The 1908 Baby Name Report

488,649 babies, 3,640 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1908

👑 #1 girls: Mary (29 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (29 years running) 170 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary18,665
  2. Helen8,439
  3. Margaret6,976
  4. Ruth6,180
  5. Anna5,860
  6. Dorothy5,703
  7. Elizabeth4,904
  8. Mildred4,624
  9. Alice4,270
  10. Marie4,076

Top boys

  1. John9,343
  2. William7,529
  3. James7,012
  4. George4,584
  5. Robert4,219
  6. Joseph4,162
  7. Charles3,929
  8. Frank3,146
  9. Edward2,707
  10. Thomas2,301

Full top-50 rankings for 1908 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Carolyn #254 → #200 (+54)
  2. Lorraine #246 → #214 (+32)
  3. Juanita #148 → #118 (+30)
  4. Nicholas #143 → #113 (+30)
  5. Madge #269 → #241 (+28)
  6. Fern #193 → #166 (+27)
  7. Teresa #249 → #225 (+24)
  8. Angelina #237 → #215 (+22)
  9. Patricia #260 → #238 (+22)
  10. Lucile #133 → #115 (+18)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Augusta #226 → #268 (−42)
  2. Millie #229 → #267 (−38)
  3. Winnie #214 → #247 (−33)
  4. Johnnie #221 → #254 (−33)
  5. Jim #90 → #117 (−27)
  6. Maude #112 → #137 (−25)
  7. Matilda #173 → #197 (−24)
  8. Dollie #232 → #256 (−24)
  9. Allie #197 → #218 (−21)
  10. Roosevelt #110 → #131 (−21)

✨ Never recorded before 1908

Robley (12) Pasqualina (10) Alise (9) Marcela (9) Pecolia (9) Fonnie (8) Mertis (8) Ree (8) Romona (8) Viviana (8)

170 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1908.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1908?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1908, out of 488,649 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1908?
Carolyn made the biggest jump in 1908, climbing 54 spots to #200.
How many new baby names appeared in 1908?
170 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1908.