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Top Baby Names of the 1890s

Across the 1890s, 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 2.2 million girls and 1.1 million boys recorded).

The most popular names of the 1890s were Mary for girls and John for boys.

Top 25 girls’ names of the 1890s

  1. #1 Mary 131,138
  2. #2 Anna 55,261
  3. #3 Margaret 37,937
  4. #4 Helen 37,802
  5. #5 Elizabeth 33,879
  6. #6 Ruth 32,867
  7. #7 Florence 32,345
  8. #8 Ethel 31,453
  9. #9 Emma 28,652
  10. #10 Marie 25,853
  11. #11 Clara 25,473
  12. #12 Bertha 25,125
  13. #13 Minnie 24,615
  14. #14 Bessie 24,417
  15. #15 Alice 24,415
  16. #16 Lillian 24,106
  17. #17 Edna 24,068
  18. #18 Grace 23,804
  19. #19 Annie 23,122
  20. #20 Mabel 21,991
  21. #21 Ida 21,212
  22. #22 Rose 21,134
  23. #23 Hazel 20,154
  24. #24 Gertrude 19,898
  25. #25 Martha 19,415

Top 25 boys’ names of the 1890s

  1. #1 John 80,664
  2. #2 William 72,244
  3. #3 James 50,723
  4. #4 George 43,358
  5. #5 Charles 36,848
  6. #6 Joseph 29,000
  7. #7 Frank 28,718
  8. #8 Robert 26,147
  9. #9 Edward 22,033
  10. #10 Henry 21,664
  11. #11 Harry 21,330
  12. #12 Thomas 21,115
  13. #13 Walter 19,495
  14. #14 Arthur 16,349
  15. #15 Fred 14,270
  16. #16 Albert 13,753
  17. #17 Clarence 11,901
  18. #18 Willie 9,849
  19. #19 Roy 9,779
  20. #20 Louis 8,442
  21. #21 Earl 8,297
  22. #22 Paul 8,181
  23. #23 Carl 8,047
  24. #24 Ernest 7,877
  25. #25 Samuel 7,857

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 1890s?

Mary was the most popular girls’ name in the 1890s, according to US Social Security Administration data.

What was the most popular boys’ name in the 1890s?

John was the most popular boys’ name in the 1890s.

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 →