Most Popular Baby Names of 1926
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Robert were the most popular baby names of 1926 in the US: 67,832 girls were named Mary and 61,130 boys were named Robert, about 1 in 17 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 47th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was Robert's 3rd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1924).
Social Security records list 1,185,401 girls and 1,110,505 boys born in 1926, with 5,620 different girl names and 4,835 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1925
- Frances joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1925.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Beverly (#105 to #74), Donna (#110 to #90) and Audrey (#78 to #60).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Gene (#112 to #91), Ronald (#104 to #88) and Bill (#84 to #74).
- 4 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Myrtle (#95 to #101) and Johnnie (#100 to #104).
- 292 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1926
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1925, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1926
| # | Name | Babies | In 1925 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 67,832 | #1 |
| 2 | Dorothy | 36,618 | #2 |
| 3 | Betty | 32,964 | #3 |
| 4 | Helen | 26,886 | #4 |
| 5 | Margaret | 23,072 | #5 |
| 6 | Ruth | 20,225 | #6 |
| 7 | Doris | 16,295 | #8 |
| 8 | Virginia | 16,161 | #7 |
| 9 | Mildred | 13,547 | #9 |
| 10 | Frances | 13,355 | #11 |
| 11 | Elizabeth | 12,837 | #10 |
| 12 | Jean | 12,168 | #14 |
| 13 | Evelyn | 11,780 | #12 |
| 14 | Shirley | 11,762 | #17 |
| 15 | Anna | 11,698 | #13 |
| 16 | Barbara | 11,079 | #22 |
| 17 | Alice | 10,956 | #15 |
| 18 | Marie | 10,629 | #16 |
| 19 | Lois | 9,816 | #18 |
| 20 | Gloria | 9,198 | #20 |
| 21 | Irene | 9,169 | #19 |
| 22 | Marjorie | 8,640 | #21 |
| 23 | Patricia | 8,586 | #28 |
| 24 | Martha | 8,556 | #23 |
| 25 | Rose | 8,509 | #26 |
| 26 | Florence | 8,178 | #24 |
| 27 | Louise | 7,979 | #27 |
| 28 | Lillian | 7,661 | #25 |
| 29 | Norma | 7,528 | #34 |
| 30 | Ruby | 7,476 | #30 |
| 31 | Catherine | 7,469 | #29 |
| 32 | Eleanor | 7,305 | #31 |
| 33 | Phyllis | 6,921 | #40 |
| 34 | Annie | 6,877 | #32 |
| 35 | Gladys | 6,634 | #33 |
| 36 | Thelma | 6,585 | #35 |
| 37 | Josephine | 6,410 | #36 |
| 38 | Edna | 6,396 | #37 |
| 39 | Pauline | 6,357 | #38 |
| 40 | June | 6,077 | #39 |
| 41 | Ethel | 5,856 | #43 |
| 42 | Edith | 5,786 | #42 |
| 43 | Lucille | 5,760 | #41 |
| 44 | Joyce | 5,704 | #59 |
| 45 | Bernice | 5,443 | #46 |
| 46 | Grace | 5,427 | #44 |
| 47 | Marion | 5,353 | #47 |
| 48 | Hazel | 5,303 | #45 |
| 49 | Dolores | 5,218 | #64 |
| 50 | Rita | 5,015 | #48 |
| 51 | Joan | 4,995 | #66 |
| 52 | Juanita | 4,981 | #49 |
| 53 | Lorraine | 4,891 | #51 |
| 54 | Geraldine | 4,812 | #54 |
| 55 | Ann | 4,779 | #52 |
| 56 | Jane | 4,641 | #53 |
| 57 | Nancy | 4,566 | #60 |
| 58 | Beatrice | 4,518 | #50 |
| 59 | Emma | 4,480 | #57 |
| 60 | Audrey | 4,477 | #78 |
| 61 | Clara | 4,464 | #55 |
| 62 | Esther | 4,453 | #56 |
| 63 | Sarah | 4,424 | #58 |
| 64 | Theresa | 4,407 | #80 |
| 65 | Marilyn | 4,370 | #83 |
| 66 | Wanda | 4,125 | #72 |
| 67 | Wilma | 4,054 | #62 |
| 68 | Elaine | 4,004 | #73 |
| 69 | Elsie | 3,910 | #63 |
| 70 | Marian | 3,859 | #67 |
| 71 | Gertrude | 3,852 | #70 |
| 72 | Katherine | 3,834 | #61 |
| 73 | Willie | 3,817 | #68 |
| 74 | Beverly | 3,775 | #105 |
| 75 | Julia | 3,688 | #65 |
| 76 | Bertha | 3,583 | #74 |
| 77 | Agnes | 3,533 | #69 |
| 78 | Charlotte | 3,512 | #77 |
| 79 | Eva | 3,494 | #71 |
| 80 | Vivian | 3,430 | #76 |
| 81 | Laura | 3,373 | #75 |
| 82 | Ida | 3,285 | #82 |
| 83 | Kathleen | 3,277 | #81 |
| 84 | Vera | 3,152 | #86 |
