The 1897 Baby Name Report

346,957 babies, 2,763 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1897

👑 #1 girls: Mary (18 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (18 years running) 104 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary13,413
  2. Anna5,429
  3. Helen4,519
  4. Margaret4,146
  5. Ruth3,878
  6. Elizabeth3,442
  7. Florence3,369
  8. Ethel3,182
  9. Marie3,078
  10. Emma2,698

Top boys

  1. John7,550
  2. William7,198
  3. James5,113
  4. George4,078
  5. Charles3,341
  6. Joseph2,827
  7. Frank2,726
  8. Robert2,701
  9. Edward2,121
  10. Henry1,994

Full top-50 rankings for 1897 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Thelma #168 → #117 (+51)
  2. Isabelle #208 → #184 (+24)
  3. Genevieve #153 → #130 (+23)
  4. Opal #205 → #182 (+23)
  5. Sophie #172 → #151 (+21)
  6. Violet #135 → #119 (+16)
  7. Irma #166 → #150 (+16)
  8. Allie #185 → #169 (+16)
  9. Marian #164 → #149 (+15)
  10. Alberta #170 → #156 (+14)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Selma #178 → #205 (−27)
  2. Winnie #193 → #220 (−27)
  3. Nannie #119 → #144 (−25)
  4. Teresa #192 → #215 (−23)
  5. Frieda #141 → #163 (−22)
  6. Victoria #158 → #180 (−22)
  7. Essie #126 → #145 (−19)
  8. Harriet #111 → #128 (−17)
  9. Rachel #137 → #154 (−17)
  10. Mollie #127 → #143 (−16)

✨ Never recorded before 1897

Garnetta (11) Erline (9) Olympia (9) Pocahontas (9) Helyn (8) Albirta (7) Brenda (7) Charlsie (7) Felice (7) Manila (7)

104 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1897.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1897?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1897, out of 346,957 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1897?
Thelma made the biggest jump in 1897, climbing 51 spots to #117.
How many new baby names appeared in 1897?
104 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1897.