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.

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

1. Mary
2. Dorothy
3. Betty
4. Helen
5. Margaret
6. Ruth
7. Doris
8. Virginia
9. Mildred
10. Frances
11. Elizabeth
12. Jean
13. Evelyn
14. Shirley
15. Anna
16. Barbara
17. Alice
18. Marie
19. Lois
20. Gloria
21. Irene
22. Marjorie
23. Patricia
24. Martha
25. Rose

Boys

1. Robert
2. John
3. William
4. James
5. Charles
6. George
7. Richard
8. Joseph
9. Donald
10. Edward
11. Thomas
12. Frank
13. Paul
14. Harold
15. Raymond
16. Jack
17. Walter
18. Kenneth
19. Henry
20. Arthur
21. Albert
22. David
23. Eugene
24. Ralph
25. Harry