The 1889 Baby Name Report

288,946 babies, 2,390 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1889

👑 #1 girls: Mary (10 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (10 years running) 144 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary11,648
  2. Anna5,062
  3. Elizabeth3,058
  4. Margaret2,917
  5. Emma2,884
  6. Minnie2,624
  7. Florence2,465
  8. Ethel2,463
  9. Bessie2,343
  10. Clara2,319

Top boys

  1. John8,548
  2. William7,772
  3. James5,020
  4. George4,430
  5. Charles4,199
  6. Frank2,975
  7. Joseph2,729
  8. Harry2,559
  9. Robert2,513
  10. Edward2,299

Full top-50 rankings for 1889 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Genevieve #180 → #155 (+25)
  2. Bernice #177 → #154 (+23)
  3. Gladys #117 → #96 (+21)
  4. Evelyn #139 → #118 (+21)
  5. Marguerite #141 → #120 (+21)
  6. Ruby #94 → #78 (+16)
  7. Lester #97 → #82 (+15)
  8. Mildred #83 → #69 (+14)
  9. Beulah #95 → #81 (+14)
  10. Ruth #59 → #46 (+13)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Grover #44 → #83 (−39)
  2. Belle #115 → #135 (−20)
  3. Josie #134 → #153 (−19)
  4. Millie #149 → #168 (−19)
  5. Harrison #52 → #68 (−16)
  6. Eliza #110 → #126 (−16)
  7. Victoria #152 → #167 (−15)
  8. Eula #145 → #158 (−13)
  9. Jane #92 → #103 (−11)
  10. Charley #77 → #88 (−11)

✨ Never recorded before 1889

Cressie (10) Erla (10) Marvel (9) Noemie (9) Doyle (9) Zela (8) Alfonzo (8) Adelene (7) Ader (7) Armina (7)

144 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1889.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1889?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1889, out of 288,946 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1889?
Genevieve made the biggest jump in 1889, climbing 25 spots to #155.
How many new baby names appeared in 1889?
144 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1889.