The 1887 Baby Name Report

247,392 babies, 2,215 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1887

👑 #1 girls: Mary (8 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (8 years running) 110 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary9,888
  2. Anna4,227
  3. Elizabeth2,681
  4. Emma2,647
  5. Margaret2,419
  6. Minnie2,215
  7. Bertha2,037
  8. Clara1,984
  9. Florence1,964
  10. Ida1,929

Top boys

  1. John8,110
  2. William7,470
  3. James4,768
  4. George4,284
  5. Charles4,031
  6. Frank2,883
  7. Joseph2,456
  8. Henry2,228
  9. Thomas2,151
  10. Edward2,125

Full top-50 rankings for 1887 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Gladys #176 → #134 (+42)
  2. Beatrice #137 → #116 (+21)
  3. Mildred #107 → #89 (+18)
  4. Harold #78 → #61 (+17)
  5. Lola #138 → #123 (+15)
  6. Lydia #87 → #76 (+11)
  7. Anne #132 → #121 (+11)
  8. Dorothy #122 → #112 (+10)
  9. Elsie #58 → #49 (+9)
  10. Hazel #81 → #72 (+9)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Goldie #134 → #154 (−20)
  2. Mollie #82 → #100 (−18)
  3. Estelle #129 → #147 (−18)
  4. Rebecca #95 → #110 (−15)
  5. Ora #110 → #125 (−15)
  6. Grover #45 → #59 (−14)
  7. Lulu #90 → #103 (−13)
  8. Chester #65 → #78 (−13)
  9. Theodore #69 → #82 (−13)
  10. Sara #117 → #129 (−12)

✨ Never recorded before 1887

Verlie (13) Myles (11) Gunda (10) Irl (10) Audra (9) Orelia (9) Benson (9) Carlota (8) Lurline (8) Opha (8)

110 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1887.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1887?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1887, out of 247,392 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1887?
Gladys made the biggest jump in 1887, climbing 42 spots to #134.
How many new baby names appeared in 1887?
110 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1887.