| 85 | Maxine | 3,150 | #79 |
| 86 | Anne | 3,109 | #85 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 3,094 | #88 |
| 88 | Jeanne | 3,063 | #89 |
| 89 | Bessie | 3,054 | #87 |
| 90 | Donna | 3,008 | #110 |
| 91 | Alma | 2,990 | #94 |
| 92 | Eileen | 2,928 | #96 |
| 93 | Jessie | 2,921 | #97 |
| 94 | Violet | 2,903 | #92 |
| 95 | Rosemary | 2,900 | #103 |
| 96 | Pearl | 2,899 | #90 |
| 97 | Viola | 2,876 | #84 |
| 98 | Ella | 2,852 | #93 |
| 99 | Lillie | 2,845 | #91 |
| 100 | Ellen | 2,768 | #101 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1926
| # | Name | Babies | In 1925 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 61,130 | #1 |
| 2 | John | 56,108 | #2 |
| 3 | James | 53,196 | #4 |
| 4 | William | 51,922 | #3 |
| 5 | Charles | 29,521 | #5 |
| 6 | George | 25,910 | #6 |
| 7 | Richard | 25,143 | #8 |
| 8 | Joseph | 23,756 | #7 |
| 9 | Donald | 20,912 | #10 |
| 10 | Edward | 19,375 | #9 |
| 11 | Thomas | 16,592 | #11 |
| 12 | Frank | 14,493 | #12 |
| 13 | Paul | 13,653 | #13 |
| 14 | Harold | 13,310 | #14 |
| 15 | Raymond | 12,809 | #15 |
| 16 | Jack | 12,195 | #17 |
| 17 | Walter | 11,774 | #16 |
| 18 | Kenneth | 10,342 | #19 |
| 19 | Henry | 9,994 | #18 |
| 20 | Arthur | 9,465 | #20 |
| 21 | Albert | 9,146 | #21 |
| 22 | David | 9,041 | #22 |
| 23 | Eugene | 9,016 | #24 |
| 24 | Ralph | 8,455 | #25 |
| 25 | Harry | 8,216 | #23 |
| 26 | Carl | 6,939 | #28 |
| 27 | Howard | 6,836 | #26 |
| 28 | Willie | 6,820 | #27 |
| 29 | Clarence | 6,537 | #30 |
| 30 | Louis | 6,513 | #29 |
| 31 | Fred | 6,447 | #33 |
| 32 | Earl | 6,441 | #31 |
| 33 | Joe | 6,338 | #34 |
| 34 | Roy | 6,224 | #32 |
| 35 | Francis | 5,789 | #35 |
| 36 | Lawrence | 5,582 | #36 |
| 37 | Ernest | 5,436 | #37 |
| 38 | Leonard | 5,402 | #38 |
| 39 | Norman | 5,282 | #41 |
| 40 | Billy | 5,180 | #49 |
| 41 | Gerald | 5,123 | #45 |
| 42 | Anthony | 5,058 | #39 |
| 43 | Stanley | 4,966 | #40 |
| 44 | Herbert | 4,939 | #42 |
| 45 | Alfred | 4,726 | #43 |
| 46 | Daniel | 4,516 | #44 |
| 47 | Melvin | 4,194 | #50 |
| 48 | Samuel | 4,180 | #46 |
| 49 | Bernard | 4,172 | #48 |
| 50 | Marvin | 4,111 | #51 |
| 51 | Leroy | 3,808 | #52 |
| 52 | Russell | 3,793 | #53 |
| 53 | Floyd | 3,623 | #58 |
| 54 | Leo | 3,552 | #54 |
| 55 | Edwin | 3,491 | #57 |
| 56 | Michael | 3,485 | #55 |
| 57 | Ray | 3,409 | #64 |
| 58 | Peter | 3,358 | #60 |
| 59 | Andrew | 3,344 | #56 |
| 60 | Lloyd | 3,278 | #62 |
| 61 | Elmer | 3,233 | #61 |
| 62 | Clifford | 3,190 | #59 |
| 63 | Theodore | 3,129 | #63 |
| 64 | Frederick | 3,120 | #65 |
| 65 | Calvin | 3,014 | #47 |
| 66 | Vernon | 2,953 | #67 |
| 67 | Clyde | 2,873 | #68 |
| 68 | Wayne | 2,811 | #74 |
| 69 | Herman | 2,798 | #69 |
| 70 | Philip | 2,708 | #75 |
| 71 | Warren | 2,701 | #66 |
| 72 | Alvin | 2,693 | #70 |
| 73 | Leon | 2,647 | #76 |
| 74 | Bill | 2,643 | #84 |
| 75 | Glenn | 2,635 | #77 |
| 76 | Gordon | 2,629 | #72 |
| 77 | Vincent | 2,543 | #71 |
| 78 | Lester | 2,539 | #81 |
| 79 | Chester | 2,534 | #73 |
| 80 | Martin | 2,493 | #83 |
| 81 | Charlie | 2,446 | #78 |
| 82 | Lewis | 2,444 | #79 |
| 83 | Milton | 2,418 | #80 |
| 84 | Dale | 2,398 | #86 |
| 85 | Lee | 2,313 | #82 |
| 86 | Cecil | 2,305 | #87 |
| 87 | Jesse | 2,298 | #85 |
| 88 | Ronald | 2,283 | #104 |
| 89 | Roger | 2,260 | #90 |
| 90 | Harvey | 2,128 | #88 |
| 91 | Gene | 2,083 | #112 |
| 92 | Sam | 2,033 | #91 |
| 93 | Allen | 2,021 | #94 |
| 94 | Victor | 2,016 | #89 |
| 95 | Wallace | 2,012 | #92 |
| 96 | Don | 1,966 | #106 |
| 97 | Jerry | 1,934 | #107 |
| 98 | Benjamin | 1,898 | #93 |
| 99 | Arnold | 1,882 | #95 |
| 100 | Willard | 1,810 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1925, or the year after, 1927, the top 100 of the whole 1920s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1920s.