| The U.S. government makes available an amazing | | | | #4 in 1887 but only 153rd most popular today. Charles |
| database of all U.S. baby names from the 1880s to the | | | | went from 5th to 60th; Robert from 11th to 47th (but |
| present. Studying the top baby names every decade | | | | enjoyed a great run as #1 from 1924 to 1939); Thomas |
| reveals which baby names are new and unique, and | | | | from 9th to 51st; Richard from 25th to 99th (but had a |
| which are timeless favorites. The World's Largest | | | | strong mid-century surge peaking at #5 in 1940s).Girl |
| Baby Name FactoryThe U.S. Federal government's | | | | names that have fallen out of favor include Mary, |
| Social Security Administration (SSA) has kept careful | | | | which was the #1 baby girl name in the 1880s but is |
| records of all new baby names in the U.S. from the | | | | only 55th in the 2000s. The most dramatic fall of any |
| 1880's to the present. This database is available online | | | | name is Minnie (yes, of Minnie Mouse fame), which |
| for free for anyone to look at (you can find it at | | | | was 6th most popular in the 1880s but has not even |
| We've gone through the records and studied them can | | | | ranked anywhere in the top 1000 since 1971 when it |
| now share with you the fun and sometimes surprising | | | | was 951st. Apparently no one wants to be named |
| results!I studied the data at the SSA site, looking at the | | | | after a mouse!Nouveau Top NamesLastly there are |
| name popularity for the last 120 years: from 1887 | | | | the names that are all the rage today but that are |
| through 2006. Most Popular Names of All Time When | | | | unique and strange and new to our ear - because |
| you look at baby name popularity over time you see | | | | they were not at all common in the past. Heading the |
| that all names go through cycles, gradually increasing | | | | list is Jacob, today's #1 most popular boy name but it |
| and decreasing over time.To determine the most | | | | was only 56th in 1887 and hit a real low spot of 367th |
| popular of all time, I decided that we should see which | | | | in 1962.The name Michael has had real legs for over |
| names have consistently been in the top 20, decade | | | | half a centruy now. It was 48th a 120 years ago but |
| after decade. Which baby names were in the top 20 | | | | then climbed steadily and enjoyed an unprecedented |
| for the entire time from 1887 to the present?Among | | | | streak as the #1 boy name from 1954 to 1998 (except |
| boys the most popular are John (1st in 1887 and 20th | | | | for one year when it was #2 in 1960). Think of that - |
| today); William (2nd to 10th); James (3rd to 16th); and | | | | 43 years as the #1 boys name! Today Michael is #2.A |
| Joseph (7th to 11th).There are fewer girls name that | | | | couple more new top boys names are Joshua: 247th |
| have stayed consistently popular across the decades. | | | | to 3rd (but a low spot at 730th in 1929!), and Matthew |
| The best candidate I could find was Elizabeth, which | | | | which has gone from 123rd to 5th.Emily from 98th to |
| ranked 4th, 21st and 11th in the 1880s, 1950s and 2000s. | | | | 1st with a mid-century low of 272nd in 1962.Greatest |
| Its quite noticeable how girls names change more than | | | | Comeback AwardsNo name better demonstrates the |
| boys names. Here are just some of the most popular | | | | power of fashion cycles than the girls name Emma - it |
| baby girl names from the 1880s that are no where to | | | | was 4th most popular in 1887, declined in popularity |
| be seen today: Minnie, Ida, Bertha, Clara, Florence, | | | | steadily until it was quite rare from the 1940s to the |
| Bessie and Ethel. Of these only Clara appears in the | | | | 1980s (e.g., it was 463rd most popular in 1963), and |
| top 1000 these days (position 260), and I personally | | | | gained rapidly starting in the late 1980s, moving from |
| think it a beautiful name deserving of more use. I don't | | | | 211th in 1986 to 2nd in 2006. Emma deserves a close |
| miss the other names much besides Florence, which | | | | second as it was 3rd in the 1880s and is 11th in the |
| has wonderful connotations. Fallen StarsThen there | | | | 200s but descended to 213th in the 1950s.Most |
| are the names that were very popular in the past but | | | | Improved AwardThe girl baby name Madison gets the |
| are used much less often today. These can be a | | | | prize for most improved ranking in the shortest time. In |
| good source of unique names for your child today but | | | | 1985 it ranked a very low 625th, and in 2006 it was |
| where the unique name will have a good dose of | | | | the 2nd most popular name - it moved up an |
| nostalgia. I call these the fallen stars. Among boy | | | | impressive 623 positions in just 21 years. |
| names the stand out fallen star is George, which was | | | | |