The 1898 Baby Name Report

381,455 babies, 2,987 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1898

👑 #1 girls: Mary (19 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (19 years running) 163 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary14,406
  2. Anna5,773
  3. Helen5,230
  4. Margaret4,696
  5. Ruth4,249
  6. Florence3,790
  7. Elizabeth3,659
  8. Ethel3,531
  9. Marie3,435
  10. Lillian3,061

Top boys

  1. John8,159
  2. William7,400
  3. James5,321
  4. George4,853
  5. Charles3,557
  6. Joseph3,171
  7. Robert2,932
  8. Frank2,925
  9. Edward2,337
  10. Thomas2,161

Full top-50 rankings for 1898 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Dewey #111 → #19 (+92)
  2. Winnie #220 → #165 (+55)
  3. Jean #172 → #147 (+25)
  4. Elva #198 → #179 (+19)
  5. Veronica #219 → #200 (+19)
  6. Thelma #117 → #99 (+18)
  7. Harriet #128 → #110 (+18)
  8. Rachel #154 → #138 (+16)
  9. Teresa #215 → #199 (+16)
  10. Vivian #177 → #162 (+15)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Sophie #151 → #182 (−31)
  2. Mayme #191 → #220 (−29)
  3. Sophia #164 → #189 (−25)
  4. Olga #133 → #156 (−23)
  5. Allen #82 → #103 (−21)
  6. Amelia #121 → #140 (−19)
  7. Janie #174 → #191 (−17)
  8. Homer #70 → #85 (−15)
  9. Millie #194 → #208 (−14)
  10. Estelle #115 → #128 (−13)

✨ Never recorded before 1898

Hobson (38) Manilla (35) Admiral (25) Shafter (14) Maceo (13) Dewie (11) Schley (10) Creta (9) Floria (9) Lennis (9)

163 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1898.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1898?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1898, out of 381,455 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1898?
Dewey made the biggest jump in 1898, climbing 92 spots to #19.
How many new baby names appeared in 1898?
163 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1898.