Most Popular Baby Names of 1887
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and John were the most popular baby names of 1887 in the US: 9,888 girls were named Mary and 8,110 boys were named John, about 1 in 15 girls and 1 in 13 boys born that year. It was Mary's 8th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was John's 8th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1880).
Social Security records list 145,981 girls and 101,410 boys born in 1887, with 1,306 different girl names and 1,066 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1886
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1886; Edward joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Mildred (#107 to #89), Lydia (#87 to #76) and Elsie (#58 to #49).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Leslie (#114 to #90), Harold (#78 to #61) and Emil (#116 to #100).
- 4 girl names and 5 boy names left the top 100, among them Virginia (#96 to #101) and Sidney (#100 to #101).
- 110 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1887
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1886, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1887
| # | Name | Babies | In 1886 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 9,888 | #1 |
| 2 | Anna | 4,227 | #2 |
| 3 | Elizabeth | 2,681 | #4 |
| 4 | Emma | 2,647 | #3 |
| 5 | Margaret | 2,419 | #6 |
| 6 | Minnie | 2,215 | #5 |
| 7 | Bertha | 2,037 | #8 |
| 8 | Clara | 1,984 | #9 |
| 9 | Florence | 1,964 | #10 |
| 10 | Ida | 1,929 | #7 |
| 11 | Ethel | 1,907 | #15 |
| 12 | Annie | 1,844 | #13 |
| 13 | Bessie | 1,838 | #12 |
| 14 | Alice | 1,819 | #11 |
| 15 | Grace | 1,692 | #14 |
| 16 | Ella | 1,521 | #19 |
| 17 | Martha | 1,504 | #18 |
| 18 | Mabel | 1,494 | #20 |
| 19 | Nellie | 1,457 | #17 |
| 20 | Sarah | 1,436 | #16 |
| 21 | Helen | 1,405 | #25 |
| 22 | Laura | 1,364 | #22 |
| 23 | Carrie | 1,344 | #21 |
| 24 | Edna | 1,339 | #23 |
| 25 | Pearl | 1,316 | #29 |
| 26 | Lillian | 1,308 | #24 |
| 27 | Cora | 1,257 | #28 |
| 28 | Gertrude | 1,251 | #27 |
| 29 | Edith | 1,243 | #31 |
| 30 | Rose | 1,242 | #26 |
| 31 | Maude | 1,162 | #30 |
| 32 | Hattie | 1,135 | #33 |
| 33 | Eva | 1,125 | #32 |
| 34 | Frances | 1,105 | #38 |
| 35 | Louise | 1,088 | #36 |
| 36 | Myrtle | 1,087 | #35 |
| 37 | Lillie | 1,072 | #42 |
| 38 | Jennie | 1,047 | #34 |
| 39 | Julia | 1,043 | #36 |
| 40 | Mattie | 1,031 | #39 |
| 41 | Jessie | 1,012 | #41 |
| 42 | Lena | 1,004 | #43 |
| 43 | Marie | 994 | #44 |
| 44 | Catherine | 967 | #45 |
| 45 | Ada | 910 | #46 |
| 46 | Agnes | 896 | #52 |
| 47 | Lula | 891 | #40 |
| 48 | Dora | 842 | #49 |
| 49 | Elsie | 833 | #58 |
| 50 | Josephine | 815 | #47 |
| 51 | Lucy | 811 | #50 |
| 52 | Fannie | 798 | #48 |
| 53 | Katherine | 794 | #54 |
| 54 | Blanche | 763 | #51 |
| 55 | Maggie | 740 | #53 |
| 56 | Nora | 735 | #56 |
| 57 | Mamie | 716 | #55 |
| 58 | Mae | 680 | #61 |
| 59 | Stella | 664 | #57 |
| 60 | Rosa | 659 | #59 |
| 61 | May | 648 | #63 |
| 62 | Ruth | 627 | #66 |
| 63 | Alma | 623 | #62 |
| 64 | Effie | 615 | #60 |
| 65 | Nettie | 595 | #65 |
| 66 | Ellen | 579 | #70 |
| 67 | Daisy | 532 | #63 |
| 68 | Lizzie | 525 | #71 |
| 68 | Sallie | 525 | #73 |
| 70 | Sadie | 519 | #68 |
| 71 | Nancy | 511 | #72 |
| 72 | Hazel | 504 | #81 |
| 72 | Irene | 504 | #78 |
| 74 | Della | 496 | #67 |
| 75 | Susie | 485 | #69 |
| 76 | Lydia | 448 | #87 |
| 77 | Katie | 440 | #80 |
| 78 | Etta | 437 | #79 |
| 79 | Esther | 431 | #85 |
| 80 | Viola | 420 | #77 |
| 81 | Lottie | 414 | #75 |
| 82 | Flora | 408 | #76 |
| 83 | Maud | 402 | #74 |
