Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1901

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1901. 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 1901, 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 6,900
2 William 5,990
3 James 4,735
4 George 3,609
5 Charles 3,049
6 Joseph 2,766
7 Robert 2,543
8 Frank 2,402
9 Edward 1,917
10 Henry 1,870
11 Thomas 1,820
12 Walter 1,718
13 Harry 1,594
14 Arthur 1,329
15 Albert 1,317
16 Willie 1,294
17 Clarence 1,196
18 Fred 1,133
19 Paul 924
20 Roy 917
21 Harold 915
22 Raymond 888
23 Earl 818
24 Carl 817
25 Louis 797
26 Richard 784
27 Joe 756
28 Ernest 691
29 Ralph 682
30 David 672
31 Charlie 654
32 Jack 645
33 Samuel 628
34 Howard 584
35 Herbert 573
36 Francis 543
37 Lawrence 535
38 Elmer 520
39 Alfred 506
40 Andrew 479
41 Sam 479
42 Leo 456
43 Theodore 450
44 Eugene 445
45 Lee 424
46 Floyd 423
47 Oscar 422
48 Daniel 416
49 Jesse 411
50 Russell 395
51 Herman 393
52 Michael 384
53 Will 364
54 Leonard 362
55 Clyde 356
56 Benjamin 343
57 Peter 343
58 Claude 341
59 Ray 338
60 Frederick 336
61 Lester 332
62 Anthony 323
63 Lewis 309
64 Martin 304
65 Edwin 299
66 Eddie 296
67 Tom 291
68 Lloyd 285
69 Clifford 282
70 Cecil 278
71 Edgar 271
72 Leroy 268
73 Ben 259
74 Homer 257
75 Chester 253
76 Harvey 253
77 Donald 250
78 Kenneth 246
79 Luther 244
80 Bernard 242
81 Jim 239
82 Stanley 239
83 Norman 238
84 Philip 232
85 Jessie 231
86 Everett 218
87 Leon 208
88 Allen 199
89 Leslie 198
90 Milton 197
91 Hugh 192
92 Oliver 187
93 Patrick 181
94 Glenn 180
95 Alvin 179
96 Horace 178
97 Melvin 176
98 Jacob 172
99 Guy 170
100 Victor 169
101 Julius 168
102 Alexander 162
103 Ed 162
104 Johnnie 162
105 Archie 161
106 Maurice 160
107 Marion 159
108 Charley 158
109 Stephen 158
110 Virgil 158
111 Otto 156
112 Manuel 150
113 Warren 149
114 Lonnie 148
115 Morris 146
116 Wesley 146
117 Marvin 145
118 Ira 142
119 Hubert 140
120 Alex 138
121 Dewey 137
122 Willard 136
123 Sidney 134
124 Gerald 133
125 Isaac 133
126 Wallace 132
127 Earnest 131
128 Nathan 131
129 Vincent 131
130 Wilbur 130
131 Gilbert 129
132 Vernon 129
133 Bert 128
134 Jose 127
135 Otis 127
136 Emil 122
137 Rufus 121
138 Percy 120
139 Sylvester 120
140 Dan 117
141 August 116
142 Jerry 116
143 Curtis 114
144 Mack 114
145 Roland 113
146 Arnold 110
147 Emmett 110
148 Max 110
149 Willis 106
150 Dave 105
151 Glen 105
152 Bill 104
153 Gordon 103
154 Clifton 101
155 Bennie 100
156 Jimmie 99
157 Calvin 98
158 Mike 98
159 Nelson 97
160 Jay 96
161 Edmund 95
162 Orville 94
163 Franklin 92
164 Mark 92
165 Nathaniel 92
166 Roosevelt 90
167 Matthew 89
168 Irvin 88
169 Nicholas 88
170 Perry 87
171 Roscoe 87
172 Rudolph 87
173 Wayne 87
174 Johnie 86
175 Jess 85
176 Amos 83
177 Douglas 83
178 Ollie 81
179 Aaron 80
180 Adolph 80
181 Irving 80
182 Owen 80
183 Dennis 79
184 Elijah 79
185 Jake 79
186 Pete 79
187 Elbert 78
188 Juan 78
189 Phillip 78
190 Preston 78
191 Mckinley 77
192 Clinton 76
193 Cornelius 76
194 Steve 76
195 Ellis 74
196 Forrest 73
197 Claud 72
198 Clayton 72
199 Ross 72
200 Simon 72
201 Adam 71
202 Felix 70
203 Gus 70
204 Austin 68
205 Jerome 68
206 Leland 68
207 Reuben 68
208 Alonzo 67
209 Marshall 67
210 Julian 66
211 Bruce 65
212 Sherman 64
213 Ted 64
214 Wiley 64
215 Ervin 63
216 Erwin 63
217 Harley 63
218 Abraham 62
219 Monroe 62
220 Timothy 62
221 Tony 62
222 Wade 62
223 Ivan 60
224 Laurence 60
225 Loyd 60
226 Lyle 60
227 Roger 60
228 Alva 59
229 Louie 58
230 Mary 58
231 Jasper 58
232 Noah 56
233 Grady 55
234 Tommie 55
235 Karl 54
236 Millard 54
237 Wilbert 52
238 Moses 52
239 Clark 52
240 Antonio 52
241 Merle 52
242 Byron 51
243 Wilson 51
244 Anton 50
245 Bob 49
246 Mose 49
247 Fredrick 49
248 Grover 49
249 Johnny 48
250 Don 48

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 'Bob' 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 1901". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1901/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1901". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1901/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1901. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1901/.