Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1891

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1891. 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 1891, 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 7,680
2 William 6,763
3 James 4,516
4 George 3,931
5 Charles 3,640
6 Frank 2,652
7 Joseph 2,572
8 Robert 2,240
9 Harry 2,132
10 Henry 2,049
11 Edward 1,989
12 Thomas 1,982
13 Walter 1,668
14 Arthur 1,514
15 Fred 1,362
16 Albert 1,207
17 Clarence 1,007
18 Roy 838
19 Louis 786
20 Samuel 753
21 Willie 739
22 Ernest 715
23 Charlie 707
24 Carl 675
25 Earl 674
26 David 673
27 Richard 609
28 Ralph 587
29 Joe 584
30 Raymond 575
31 Paul 564
32 Oscar 551
33 Andrew 521
34 Will 520
35 Jesse 519
36 Elmer 508
37 Daniel 505
38 Herbert 501
39 Alfred 499
40 Howard 485
41 Benjamin 461
42 Harold 419
43 Sam 418
44 Frederick 412
45 Peter 396
46 Lawrence 389
47 Herman 383
48 Eugene 362
49 Ray 360
50 Lewis 357
51 Leo 353
52 Lee 342
53 Floyd 336
54 Francis 333
55 Michael 333
56 Martin 331
57 Claude 327
58 Clyde 327
59 Edwin 327
60 Tom 318
61 Ben 302
62 Jack 290
63 Jim 288
64 Edgar 277
65 Harvey 274
66 Otto 274
67 Guy 262
68 Chester 252
69 Jacob 238
70 Ed 237
71 Luther 236
72 Leonard 235
73 Hugh 233
74 Homer 230
75 Jessie 227
76 Theodore 224
77 Oliver 212
78 Patrick 212
79 Archie 201
80 Philip 198
81 Clifford 196
82 Charley 193
83 Lester 191
84 Leroy 190
85 Bernard 187
86 August 186
87 Russell 186
88 Lloyd 185
89 Bert 181
90 Eddie 179
91 Ira 179
92 Stanley 178
93 Everett 174
94 Allen 173
95 Alexander 172
96 Anthony 170
97 Horace 165
98 Leslie 164
99 Grover 163
100 Norman 163
101 Isaac 160
102 Julius 155
103 Victor 154
104 Leon 150
105 Milton 141
106 Stephen 140
107 Warren 139
108 Glenn 138
109 Alex 133
110 Emil 133
111 Percy 131
112 Mack 127
113 Dave 124
114 Virgil 123
115 Alvin 121
116 Marion 121
117 Willis 118
118 Lonnie 117
119 Maurice 117
120 Wesley 115
121 Earnest 114
122 Dan 113
123 Matthew 113
124 Sidney 113
125 Franklin 109
126 Cecil 108
127 Melvin 108
128 Jerry 107
129 Rufus 107
130 Harrison 106
131 Nathan 106
132 Amos 104
133 Calvin 104
134 Perry 104
135 Willard 101
136 Donald 100
137 Jay 99
138 Morris 97
139 Otis 97
140 Wilbur 97
141 Ollie 96
142 Vernon 96
143 Marvin 93
144 Hubert 92
145 Max 91
146 Wallace 90
147 Dennis 89
148 Emmett 89
149 Adam 87
150 Clinton 87
151 Jess 87
152 Felix 86
153 Gilbert 86
154 Mark 86
155 Nelson 86
156 Ross 86
157 Glen 85
158 Gus 85
159 Manuel 85
160 Adolph 81
161 Clifton 80
162 Marshall 80
163 Johnnie 79
164 Jake 78
165 Nicholas 78
166 Elbert 77
167 Jeff 77
168 Jose 77
169 Sherman 77
170 Noah 76
171 Bennie 75
172 Cornelius 75
173 Irving 75
174 Reuben 75
175 Alonzo 74
176 Claud 74
177 Phillip 74
178 Vincent 74
179 Irvin 73
180 Owen 73
181 Gordon 71
182 Roscoe 71
183 Moses 70
184 Aaron 69
185 Roland 69
186 Levi 68
187 Rudolph 68
188 Alva 66
189 Ellis 66
190 Timothy 66
191 Austin 65
192 Bill 65
193 Kenneth 65
194 Clayton 64
195 Harley 64
196 Mike 64
197 Sylvester 64
198 Simon 63
199 Abraham 62
200 Christopher 62
201 Curtis 62
202 Edmund 61
203 Karl 61
204 Andy 59
205 Forrest 59
206 Jasper 58
207 Silas 58
208 Wilson 58
209 Arnold 57
210 Elijah 57
211 Grant 56
212 Orville 56
213 Steve 56
214 Bob 55
215 Fredrick 55
216 Mose 55
217 Roger 55
218 Millard 54
219 Pete 53
220 Tony 53
221 Byron 53
222 Edd 53
223 Anton 51
224 Ora 51
225 Preston 51
226 Wiley 51
227 Bruce 50
228 Cleveland 50
229 Barney 49
230 Dock 49
231 Eli 49
232 Hiram 49
233 Don 48
234 Van 48
235 Gustave 47
236 Monroe 47
237 Asa 46
238 Nathaniel 46
239 Gerald 45
240 Mathew 44
241 Miles 44
242 Conrad 43
243 Enoch 43
244 Julian 43
245 Ike 42
246 Ivan 42
247 Juan 42
248 Jerome 41
249 Earle 41
250 Forest 41

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 'Ike' 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 'George' 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 'Charles' 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 'Henry' 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 'Robert' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Harry' 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 1891". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 26, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1891/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1891". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1891/. Accessed 26 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1891. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1891/.