The 1920 Baby Name Report

2,262,643 babies, 9,634 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1920

👑 #1 girls: Mary (41 years running) 👑 #1 boys: John (41 years running) 614 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary70,983
  2. Dorothy36,643
  3. Helen35,097
  4. Margaret27,994
  5. Ruth26,102
  6. Mildred18,060
  7. Virginia17,314
  8. Elizabeth15,908
  9. Frances15,883
  10. Anna14,581

Top boys

  1. John56,913
  2. William50,146
  3. Robert48,679
  4. James47,908
  5. Charles28,309
  6. George26,891
  7. Joseph25,587
  8. Edward20,097
  9. Frank16,430
  10. Richard15,010

Full top-50 rankings for 1920 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Harding #1,366 → #391 (+975)
  2. Joanne #582 → #471 (+111)
  3. Nelda #555 → #451 (+104)
  4. Suzanne #474 → #389 (+85)
  5. Madeleine #531 → #449 (+82)
  6. Spencer #473 → #393 (+80)
  7. Gloria #272 → #195 (+77)
  8. Marianne #553 → #478 (+75)
  9. Margarita #486 → #416 (+70)
  10. Mercedes #438 → #369 (+69)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Sibyl #376 → #509 (−133)
  2. Vernice #453 → #547 (−94)
  3. Woodrow #91 → #183 (−92)
  4. Quentin #220 → #312 (−92)
  5. Gertie #448 → #526 (−78)
  6. Everette #399 → #475 (−76)
  7. Ollie #274 → #344 (−70)
  8. Anton #303 → #372 (−69)
  9. Lauretta #460 → #527 (−67)
  10. Wilson #155 → #221 (−66)

✨ Never recorded before 1920

Dardanella (23) Doraine (11) Steele (11) Bettyjo (10) Bettymae (10) Dalores (10) Glema (10) Hesta (10) Madalynne (10) Monda (10)

614 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1920.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1920?
Mary was the #1 girl name and John the #1 boy name in 1920, out of 2,262,643 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1920?
Harding made the biggest jump in 1920, climbing 975 spots to #391.
How many new baby names appeared in 1920?
614 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1920.