Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1899

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1899. 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 1899, 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 6,990
2 William 6,086
3 James 4,597
4 George 4,018
5 Charles 3,147
6 Joseph 2,679
7 Robert 2,609
8 Frank 2,550
9 Edward 1,901
10 Henry 1,831
11 Thomas 1,811
12 Walter 1,749
13 Harry 1,732
14 Arthur 1,357
15 Albert 1,210
16 Fred 1,182
17 Clarence 1,139
18 Willie 1,088
19 Harold 914
20 Roy 912
21 Paul 885
22 Raymond 869
23 Earl 821
24 Joe 780
25 Carl 774
26 Louis 770
27 Ernest 744
28 Richard 744
29 Ralph 742
30 Samuel 704
31 Charlie 678
32 David 646
33 Herbert 590
34 Howard 589
35 Jack 582
36 Andrew 578
37 Elmer 514
38 Francis 501
39 Dewey 499
40 Lawrence 497
41 Alfred 496
42 Daniel 485
43 Leo 482
44 Sam 469
45 Eugene 449
46 Oscar 447
47 Jesse 423
48 Will 414
49 Herman 413
50 Lee 388
51 Michael 375
52 Floyd 356
53 Peter 354
54 Lewis 352
55 Frederick 350
56 Russell 338
57 Benjamin 335
58 Clyde 330
59 Edwin 329
60 Leonard 321
61 Ray 315
62 Clifford 297
63 Claude 293
64 Anthony 291
65 Lester 290
66 Chester 288
67 Tom 288
68 Lloyd 287
69 Leroy 269
70 Jessie 261
71 Jim 261
72 Martin 260
73 Ben 259
74 Donald 258
75 Eddie 258
76 Stanley 258
77 Cecil 256
78 Theodore 252
79 Harvey 251
80 Edgar 249
81 Luther 248
82 Homer 239
83 Norman 223
84 Philip 223
85 Bernard 222
86 Patrick 221
87 Kenneth 214
88 Hugh 209
89 Milton 207
90 Guy 200
91 Allen 191
92 Jacob 189
93 Leon 188
94 Otis 185
95 Everett 181
96 Leslie 181
97 Alexander 178
98 Stephen 178
99 Archie 177
100 Victor 175
101 Ed 174
102 Otto 174
103 Alvin 173
104 Warren 173
105 Horace 169
106 Melvin 166
107 Glenn 161
108 Julius 161
109 Oliver 161
110 Mack 160
111 Virgil 154
112 Marion 152
113 Johnnie 151
114 Earnest 146
115 Sidney 144
116 Willard 144
117 August 142
118 Percy 142
119 Isaac 139
120 Ira 138
121 Marvin 138
122 Alex 133
123 Vernon 130
124 Emil 128
125 Bert 127
126 Max 127
127 Rufus 127
128 Willis 126
129 Hubert 125
130 Vincent 125
131 Wallace 121
132 Charley 120
133 Dave 120
134 Dan 119
135 Lonnie 119
136 Wesley 119
137 Maurice 117
138 Franklin 116
139 Morris 116
140 Wilbur 115
141 Nathan 112
142 Jerry 111
143 Calvin 108
144 Gerald 108
145 Gilbert 107
146 Gordon 107
147 Nelson 107
148 Perry 104
149 Curtis 103
150 Matthew 101
151 Roland 101
152 Glen 101
153 Rudolph 100
154 Arnold 98
155 Ellis 98
156 Emmett 97
157 Manuel 97
158 Irving 95
159 Ross 95
160 Bennie 94
161 Clifton 94
162 Orville 94
163 Sylvester 94
164 Felix 93
165 Jose 90
166 Mark 89
167 Phillip 88
168 Edmund 87
169 Dennis 86
170 Jess 86
171 Abraham 85
172 Johnie 84
173 Roscoe 84
174 Bill 83
175 Forrest 83
176 Mike 83
177 Elbert 81
178 Adolph 80
179 Amos 79
180 Alonzo 78
181 Ollie 78
182 Steve 78
183 Moses 77
184 Jake 76
185 Adam 74
186 Pete 74
187 Douglas 73
188 Irvin 73
189 Mckinley 72
190 Nathaniel 72
191 Aaron 71
192 Gus 71
193 Clinton 70
194 Cornelius 70
195 Marshall 70
196 Nicholas 69
197 Claud 68
198 Simon 68
199 Roger 67
200 Bruce 66
201 Owen 66
202 Don 65
203 Jasper 65
204 Sherman 65
205 Elijah 64
206 Jerome 64
207 Reuben 64
208 Jay 63
209 Laurence 63
210 Levi 63
211 Leland 62
212 Wade 62
213 Alva 61
214 Clayton 61
215 Jimmie 61
216 Carroll 60
217 Juan 60
218 Timothy 60
219 Wilson 59
220 Mose 59
221 Harley 59
222 Bob 59
223 Ivan 59
224 Wayne 57
225 Austin 56
226 Silas 55
227 Harrison 54
228 Boyd 53
229 Ervin 53
230 Millard 53
231 Anton 52
232 Preston 52
233 Wilfred 52
234 Barney 50
235 Louie 50
236 Mary 50
237 Wiley 50
238 Delbert 49
239 Karl 49
240 Ike 48
241 Ward 48
242 Jeff 48
243 Grady 48
244 Noah 47
245 Byron 47
246 Loyd 46
247 Marcus 46
248 Erwin 46
249 Clark 46
250 Julian 45

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 'Byron' 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 'Robert' 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 'Frank' 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 1899". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 20, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1899/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1899". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1899/. Accessed 20 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1899. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1899/.