Most Popular Baby Names in 1909

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 1909. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby names in 1909, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Boys Girls
Rank Name Count Name Count
1 John 9,591 Mary 19,259
2 William 7,913 Helen 9,250
3 James 7,595 Margaret 7,359
4 George 4,688 Ruth 6,509
5 Robert 4,563 Dorothy 6,253
6 Joseph 4,348 Anna 5,804
7 Charles 4,029 Elizabeth 5,176
8 Frank 3,244 Mildred 5,054
9 Edward 2,935 Marie 4,301
10 Thomas 2,468 Alice 4,170
11 Henry 2,411 Florence 3,789
12 Walter 2,287 Frances 3,780
13 Willie 2,175 Ethel 3,661
14 Harry 1,924 Lillian 3,596
15 Albert 1,816 Gladys 3,538
16 Harold 1,725 Edna 3,429
17 Paul 1,676 Rose 3,374
18 Arthur 1,665 Evelyn 3,157
19 Clarence 1,518 Louise 3,019
20 Raymond 1,441 Irene 2,961
21 Richard 1,427 Grace 2,912
22 Fred 1,355 Annie 2,904
23 Joe 1,292 Catherine 2,897
24 Louis 1,231 Hazel 2,708
25 Carl 1,215 Gertrude 2,622
26 Howard 1,166 Thelma 2,612
27 Jack 1,150 Ruby 2,524
28 Roy 1,135 Martha 2,510
29 David 1,094 Bertha 2,444
30 Ralph 1,091 Virginia 2,420
31 Earl 1,007 Josephine 2,416
32 Samuel 983 Clara 2,403
33 Francis 886 Edith 2,371
34 Ernest 885 Emma 2,338
35 Lawrence 854 Bessie 2,276
36 Charlie 833 Lucille 2,192
37 Herbert 831 Esther 2,185
38 Andrew 766 Beatrice 2,105
39 Alfred 763 Elsie 2,064
40 Anthony 758 Pearl 2,048
41 Kenneth 746 Mabel 2,007
42 Donald 725 Agnes 1,974
43 Eugene 724 Myrtle 1,950
44 Sam 700 Ida 1,943
45 Elmer 687 Julia 1,931
46 Leonard 665 Viola 1,926
47 Michael 635 Eva 1,896
48 Herman 618 Pauline 1,896
49 Leo 609 Sarah 1,845
50 Stanley 607 Minnie 1,779
51 Theodore 595 Nellie 1,768
52 Lee 584 Lillie 1,635
53 Floyd 570 Katherine 1,557
54 Daniel 569 Willie 1,549
55 Leroy 568 Laura 1,524
56 Peter 539 Ann 1,477
57 Clifford 536 Eleanor 1,460
58 Russell 528 Marion 1,445
59 Jesse 517 Mattie 1,407
60 Clyde 516 Ella 1,382
61 Lester 501 Alma 1,375
62 Edwin 492 Bernice 1,337
63 Benjamin 489 Jessie 1,321
64 Frederick 477 Doris 1,298
65 Lewis 477 Lena 1,295
66 Chester 475 Carrie 1,276
67 Ray 475 Vera 1,242
68 Bernard 463 Mae 1,230
69 Eddie 462 Blanche 1,217
70 Oscar 459 Stella 1,188
71 Melvin 448 Lucy 1,175
72 Cecil 432 Leona 1,167
73 Jessie 432 Lois 1,157
74 Claude 419 Kathryn 1,138
75 Norman 415 Hattie 1,134
76 Lloyd 412 Anne 1,110
77 Johnnie 401 Betty 1,082
78 Philip 395 Marjorie 1,082
79 Martin 391 Fannie 1,071
80 Leon 377 Beulah 1,052
81 Milton 369 Marguerite 1,036
82 Alvin 363 Opal 1,028
83 Harvey 361 Jennie 998
84 Ben 358 Mamie 974
85 Marvin 354 Cora 969
86 Edgar 347 Ellen 960
87 Luther 347 Rosa 959
88 Tom 340 Ada 945
89 Victor 320 Violet 945
90 Everett 314 Jean 940
91 Stephen 314 Lula 922
92 Homer 313 Velma 857
93 Allen 312 Sylvia 847
94 Morris 305 Charlotte 841
95 Gerald 301 Dora 829
96 Leslie 292 Inez 826
97 Vernon 284 Georgia 813
98 Julius 269 Maggie 794
99 Otis 267 Genevieve 785
100 Will 267 Hilda 773
101 Vincent 264 Susie 770
102 Jacob 262 Daisy 754
103 Glenn 261 Emily 749
104 Hugh 260 Sadie 749
105 Jim 259 Alberta 738
106 Wilbur 259 Theresa 724
107 Alexander 255 Nora 670
108 Earnest 255 Estelle 669
109 Horace 252 Juanita 668
110 Virgil 250 Flora 667
111 Marion 247 Vivian 652
112 Oliver 246 Olive 645
113 Maurice 245 Wilma 645
114 Curtis 244 Marian 641
115 Manuel 243 Lola 634
116 Gilbert 239 Jane 627
117 Arnold 237 Eunice 625
118 Archie 235 Nancy 610
119 Sidney 233 Rosie 604
120 Warren 231 Mable 586
121 Gordon 230 Lottie 583
122 Max 228 Verna 582
123 Alex 227 Loretta 573
124 Hubert 222 Lucile 570
125 Willard 219 Della 568
126 Orville 218 Barbara 567
127 Jose 213 Sara 559
128 Isaac 209 Nettie 549
129 Lonnie 209 Eula 548
130 Nathan 209 Maria 544
131 Rufus 206 Geneva 539
132 Bill 205 Effie 538
133 Nicholas 204 Katie 534
134 Irving 202 Goldie 530
135 Patrick 199 Harriet 527
136 Wesley 197 Kathleen 527
137 Guy 195 Christine 524
138 Jerry 192 Maude 520
