The 1891 Baby Name Report

286,673 babies, 2,454 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1891

👑 #1 girls: Mary (12 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (12 years running) 112 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary11,704
  2. Anna5,099
  3. Margaret3,065
  4. Elizabeth3,059
  5. Emma2,884
  6. Florence2,716
  7. Ethel2,689
  8. Minnie2,428
  9. Helen2,417
  10. Bertha2,372

Top boys

  1. John7,680
  2. William6,763
  3. James4,516
  4. George3,931
  5. Charles3,640
  6. Frank2,652
  7. Joseph2,572
  8. Robert2,240
  9. Harry2,132
  10. Henry2,049

Full top-50 rankings for 1891 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Ruth #46 → #19 (+27)
  2. Flossie #152 → #129 (+23)
  3. Winifred #171 → #150 (+21)
  4. Selma #183 → #163 (+20)
  5. Eunice #166 → #148 (+18)
  6. Dorothy #93 → #76 (+17)
  7. Betty #164 → #147 (+17)
  8. Evelyn #125 → #109 (+16)
  9. Lois #178 → #162 (+16)
  10. Eleanor #117 → #103 (+14)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Christine #161 → #185 (−24)
  2. Verna #145 → #167 (−22)
  3. Essie #138 → #157 (−19)
  4. Allie #154 → #173 (−19)
  5. Belle #127 → #145 (−18)
  6. Callie #153 → #171 (−18)
  7. Rebecca #107 → #123 (−16)
  8. Nell #160 → #175 (−15)
  9. Stanley #78 → #92 (−14)
  10. Georgia #83 → #96 (−13)

✨ Never recorded before 1891

Sheridan (14) Gayle (9) Idabelle (9) Zenia (9) Carmella (8) Margarethe (8) Vadie (8) Alverna (7) Cuba (7) Elzada (7)

112 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1891.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1891?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1891, out of 286,673 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1891?
Ruth made the biggest jump in 1891, climbing 27 spots to #19.
How many new baby names appeared in 1891?
112 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1891.