Most Popular Baby Names of 1912
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and John were the most popular baby names of 1912 in the US: 32,304 girls were named Mary and 24,588 boys were named John, about 1 in 17 girls and 1 in 17 boys born that year. It was Mary's 33rd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was John's 33rd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1880).
Social Security records list 558,119 girls and 429,942 boys born in 1912, with 3,443 different girl names and 2,904 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1911
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1911; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1911.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Marian (#105 to #93), Eleanor (#49 to #39) and Jean (#74 to #64).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Woodrow (#232 to #46), Glenn (#111 to #84) and Sidney (#92 to #80).
- 2 girl names and 6 boy names left the top 100, among them Georgia (#96 to #101) and Ben (#86 to #102).
- 741 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1912
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1911, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1912
| # | Name | Babies | In 1911 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 32,304 | #1 |
| 2 | Helen | 16,133 | #2 |
| 3 | Dorothy | 12,645 | #4 |
| 4 | Margaret | 12,536 | #3 |
| 5 | Ruth | 11,280 | #5 |
| 6 | Mildred | 8,764 | #8 |
| 7 | Anna | 8,586 | #6 |
| 8 | Elizabeth | 8,527 | #7 |
| 9 | Frances | 6,680 | #10 |
| 10 | Marie | 6,642 | #9 |
| 11 | Alice | 6,285 | #11 |
| 12 | Florence | 5,739 | #12 |
| 13 | Evelyn | 5,620 | #16 |
| 14 | Lillian | 5,568 | #13 |
| 15 | Rose | 5,431 | #14 |
| 16 | Edna | 5,136 | #17 |
| 17 | Louise | 5,116 | #19 |
| 18 | Ethel | 5,073 | #15 |
| 19 | Gladys | 4,980 | #18 |
| 20 | Virginia | 4,810 | #26 |
| 21 | Catherine | 4,666 | #20 |
| 22 | Irene | 4,646 | #21 |
| 23 | Ruby | 4,452 | #22 |
| 24 | Grace | 4,418 | #23 |
| 25 | Hazel | 4,197 | #25 |
| 26 | Thelma | 4,183 | #27 |
| 27 | Annie | 4,083 | #24 |
| 28 | Josephine | 3,980 | #29 |
| 29 | Martha | 3,911 | #28 |
| 30 | Gertrude | 3,887 | #30 |
| 31 | Edith | 3,842 | #31 |
| 32 | Lucille | 3,763 | #32 |
| 33 | Esther | 3,569 | #34 |
| 34 | Clara | 3,480 | #33 |
| 35 | Emma | 3,357 | #35 |
| 36 | Bertha | 3,288 | #36 |
| 37 | Beatrice | 3,205 | #37 |
| 38 | Pauline | 3,163 | #38 |
| 39 | Eleanor | 3,120 | #49 |
| 40 | Agnes | 2,945 | #39 |
| 41 | Sarah | 2,919 | #42 |
| 42 | Elsie | 2,895 | #41 |
| 43 | Bessie | 2,832 | #40 |
| 44 | Julia | 2,825 | #44 |
| 45 | Ida | 2,740 | #45 |
| 46 | Mabel | 2,714 | #43 |
| 47 | Ann | 2,666 | #53 |
| 48 | Doris | 2,657 | #56 |
| 49 | Eva | 2,636 | #46 |
| 50 | Myrtle | 2,599 | #50 |
| 51 | Bernice | 2,593 | #51 |
| 52 | Viola | 2,550 | #47 |
| 53 | Katherine | 2,546 | #55 |
| 54 | Pearl | 2,528 | #48 |
| 55 | Marion | 2,522 | #58 |
| 56 | Marjorie | 2,468 | #59 |
| 57 | Laura | 2,413 | #57 |
| 58 | Anne | 2,369 | #64 |
| 59 | Nellie | 2,365 | #54 |
| 60 | Minnie | 2,295 | #52 |
| 61 | Willie | 2,267 | #61 |
| 62 | Alma | 2,183 | #62 |
| 63 | Lois | 2,146 | #68 |
| 64 | Jean | 2,056 | #74 |
| 65 | Jessie | 2,052 | #66 |
| 66 | Betty | 2,011 | #69 |
| 67 | Lillie | 2,003 | #60 |
| 68 | Vera | 1,974 | #67 |
| 69 | Ella | 1,921 | #63 |
| 70 | Mattie | 1,915 | #65 |
| 71 | Kathryn | 1,905 | #73 |
| 72 | Lena | 1,903 | #70 |
| 73 | Stella | 1,834 | #72 |
| 74 | Mae | 1,775 | #70 |
| 75 | Blanche | 1,761 | #75 |
| 76 | Leona | 1,650 | #76 |
| 77 | Sylvia | 1,639 | #82 |
| 78 | Lucy | 1,636 | #77 |
| 79 | Marguerite | 1,620 | #87 |
| 80 | Beulah | 1,607 | #79 |
| 81 | Jennie | 1,595 | #85 |
| 82 | Carrie | 1,580 | #78 |
| 83 | Violet | 1,535 | #83 |