139 Willis 189 Essie 508
140 Bennie 187 Lizzie 504
141 Steve 187 Naomi 504
142 Jimmie 185 Lydia 503
143 Wallace 185 Irma 499
144 Otto 180 Sophie 496
145 Glen 178 Erma 487
146 Calvin 176 May 483
147 Ira 175 Ollie 481
148 Rudolph 173 Henrietta 480
149 Clinton 171 Ora 473
150 Franklin 168 Sallie 472
151 Elbert 167 Rebecca 470
152 Mike 167 Sally 470
153 Abraham 163 Madeline 466
154 Dan 163 Rachel 462
155 Wayne 163 Addie 453
156 Roosevelt 160 Geraldine 444
157 Ed 159 Caroline 443
158 Percy 159 Norma 438
159 Clifton 157 Nina 434
160 Tony 155 Victoria 426
161 Mack 154 Lela 414
162 Emil 153 Iva 401
163 Roland 153 Amelia 388
164 Sylvester 151 Susan 380
165 Felix 148 Audrey 371
166 Charley 147 Etta 367
167 Edmund 147 Mollie 361
168 Emmett 147 Olga 359
169 Johnie 147 Isabel 356
170 Matthew 147 Nannie 355
171 Phillip 146 Roberta 353
172 Nathaniel 143 Phyllis 352
173 Aaron 142 Adeline 345
174 Jerome 141 Fern 345
175 Kermit 139 Flossie 343
176 Clayton 137 Miriam 339
177 Marshall 134 Bonnie 337
178 Ellis 131 Cleo 333
179 August 129 Maxine 332
180 Roger 128 Alta 327
181 Douglas 126 Isabelle 326
182 Forrest 125 Leola 326
183 Juan 123 Luella 325
184 Ted 122 Ola 325
185 Bruce 121 Celia 324
186 Antonio 120 Freda 321
187 Dennis 120 Estella 318
188 Pete 120 Jeanette 317
189 Bert 119 Frieda 315
190 Johnny 117 Jeannette 311
191 Amos 116 Muriel 311
192 Sherman 115 Jewell 304
193 Adam 113 Janie 301
194 Nelson 113 Carolyn 299
195 Tommie 113 Winifred 297
196 Ivan 111 Antoinette 296
197 Don 110 Rita 295
198 Irvin 109 Cecelia 294
199 Jake 109 Anita 291
200 Perry 109 Ina 287
201 Moses 108 Margie 286
202 Adolph 107 Virgie 285
203 Roscoe 107 Shirley 281
204 Wilson 106 Matilda 280
205 Gus 104 Elva 279
206 Ervin 103 Hannah 278
207 Austin 102 Nell 277
208 Dale 102 Johnnie 275
209 Dave 102 Lorene 274
210 Julian 102 Allie 272
211 Karl 102 Wanda 272
212 Alton 101 Amanda 271
213 Booker 101 Veronica 270
214 Mark 101 Lorraine 269
215 Ollie 99 Marcella 266
216 Grady 99 Regina 264
217 Angelo 98 Faye 261
218 Cornelius 98 Claire 259
219 Jay 98 Lila 259
220 Wilbert 98 Adele 257
221 Grover 97 Cecilia 257
222 Salvatore 96 Sophia 256
223 Alonzo 95 Dorothea 253
224 Simon 94 Jewel 252
225 Ronald 93 Selma 250
226 Delbert 91 Eliza 249
227 Dewey 91 Elma 248
228 Dominick 91 Fay 246
229 Reuben 91 Amy 244
230 Wilfred 91 Eloise 243
231 Elijah 90 Sue 243
232 Leland 90 Janet 242
233 Owen 90 Zelma 240
234 Laurence 89 Patricia 233
235 Carroll 87 Angeline 232
236 Jess 87 Angelina 227
237 Larry 87 Winnie 225
238 Buster 85 Dolores 220
239 Aubrey 84 Millie 219
240 Cleveland 83 Eileen 216
241 Jasper 83 Teresa 215
242 Malcolm 83 June 213
243 Levi 82 Elnora 211
244 Gene 81 Gussie 211
245 Ross 81 Tillie 210
246 Hyman 81 Reba 208
247 Elmo 80 Constance 206
248 Mary 80 Angela 204
249 Loyd 79 Jeanne 202
250 Solomon 79 Josie 202

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Ross' or 'Reba', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'John' or 'Mary' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'George' or 'Mildred' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Jamess' or 'Helens' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Robert' or 'Elizabeth' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Joseph' or 'Marie' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Thomas' or 'Ruth' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Charles' or 'Ethel' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Frank' or 'Anna' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Edward' or 'Thelma' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 1909". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1909/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 1909". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1909/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Names in 1909. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1909/.