. Eva Pappas#33 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 135 girls#2,329 surname in the 2020 US Census
  5. Emery Graham#268 boys’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 2,723 boys#123 surname in the 2020 US Census
  6. Robert Hacker#8 boys’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 44 boys#2,784 surname in the 2020 US Census
  7. Harrison Fuller#150 boys’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 1,151 boys#293 surname in the 2020 US Census
  8. Irma Sampson#166 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 923 girls#911 surname in the 2020 US Census
  9. Olivia Wolff#267 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 2,021 girls#1,649 surname in the 2020 US Census
  10. Lola Ryan#111 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 527 girls#201 surname in the 2020 US Census
  11. Irene Hang#44 girls’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 163 girls#4,874 surname in the 2020 US Census
  12. Jacob Chapman#73 boys’ name in the 1890s · 1 in 447 boys#249 surname in the 2020 US Census

The 1890s in numbers

3,362,000babies recorded
20.1%of girls got a top-10 name
36.1%of boys got a top-10 name

Counts include names given to at least five babies of the same sex in a year. Early decades undercount births, because many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security number.

Top 25 girls' names of the 1890s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Mary131,13859.03 per 1,000
#2Anna55,26124.87 per 1,000
#3Margaret37,93717.08 per 1,000
#4Helen37,80217.02 per 1,000
#5Elizabeth33,87915.25 per 1,000
#6Ruth32,86714.79 per 1,000
#7Florence32,34514.56 per 1,000
#8Ethel31,45314.16 per 1,000
#9Emma28,65212.9 per 1,000
#10Marie25,85311.64 per 1,000
#11Clara25,47311.47 per 1,000
#12Bertha25,12511.31 per 1,000
#13Minnie24,61511.08 per 1,000
#14Bessie24,41710.99 per 1,000
#15Alice24,41510.99 per 1,000
#16Lillian24,10610.85 per 1,000
#17Edna24,06810.83 per 1,000
#18Grace23,80410.71 per 1,000
#19Annie23,12210.41 per 1,000
#20Mabel21,9919.9 per 1,000
#21Ida21,2129.55 per 1,000
#22Rose21,1349.51 per 1,000
#23Hazel20,1549.07 per 1,000
#24Gertrude19,8988.96 per 1,000
#25Martha19,4158.74 per 1,000

Top 25 boys' names of the 1890s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1John80,66470.7 per 1,000
#2William72,24463.32 per 1,000
#3James50,72344.46 per 1,000
#4George43,35838 per 1,000
#5Charles36,84832.3 per 1,000
#6Joseph29,00025.42 per 1,000
#7Frank28,71825.17 per 1,000
#8Robert26,14722.92 per 1,000
#9Edward22,03319.31 per 1,000
#10Henry21,66418.99 per 1,000
#11Harry21,33018.69 per 1,000
#12Thomas21,11518.51 per 1,000
#13Walter19,49517.09 per 1,000
#14Arthur16,34914.33 per 1,000
#15Fred14,27012.51 per 1,000
#16Albert13,75312.05 per 1,000
#17Clarence11,90110.43 per 1,000
#18Willie9,8498.63 per 1,000
#19Roy9,7798.57 per 1,000
#20Louis8,4427.4 per 1,000
#21Earl8,2977.27 per 1,000
#22Paul8,1817.17 per 1,000
#23Carl8,0477.05 per 1,000
#24Ernest7,8776.9 per 1,000
#25Samuel7,8576.89 per 1,000

Names that rose fastest in the 1890s

Compared with the decade before, among names in the top 300 of the 1890s.

Girls

Boys

Unisex names of the 1890s

Other decades

Frequently asked questions

What were the most popular names in the 1890s?

Mary, Anna and Margaret for girls; John, William and James for boys.

Where does this data come from?

From the US Social Security Administration's national baby-name records, which go back to 1880.

Can I use these names?

Yes. Names are free to use for pets, stories, games, products and anything else. Real names come from public government records; fantasy names are generated, so you do not need permission to use them.