| 84 | Vivian | 1,487 | #80 |
| 85 | Opal | 1,465 | #81 |
| 86 | Ellen | 1,449 | #84 |
| 87 | Fannie | 1,425 | #88 |
| 88 | Velma | 1,403 | #90 |
| 89 | Jane | 1,390 | #98 |
| 90 | Hattie | 1,389 | #86 |
| 91 | Charlotte | 1,375 | #95 |
| 92 | Genevieve | 1,353 | #93 |
| 93 | Marian | 1,313 | #105 |
| 94 | Rosa | 1,305 | #91 |
| 95 | Mamie | 1,273 | #89 |
| 96 | Ada | 1,268 | #97 |
| 96 | Theresa | 1,268 | #100 |
| 98 | Cora | 1,253 | #91 |
| 99 | Wilma | 1,241 | #102 |
| 100 | Inez | 1,228 | #99 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1912
| # | Name | Babies | In 1911 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John | 24,588 | #1 |
| 2 | William | 19,626 | #2 |
| 3 | James | 17,644 | #3 |
| 4 | Robert | 12,836 | #5 |
| 5 | Joseph | 12,062 | #6 |
| 6 | George | 11,734 | #4 |
| 7 | Charles | 11,070 | #7 |
| 8 | Edward | 7,936 | #9 |
| 9 | Frank | 7,912 | #8 |
| 10 | Thomas | 6,087 | #10 |
| 11 | Walter | 5,809 | #12 |
| 12 | Henry | 5,643 | #11 |
| 13 | Harold | 5,102 | #16 |
| 14 | Paul | 4,785 | #17 |
| 15 | Arthur | 4,685 | #18 |
| 16 | Harry | 4,624 | #13 |
| 17 | Albert | 4,587 | #15 |
| 18 | Raymond | 4,374 | #19 |
| 19 | Richard | 4,188 | #20 |
| 20 | Louis | 3,591 | #21 |
| 21 | Clarence | 3,590 | #23 |
| 22 | Willie | 3,508 | #14 |
| 23 | Ralph | 3,435 | #24 |
| 24 | Carl | 3,224 | #26 |
| 25 | Howard | 3,212 | #28 |
| 26 | Fred | 3,103 | #22 |
| 27 | Donald | 2,872 | #36 |
| 28 | Jack | 2,870 | #25 |
| 29 | David | 2,858 | #27 |
| 30 | Samuel | 2,602 | #30 |
| 31 | Roy | 2,591 | #31 |
| 32 | Ernest | 2,569 | #32 |
| 33 | Kenneth | 2,538 | #40 |
| 34 | Earl | 2,518 | #34 |
| 35 | Francis | 2,516 | #33 |
| 36 | Joe | 2,515 | #29 |
| 37 | Anthony | 2,480 | #35 |
| 38 | Lawrence | 2,467 | #37 |
| 39 | Herbert | 2,236 | #41 |
| 40 | Alfred | 2,210 | #39 |
| 41 | Eugene | 2,114 | #43 |
| 42 | Michael | 2,104 | #38 |
| 43 | Stanley | 2,017 | #44 |
| 44 | Andrew | 1,946 | #42 |
| 45 | Leonard | 1,928 | #46 |
| 46 | Woodrow | 1,843 | #232 |
| 47 | Elmer | 1,840 | #48 |
| 48 | Peter | 1,679 | #50 |
| 49 | Leo | 1,654 | #51 |
| 50 | Herman | 1,646 | #49 |
| 51 | Frederick | 1,564 | #52 |
| 52 | Theodore | 1,561 | #56 |
| 53 | Daniel | 1,524 | #53 |
| 54 | Edwin | 1,518 | #60 |
| 55 | Chester | 1,460 | #58 |
| 56 | Russell | 1,449 | #55 |
| 57 | Charlie | 1,446 | #45 |
| 58 | Lester | 1,443 | #65 |
| 59 | Floyd | 1,438 | #57 |
| 60 | Bernard | 1,437 | #54 |
| 61 | Norman | 1,367 | #63 |
| 62 | Clifford | 1,345 | #62 |
| 63 | Sam | 1,325 | #47 |
| 64 | Milton | 1,319 | #70 |
| 65 | Clyde | 1,314 | #61 |
| 66 | Leroy | 1,306 | #59 |
| 67 | Benjamin | 1,272 | #64 |
| 68 | Lewis | 1,247 | #66 |
| 69 | Philip | 1,237 | #69 |
| 70 | Lloyd | 1,227 | #74 |
| 71 | Melvin | 1,185 | #73 |
| 72 | Vincent | 1,178 | #80 |
| 73 | Oscar | 1,157 | #68 |
| 74 | Jesse | 1,106 | #72 |
| 75 | Martin | 1,064 | #75 |
| 76 | Cecil | 1,058 | #76 |
| 77 | Ray | 1,050 | #71 |
| 78 | Lee | 1,030 | #67 |
| 79 | Leon | 1,006 | #77 |
| 80 | Sidney | 1,003 | #92 |
| 81 | Victor | 989 | #81 |
| 82 | Morris | 960 | #85 |
| 83 | Marvin | 958 | #82 |
| 84 | Glenn | 948 | #111 |
| 85 | Edgar | 945 | #83 |
| 86 | Alvin | 929 | #89 |
| 86 | Gerald | 929 | #88 |
| 88 | Stephen | 928 | #83 |
| 89 | Claude | 890 | #87 |
| 90 | Vernon | 889 | #96 |
| 91 | Harvey | 875 | #91 |
| 92 | Wilbur | 832 | #101 |
| 93 | Gordon | 822 | #97 |
| 94 | Irving | 815 | #93 |
| 95 | Maurice | 811 | #99 |
| 96 | Everett | 806 | #102 |
| 97 | Alexander | 803 | #94 |
| 98 | Homer | 794 | #95 |
| 99 | Arnold | 767 | #108 |
| 100 | Julius | 758 | #104 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1911, or the year after, 1913, the top 100 of the whole 1910s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1910s.