| 84 | Caroline | 398 | #91 |
| 85 | Olive | 394 | #84 |
| 86 | Addie | 393 | #83 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 384 | #89 |
| 88 | Willie | 379 | #88 |
| 89 | Mildred | 373 | #107 |
| 90 | Beulah | 355 | #98 |
| 91 | Charlotte | 351 | #94 |
| 91 | Georgia | 351 | #86 |
| 93 | Amelia | 344 | #101 |
| 94 | Harriet | 342 | #99 |
| 95 | Nannie | 340 | #97 |
| 96 | Amanda | 338 | #91 |
| 96 | Ollie | 338 | #103 |
| 98 | Emily | 335 | #93 |
| 98 | Susan | 335 | #102 |
| 100 | Mollie | 333 | #82 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1887
| # | Name | Babies | In 1886 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John | 8,110 | #1 |
| 2 | William | 7,470 | #2 |
| 3 | James | 4,767 | #3 |
| 4 | George | 4,284 | #4 |
| 5 | Charles | 4,031 | #5 |
| 6 | Frank | 2,883 | #6 |
| 7 | Joseph | 2,456 | #7 |
| 8 | Henry | 2,228 | #9 |
| 9 | Thomas | 2,151 | #10 |
| 10 | Edward | 2,125 | #11 |
| 10 | Robert | 2,125 | #8 |
| 12 | Harry | 2,057 | #12 |
| 13 | Walter | 1,704 | #13 |
| 14 | Arthur | 1,489 | #14 |
| 15 | Fred | 1,454 | #15 |
| 16 | Albert | 1,294 | #16 |
| 17 | Clarence | 892 | #17 |
| 18 | Samuel | 802 | #18 |
| 19 | Louis | 791 | #19 |
| 20 | Roy | 726 | #20 |
| 21 | Joe | 685 | #21 |
| 22 | David | 673 | #24 |
| 23 | Ernest | 653 | #25 |
| 24 | Charlie | 642 | #22 |
| 25 | Richard | 622 | #23 |
| 26 | Jesse | 601 | #29 |
| 27 | Willie | 590 | #28 |
| 28 | Carl | 588 | #32 |
| 29 | Oscar | 574 | #26 |
| 30 | Will | 561 | #27 |
| 31 | Daniel | 556 | #33 |
| 32 | Earl | 537 | #31 |
| 33 | Andrew | 520 | #29 |
| 34 | Benjamin | 473 | #39 |
| 35 | Alfred | 468 | #36 |
| 36 | Elmer | 467 | #35 |
| 37 | Frederick | 464 | #40 |
| 38 | Ralph | 463 | #41 |
| 38 | Sam | 463 | #34 |
| 40 | Paul | 449 | #38 |
| 41 | Herbert | 445 | #46 |
| 42 | Howard | 429 | #37 |
| 43 | Peter | 421 | #42 |
| 44 | Lee | 400 | #47 |
| 45 | Herman | 394 | #44 |
| 46 | Claude | 375 | #48 |
| 47 | Raymond | 372 | #52 |
| 48 | Michael | 344 | #53 |
| 49 | Lewis | 343 | #43 |
| 50 | Jim | 339 | #49 |
| 51 | Martin | 331 | #58 |
| 52 | Tom | 329 | #50 |
| 53 | Eugene | 327 | #51 |
| 53 | Francis | 327 | #55 |
| 55 | Clyde | 320 | #62 |
| 56 | Jacob | 317 | #54 |
| 57 | Edwin | 310 | #59 |
| 58 | Ben | 305 | #56 |
| 59 | Grover | 290 | #45 |
| 60 | Lawrence | 283 | #57 |
| 61 | Harold | 279 | #78 |
| 62 | Ed | 275 | #63 |
| 63 | Luther | 267 | #71 |
| 64 | Edgar | 266 | #61 |
| 65 | Harvey | 262 | #60 |
| 66 | Ray | 258 | #67 |
| 67 | Otto | 253 | #68 |
| 68 | Jack | 251 | #64 |
| 69 | Hugh | 250 | #77 |
| 70 | Homer | 248 | #78 |
| 71 | Guy | 238 | #70 |
| 72 | Bert | 237 | #76 |
| 73 | Floyd | 232 | #66 |
| 73 | Leo | 232 | #73 |
| 75 | Charley | 221 | #81 |
| 76 | Patrick | 218 | #72 |
| 77 | Ira | 215 | #85 |
| 78 | Chester | 207 | #65 |
| 78 | Leonard | 207 | #74 |
| 80 | Oliver | 203 | #75 |
| 81 | Allen | 202 | #82 |
| 82 | Theodore | 201 | #69 |
| 83 | August | 194 | #84 |
| 83 | Isaac | 194 | #78 |
| 85 | Archie | 184 | #92 |
| 86 | Jessie | 182 | #89 |
| 87 | Alexander | 180 | #83 |
| 88 | Leroy | 177 | #100 |
| 89 | Lester | 168 | #98 |
| 90 | Leslie | 166 | #114 |
| 91 | Clifford | 165 | #95 |
| 91 | Stephen | 165 | #89 |
| 93 | Julius | 164 | #94 |
| 94 | Warren | 163 | #107 |
| 95 | Philip | 161 | #87 |
| 96 | Horace | 160 | #99 |
| 97 | Bernard | 159 | #91 |
| 98 | Anthony | 153 | #93 |
| 99 | Leon | 147 | #109 |
| 100 | Emil | 146 | #116 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1886, or the year after, 1888, the top 100 of the whole 1880s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1880s.