Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1880

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1880. 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 boy names in 1880, 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

Rank Name Count
1 John 9,655
2 William 9,532
3 James 5,927
4 Charles 5,348
5 George 5,126
6 Frank 3,242
7 Joseph 2,632
8 Thomas 2,534
9 Henry 2,444
10 Robert 2,415
11 Edward 2,364
12 Harry 2,152
13 Walter 1,755
14 Arthur 1,599
15 Fred 1,569
16 Albert 1,493
17 Samuel 1,024
18 David 869
19 Louis 828
20 Joe 731
21 Charlie 730
22 Clarence 730
23 Richard 728
24 Andrew 644
25 Daniel 643
26 Ernest 615
27 Will 588
28 Jesse 569
29 Oscar 544
30 Lewis 517
31 Peter 496
32 Benjamin 490
33 Frederick 483
34 Willie 476
35 Alfred 469
36 Sam 457
37 Roy 440
38 Herbert 424
39 Jacob 404
40 Tom 399
41 Elmer 373
42 Carl 372
43 Lee 361
44 Howard 357
45 Martin 357
46 Michael 354
47 Bert 348
48 Herman 347
49 Jim 345
50 Francis 344
51 Harvey 344
52 Earl 335
53 Eugene 328
54 Ralph 317
55 Ed 310
56 Claude 309
57 Edwin 309
58 Ben 305
59 Charley 305
60 Paul 301
61 Edgar 283
62 Isaac 274
63 Otto 271
64 Luther 260
65 Lawrence 257
66 Ira 249
67 Patrick 248
68 Guy 239
69 Oliver 234
70 Theodore 232
71 Hugh 224
72 Clyde 221
73 Alexander 211
74 August 210
75 Floyd 206
76 Homer 205
77 Jack 204
78 Leonard 200
79 Horace 199
80 Marion 189
81 Philip 186
82 Allen 184
83 Archie 183
84 Stephen 176
85 Chester 168
86 Willis 166
87 Raymond 165
88 Rufus 163
89 Warren 158
90 Jessie 154
91 Milton 149
92 Alex 147
93 Leo 147
94 Julius 143
95 Ray 142
96 Sidney 142
97 Bernard 140
98 Dan 140
99 Jerry 136
100 Calvin 134
101 Perry 134
102 Dave 131
103 Anthony 130
104 Eddie 129
105 Amos 128
106 Dennis 128
107 Clifford 127
108 Leroy 124
109 Wesley 123
110 Alonzo 122
111 Garfield 122
112 Franklin 120
113 Emil 119
114 Leon 118
115 Nathan 114
116 Harold 113
117 Matthew 113
118 Levi 112
119 Moses 111
120 Everett 110
121 Lester 109
122 Winfield 108
123 Adam 104
124 Lloyd 104
125 Mack 104
126 Fredrick 103
127 Jay 103
128 Jess 103
129 Melvin 103
130 Noah 103
131 Aaron 102
132 Alvin 102
133 Norman 102
134 Gilbert 101
135 Elijah 100
136 Victor 100
137 Nelson 99
138 Gus 99
139 Jasper 98
140 Silas 98
141 Jake 96
142 Christopher 95
143 Mike 95
144 Percy 94
145 Adolph 93
146 Maurice 93
147 Cornelius 92
148 Felix 92
149 Reuben 92
150 Wallace 91
151 Claud 90
152 Roscoe 90
153 Sylvester 89
154 Earnest 88
155 Hiram 88
156 Otis 88
157 Simon 88
158 Willard 88
159 Irvin 86
160 Mark 85
161 Jose 84
162 Wilbur 82
163 Abraham 81
164 Virgil 81
165 Clinton 79
166 Elbert 79
167 Leslie 79
168 Marshall 78
169 Owen 78
170 Wiley 78
171 Anton 77
172 Morris 77
173 Manuel 75
174 Phillip 75
175 Augustus 74
176 Emmett 74
177 Eli 73
178 Nicholas 73
179 Wilson 72
180 Alva 70
181 Harley 70
182 Newton 70
183 Timothy 70
184 Marvin 69
185 Ross 69
186 Curtis 68
187 Edmund 67
188 Jeff 66
189 Elias 65
190 Harrison 65
191 Stanley 65
192 Columbus 64
193 Lon 64
194 Ora 64
195 Ollie 63
196 Pearl 62
197 Russell 62
198 Solomon 62
199 Arch 61
200 Scott 60
201 Nathaniel 60
202 Mathew 60
203 Enoch 60
204 Clayton 60
205 Asa 60
206 Irving 60
207 Hubert 59
208 Lemuel 59
209 Andy 58
210 Ellis 58
211 Emanuel 57
212 Joshua 57
213 Millard 56
214 Vernon 56
215 Wade 56
216 Cyrus 54
217 Miles 54
218 Rudolph 54
219 Sherman 54
220 Austin 53
221 Bill 53
222 Chas 53
223 Lonnie 53
224 Monroe 53
225 Byron 52
226 Edd 52
227 Emery 52
228 Grant 52
229 Jerome 52
230 Max 52
231 Mose 52
232 Steve 52
233 Gordon 51
234 Abe 50
235 Pete 50
236 Gustave 49
237 Orville 49
238 Chris 49
239 Clark 49
240 Lorenzo 48
241 Bruce 47
242 Marcus 47
243 Preston 47
244 Donald 46
245 Jackson 46
246 Dock 46
247 Bob 46
248 Cecil 45
249 Delbert 44
250 Edmond 44

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 'Jackson' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'John' or '' 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 'Charles' or '' 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 's' 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 'George' or '' 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 'Frank' or '' 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 'Robert' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Joseph' or '' 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 'Thomas' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Henry' or '' 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 Boy Names in 1880". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1880/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1880". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1880/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1880. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1880/.