Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1896

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1896. 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 1896, 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 8,138
2 William 7,747
3 James 5,206
4 George 4,286
5 Charles 3,639
6 Joseph 3,051
7 Frank 2,845
8 Robert 2,719
9 Edward 2,296
10 Henry 2,183
11 Harry 2,091
12 Thomas 2,088
13 Walter 2,017
14 Arthur 1,821
15 Albert 1,434
16 Fred 1,393
17 Clarence 1,254
18 Willie 1,092
19 Roy 1,027
20 Paul 964
21 Earl 892
22 Louis 871
23 Harold 862
24 Raymond 859
25 Carl 852
26 Richard 834
27 Joe 767
28 David 765
29 Ernest 764
30 Ralph 746
31 Samuel 734
32 Charlie 714
33 Howard 677
34 Herbert 635
35 Jesse 586
36 Elmer 576
37 Andrew 566
38 Daniel 561
39 Francis 551
40 Jack 539
41 Oscar 539
42 Alfred 527
43 Sam 518
44 Will 508
45 Eugene 507
46 Lawrence 499
47 Leo 497
48 Lee 455
49 Herman 427
50 Ray 426
51 Benjamin 416
52 Peter 402
53 Michael 399
54 Claude 398
55 Floyd 396
56 Lewis 386
57 Frederick 381
58 Clyde 372
59 Edwin 351
60 Leonard 350
61 Martin 343
62 Tom 339
63 Chester 329
64 Russell 327
65 Lester 318
66 Clifford 311
67 Lloyd 308
68 Edgar 306
69 Ben 299
70 Harvey 292
71 Jim 281
72 Leroy 278
73 Anthony 276
74 Luther 265
75 Hugh 263
76 Eddie 262
77 Guy 262
78 Stanley 259
79 Homer 258
80 Otto 250
81 Ed 246
82 Bernard 241
83 Jacob 241
84 Theodore 241
85 Leslie 237
86 Leon 235
87 Alexander 232
88 Archie 230
89 Jessie 229
90 Everett 224
91 Allen 219
92 Philip 218
93 Patrick 214
94 Donald 211
95 Horace 204
96 Victor 201
97 Cecil 200
98 Milton 194
99 Oliver 194
100 Isaac 191
101 Ira 190
102 Alvin 183
103 August 180
104 Norman 178
105 Sidney 176
106 Kenneth 175
107 Glenn 174
108 Julius 174
109 Bert 173
110 Marion 172
111 Charley 168
112 Alex 165
113 Stephen 164
114 Lonnie 159
115 Melvin 158
116 Bryan 157
117 Percy 157
118 Willard 152
119 Mack 148
120 Max 145
121 Rufus 145
122 Wesley 145
123 Willis 145
124 Earnest 144
125 Emil 143
126 Virgil 138
127 Morris 136
128 Hobart 135
129 Dan 133
130 Wallace 130
131 Gilbert 129
132 Vernon 129
133 Maurice 127
134 Warren 125
135 Otis 124
136 Matthew 123
137 Mckinley 121
138 Wilbur 120
139 Hubert 119
140 Mark 119
141 Dave 118
142 Marshall 118
143 Gordon 117
144 Johnnie 116
145 Emmett 113
146 Glen 113
147 Vincent 112
148 Perry 111
149 Sylvester 111
150 Amos 110
151 Edmund 110
152 Nathan 110
153 Abraham 109
154 Rudolph 108
155 Curtis 107
156 Nicholas 106
157 Ellis 106
158 Jose 104
159 Manuel 104
160 Arnold 102
161 Clayton 102
162 Sherman 100
163 Calvin 98
164 Adam 96
165 Bennie 96
166 Elbert 96
167 Franklin 96
168 Clifton 95
169 Gerald 95
170 Gus 95
171 Jerry 94
172 Steve 94
173 Adolph 93
174 Clinton 93
175 Marvin 93
176 Ollie 93
177 Roland 92
178 Claud 90
179 Dennis 90
180 Jasper 90
181 Reuben 90
182 Alonzo 89
183 Orville 89
184 Phillip 89
185 Jake 88
186 Elijah 87
187 Forrest 87
188 Irving 87
189 Jess 87
190 Bill 86
191 Nelson 86
192 Cornelius 85
193 Mike 85
194 Simon 85
195 Roscoe 84
196 Felix 83
197 Owen 83
198 Ross 83
199 Moses 81
200 Harrison 79
201 Irvin 79
202 Jay 78
203 Jerome 76
204 Johnie 75
205 Grover 74
206 Christopher 73
207 Nathaniel 73
208 Wilson 73
209 Douglas 72
210 Ivan 72
211 Timothy 72
212 Dock 71
213 Grant 71
214 Wilfred 71
215 Roger 70
216 Aaron 69
217 Bruce 69
218 Noah 69
219 Alva 68
220 Levi 68
221 Don 66
222 Harley 64
223 Millard 64
224 Dewey 63
225 Juan 63
226 Monroe 63
227 Pete 63
228 Silas 63
229 Wade 63
230 Wiley 62
231 Austin 62
232 Jeff 62
233 Leland 61
234 Karl 60
235 Byron 59
236 Laurence 59
237 Barney 58
238 Clark 58
239 Edmond 58
240 Julian 57
241 Mary 57
242 Grady 57
243 Cleveland 56
244 Loyd 56
245 Tony 56
246 Ervin 55
247 Wayne 55
248 Ike 54
249 Earle 53
250 Preston 53

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 'Tony' 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 'Joseph' 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 'Frank' 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 'Edward' 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 1896". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1896/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1896". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1896/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1896. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1896/.