The 1899 Baby Name Report

339,234 babies, 2,777 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1899

👑 #1 girls: Mary (20 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (20 years running) 98 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary13,172
  2. Anna5,115
  3. Helen5,048
  4. Margaret4,249
  5. Ruth3,912
  6. Florence3,314
  7. Elizabeth3,287
  8. Marie3,156
  9. Ethel2,999
  10. Lillian2,703

Top boys

  1. John6,990
  2. William6,086
  3. James4,597
  4. George4,018
  5. Charles3,147
  6. Joseph2,679
  7. Robert2,609
  8. Frank2,550
  9. Edward1,901
  10. Henry1,831

Full top-50 rankings for 1899 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Wilma #232 → #181 (+51)
  2. Thelma #99 → #78 (+21)
  3. Sophie #182 → #163 (+19)
  4. Josie #197 → #178 (+19)
  5. Violet #127 → #111 (+16)
  6. Opal #178 → #162 (+16)
  7. Victoria #171 → #156 (+15)
  8. Erma #188 → #173 (+15)
  9. Essie #150 → #136 (+14)
  10. Alberta #166 → #152 (+14)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Belle #183 → #207 (−24)
  2. Otto #80 → #102 (−22)
  3. Kathleen #163 → #184 (−21)
  4. Dewey #19 → #39 (−20)
  5. Kate #169 → #188 (−19)
  6. Elva #179 → #197 (−18)
  7. Teresa #199 → #217 (−18)
  8. Tillie #194 → #210 (−16)
  9. Nell #186 → #201 (−15)
  10. Verna #129 → #143 (−14)

✨ Never recorded before 1899

Ardis (19) Irva (19) Thera (11) Vernita (10) Erva (9) Jackie (9) Zeola (9) Haven (9) Gilma (8) Rosine (8)

98 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1899.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1899?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1899, out of 339,234 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1899?
Wilma made the biggest jump in 1899, climbing 51 spots to #181.
How many new baby names appeared in 1899?
98 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1899.