The 1916 Baby Name Report

1,934,417 babies, 8,692 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1916

👑 #1 girls: Mary (37 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (37 years running) 972 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary61,438
  2. Helen32,661
  3. Dorothy27,418
  4. Margaret24,953
  5. Ruth23,189
  6. Mildred15,633
  7. Anna15,228
  8. Elizabeth14,940
  9. Frances13,746
  10. Virginia12,487

Top boys

  1. John50,043
  2. William40,418
  3. James35,568
  4. Robert31,741
  5. Joseph23,883
  6. Charles23,612
  7. George23,381
  8. Edward17,005
  9. Frank15,291
  10. Thomas11,998

Full top-50 rankings for 1916 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Theda #585 → #350 (+235)
  2. Bette #510 → #409 (+101)
  3. Lorine #509 → #413 (+96)
  4. Earline #488 → #420 (+68)
  5. Beverly #338 → #272 (+66)
  6. Monica #437 → #373 (+64)
  7. Carmen #370 → #313 (+57)
  8. Maybelle #491 → #437 (+54)
  9. Valeria #468 → #415 (+53)
  10. Gloria #390 → #338 (+52)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Noel #360 → #416 (−56)
  2. Wiley #369 → #424 (−55)
  3. Kermit #273 → #327 (−54)
  4. Elsa #392 → #446 (−54)
  5. Minerva #424 → #473 (−49)
  6. Harriette #395 → #443 (−48)
  7. Belle #288 → #335 (−47)
  8. Frederic #343 → #390 (−47)
  9. Carlos #309 → #352 (−43)
  10. Ed #274 → #316 (−42)

✨ Never recorded before 1916

Tatsuko (14) Verdun (14) Marjoria (13) Warnie (12) Dolora (11) Doralee (11) Ettamae (11) Marcelene (11) Ovelia (11) Wilburta (11)

972 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1916.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1916?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1916, out of 1,934,417 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1916?
Theda made the biggest jump in 1916, climbing 235 spots to #350.
How many new baby names appeared in 1916?
972 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1916.