These Baby Names Were Absolutely Everywhere A Century Ago
Baby name trends may come and go, but certain choices have serious staying power. To appreciate which names have stood the test of time, look no further than the Social Security Administration’s data.
Knowing the agency has baby naming stats going back to the 1880s, we decided to examine the top choices 100 years ago to see which ones tanked over time and which remain beloved classics.
The list of most popular baby names in 1926 includes beloved staples that remain popular to this day, as well as dated picks that have fallen out of favor.
Below, find the 25 most popular baby names for boys and for girls born in 1926. While James, Evelyn, William and Elizabeth are still popular today, others like Mildred, Ralph, Doris and Harold aren’t quite so common a century later.
Girls
- Mary
- Dorothy
- Betty
- Helen
- Margaret
- Ruth
- Doris
- Virginia
- Mildred
- Frances
- Elizabeth
- Jean
- Evelyn
- Shirley
- Anna
- Barbara
- Alice
- Marie
- Lois
- Gloria
- Irene
- Marjorie
- Patricia
- Martha
- Rose
Boys
- Robert
- John
- William
- James
- Charles
- George
- Richard
- Joseph
- Donald
- Edward
- Thomas
- Frank
- Paul
- Harold
- Raymond
- Jack
- Walter
- Kenneth
- Henry
- Arthur
- Albert
- David
- Eugene
- Ralph
- Harry