Names From the 1900s

Real names given to babies in the US from 1900 to 1909. The top names were Mary for girls and John for boys.

Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate 1900s names for more.

  1. Eli Reyes#290 boys’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 2,811 boys#56 surname in the 2020 US Census
  2. Helen Caballero#2 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 42 girls#1,191 surname in the 2020 US Census
  3. Imogene Goodin#439 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 4,904 girls#5,040 surname in the 2020 US Census
  4. Thomas Long#10 boys’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 62 boys#100 surname in the 2020 US Census
  5. Mark Matheny#190 boys’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 1,398 boys#4,186 surname in the 2020 US Census
  6. Emma Jewett#21 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 121 girls#4,345 surname in the 2020 US Census
  7. Blanche Obryan#63 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 250 girls#5,455 surname in the 2020 US Census
  8. Annie Corbin#18 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 106 girls#1,338 surname in the 2020 US Census
  9. Bertie Foster#235 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 1,599 girls#104 surname in the 2020 US Census
  10. Bertha Hatfield#20 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 121 girls#1,043 surname in the 2020 US Census
  11. Martha Stringer#29 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 135 girls#2,171 surname in the 2020 US Census
  12. Rosa McCarty#79 girls’ name in the 1900s · 1 in 315 girls#979 surname in the 2020 US Census

The 1900s in numbers

4,285,000babies recorded
20%of girls got a top-10 name
32.6%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 1900s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Mary161,50455.17 per 1,000
#2Helen69,42823.72 per 1,000
#3Margaret57,91919.78 per 1,000
#4Anna54,91818.76 per 1,000
#5Ruth51,01017.42 per 1,000
#6Elizabeth41,70814.25 per 1,000
#7Dorothy39,11213.36 per 1,000
#8Marie37,09112.67 per 1,000
#9Florence36,19112.36 per 1,000
#10Mildred36,17312.36 per 1,000
#11Alice35,23212.03 per 1,000
#12Ethel34,86811.91 per 1,000
#13Lillian32,51911.11 per 1,000
#14Gladys30,28510.34 per 1,000
#15Edna29,83210.19 per 1,000
#16Frances28,4999.73 per 1,000
#17Rose28,1069.6 per 1,000
#18Annie27,7489.48 per 1,000
#19Grace26,9279.2 per 1,000
#20Bertha24,2478.28 per 1,000
#21Emma24,1768.26 per 1,000
#22Bessie23,9848.19 per 1,000
#23Clara23,8998.16 per 1,000
#24Hazel23,8028.13 per 1,000
#25Irene23,6568.08 per 1,000

Top 25 boys' names of the 1900s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1John84,59062.31 per 1,000
#2William69,32051.06 per 1,000
#3James62,17045.79 per 1,000
#4George43,58932.11 per 1,000
#5Charles36,18426.65 per 1,000
#6Robert35,84926.41 per 1,000
#7Joseph35,17325.91 per 1,000
#8Frank29,04621.4 per 1,000
#9Edward24,51618.06 per 1,000
#10Thomas21,78316.05 per 1,000
#11Henry21,77216.04 per 1,000
#12Walter19,99714.73 per 1,000
#13Harry17,90613.19 per 1,000
#14Willie17,74613.07 per 1,000
#15Arthur15,40911.35 per 1,000
#16Albert15,31811.28 per 1,000
#17Clarence13,57310 per 1,000
#18Fred13,0769.63 per 1,000
#19Harold12,7959.42 per 1,000
#20Paul12,6369.31 per 1,000
#21Raymond11,6508.58 per 1,000
#22Richard10,6757.86 per 1,000
#23Roy10,6327.83 per 1,000
#24Joe10,4667.71 per 1,000
#25Louis10,3727.64 per 1,000

Names that rose fastest in the 1900s

Compared with the decade before, among names in the top 300 of the 1900s.

Girls

Boys

Unisex names of the 1900s

The 1900s in other countries

Top three names in each country's own records for the same decade.

CountryGirlsBoys
New ZealandMary, Margaret, DorothyWilliam, John, James

Other decades

Frequently asked questions

What were the most popular names in the 1900s?

Mary, Helen 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.