The 1890 Baby Name Report

301,401 babies, 2,475 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1890

👑 #1 girls: Mary (11 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (11 years running) 123 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary12,078
  2. Anna5,233
  3. Elizabeth3,112
  4. Margaret3,100
  5. Emma2,980
  6. Florence2,744
  7. Ethel2,718
  8. Minnie2,650
  9. Clara2,496
  10. Bertha2,388

Top boys

  1. John8,502
  2. William7,494
  3. James5,097
  4. George4,458
  5. Charles4,061
  6. Frank3,078
  7. Joseph2,670
  8. Robert2,541
  9. Henry2,349
  10. Harry2,345

Full top-50 rankings for 1890 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Stanley #108 → #78 (+30)
  2. Marguerite #120 → #96 (+24)
  3. Verna #169 → #145 (+24)
  4. Sylvia #178 → #158 (+20)
  5. Vera #122 → #103 (+19)
  6. Eula #158 → #140 (+18)
  7. Leroy #92 → #74 (+18)
  8. Gladys #96 → #82 (+14)
  9. Loretta #170 → #156 (+14)
  10. Jessie #86 → #73 (+13)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Harrison #68 → #107 (−39)
  2. Bert #75 → #97 (−22)
  3. Mollie #98 → #118 (−20)
  4. Bernard #81 → #98 (−17)
  5. Benjamin #21 → #37 (−16)
  6. Grover #83 → #99 (−16)
  7. Ina #150 → #165 (−15)
  8. Matilda #119 → #133 (−14)
  9. Janie #148 → #162 (−14)
  10. Theodore #76 → #89 (−13)

✨ Never recorded before 1890

Verena (11) Nobie (10) Eduardo (10) Arbie (8) Esma (8) Gwen (8) Lallie (8) Melia (8) Modeste (8) Verla (8)

123 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1890.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1890?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1890, out of 301,401 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1890?
Stanley made the biggest jump in 1890, climbing 30 spots to #78.
How many new baby names appeared in 1890?
123 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1890.