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Top Baby Names of the 1880s

Across the 1880s, US parents gave these names most often. The lists below rank the top 25 girls’ and boys’ names by the number of babies who received each name over the decade, from US Social Security Administration data (about 1.3 million girls and 1.1 million boys recorded).

The most popular names of the 1880s were Mary for girls and John for boys.

Top 25 girls’ names of the 1880s

  1. #1 Mary 91,668
  2. #2 Anna 38,159
  3. #3 Emma 25,404
  4. #4 Elizabeth 25,006
  5. #5 Margaret 21,799
  6. #6 Minnie 21,724
  7. #7 Ida 18,283
  8. #8 Bertha 18,263
  9. #9 Clara 17,717
  10. #10 Alice 17,142
  11. #11 Annie 17,027
  12. #12 Florence 16,699
  13. #13 Bessie 15,373
  14. #14 Grace 15,227
  15. #15 Ethel 14,866
  16. #16 Sarah 14,715
  17. #17 Ella 13,936
  18. #18 Martha 13,911
  19. #19 Nellie 13,761
  20. #20 Mabel 13,096
  21. #21 Laura 12,806
  22. #22 Carrie 12,514
  23. #23 Cora 11,954
  24. #24 Helen 11,496
  25. #25 Maude 11,454

Top 25 boys’ names of the 1880s

  1. #1 John 89,949
  2. #2 William 84,881
  3. #3 James 54,055
  4. #4 George 47,651
  5. #5 Charles 46,656
  6. #6 Frank 30,967
  7. #7 Joseph 26,292
  8. #8 Henry 24,139
  9. #9 Robert 24,074
  10. #10 Thomas 23,750
  11. #11 Edward 23,133
  12. #12 Harry 22,649
  13. #13 Walter 18,185
  14. #14 Arthur 16,180
  15. #15 Fred 15,602
  16. #16 Albert 14,375
  17. #17 Samuel 9,129
  18. #18 Clarence 8,760
  19. #19 Louis 8,275
  20. #20 David 7,569
  21. #21 Joe 7,098
  22. #22 Charlie 7,091
  23. #23 Richard 7,010
  24. #24 Ernest 6,700
  25. #25 Roy 6,565

Counts are US births recorded by the Social Security Administration. Numbers show babies given each name across the whole decade.

Frequently asked questions

What was the most popular girls’ name in the 1880s?

Mary was the most popular girls’ name in the 1880s, according to US Social Security Administration data.

What was the most popular boys’ name in the 1880s?

John was the most popular boys’ name in the 1880s.

Where does this ranking come from?

These rankings are compiled from US Social Security Administration records of names given to babies born in the United States, counted separately for girls and boys.

See this year’s most popular names →