Feature Article
This definitive compilation of data, spanning the years from 1900 to 1999, is based on my original analysis of birth data. This "best of the century" list, based on Social Security Card applications for births in the United States, determines and ranks the top 10 boys' names and the top 10 girls' names spanning the entire 20th century. It was compiled using the same methodology as used by the Social Security Administration in compiling their most popular names of the decade lists, i.e. by totaling the raw numbers. But in this case, the time period studied is the entire 20th Century.
There are plenty of surprises: Donald in the # 13 all time spot; Dorothy in the # 9 spot for girls, followed by Betty at # 10, to name a few. It may surprise people to see Patricia at the # 2 all-time girl's spot. Plus, there are some fascinating trends revealed by the data, such as the top 10 boys' names accounting for nearly 35 million names over the century, while the top 10 girls' account for only about 15 million names, clearly demonstrating the huge variety of girls' names versus boys' names, going back to 1900.
Just as they do today, Biblical names make a strong showing on the list. On the boy's side, no fewer than six biblical names appear in the all-time top ten; on the girl's side, two names have biblical roots. This discrepancy between boys' and girls' biblical names, with boys' always being more popular, holds true today.
Given the greater volatility over time of girls' names, it is not surprising to see that some superstars of the 20th Century, such as Linda, which ranks # 3 in the century, has fallen precipitously -- all the way to # 416 by 2005. Poor Betty, # 10 in the 20th Century, has fared even worse -- the name has not ranked in the top 1000 since squeaking onto the list at # 918 in 1996.
What names are still hot? Amazingly, five boys' names from the top dozen of the 20th Century - Michael, Daniel, Christopher, Joseph and William - are still in the top twelve today. For girls, only Elizabeth (#12 in 2005) shows that kind of endurance. For more than 100 years, parents have been very traditional in picking boys' names but ready to take a chance on something new when it comes to girls' names.
Boys: 1 James 2 John 3 Robert 4 Michael 5 William 6 David 7 Richard 8 Joseph 9 Charles 10 Thomas
Girls: 1 Mary 2 Patricia 3 Linda 4 Barbara 5 Jennifer 6 Elizabeth 7 Margaret 8 Susan 9 Dorothy 10 Betty
How are the superstars of the 20th Century, James and Mary, performing today? True to form, the boy's name, James, is still not far from the top. It ranked 17 in 2005. Mary, while not slumping like some of her sister names, is not doing so well. In 2005, she was 73. More ominous for Mary, she has been trending downward since she last held the # 1 spot back in 1961. But even if Mary falls out of the top 100, it may only be temporary. Consider the name Emily, the hottest girl's name for the last ten years. 45 years ago, when Mary was # 1, Emily was # 265. Names, like most fashions, ebb and flow with the tastes of the day.
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About this
Neil Street is co-publisher of Baby Names Garden , a leading baby names website, where you can read more of his work on the Top Baby Names of the 20th Century at http://www.babynamesgarden.com/Decade.aspx He is also the editor of which tracks the names that celebrities are giving to their children. http://www.celebritybabynamesblog.com