Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1908

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1908. 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 1908, 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 9,342
2 William 7,529
3 James 7,012
4 George 4,584
5 Robert 4,219
6 Joseph 4,162
7 Charles 3,929
8 Frank 3,146
9 Edward 2,707
10 Thomas 2,301
11 Henry 2,283
12 Walter 2,192
13 Willie 1,964
14 Harry 1,934
15 Albert 1,642
16 Arthur 1,601
17 Harold 1,542
18 Paul 1,478
19 Clarence 1,428
20 Fred 1,381
21 Raymond 1,381
22 Louis 1,317
23 Richard 1,244
24 Joe 1,209
25 Ralph 1,138
26 Roy 1,097
27 Jack 1,086
28 Howard 1,078
29 Carl 1,074
30 David 1,016
31 Ernest 1,000
32 Earl 999
33 Samuel 960
34 Francis 853
35 Lawrence 815
36 Herbert 759
37 Charlie 740
38 Alfred 739
39 Andrew 722
40 Kenneth 692
41 Anthony 690
42 Elmer 689
43 Eugene 689
44 Michael 688
45 Donald 664
46 Sam 644
47 Theodore 643
48 Leonard 614
49 Leo 584
50 Herman 562
51 Lee 553
52 Stanley 547
53 Peter 542
54 Daniel 530
55 Floyd 529
56 Leroy 523
57 Russell 523
58 Clifford 515
59 Clyde 511
60 Lester 509
61 Lewis 489
62 Jesse 482
63 Benjamin 480
64 Edwin 477
65 Oscar 476
66 Chester 461
67 Ray 446
68 Frederick 438
69 Claude 428
70 Bernard 414
71 Eddie 413
72 Cecil 397
73 Lloyd 394
74 Norman 374
75 Melvin 366
76 Edgar 360
77 Jessie 355
78 Ben 353
79 Milton 346
80 Homer 340
81 Tom 340
82 Harvey 339
83 Martin 331
84 Leon 327
85 Johnnie 321
86 Philip 319
87 Marvin 311
88 Victor 308
89 Alvin 307
90 Everett 294
91 Luther 292
92 Allen 287
93 Vernon 285
94 Stephen 280
95 Leslie 279
96 Will 274
97 Gerald 270
98 Morris 269
99 Julius 263
100 Virgil 258
101 Sidney 253
102 Vincent 250
103 Glenn 247
104 Alexander 246
105 Otis 243
106 Maurice 241
107 Horace 235
108 Jacob 235
109 Marion 233
110 Wilbur 233
111 Earnest 230
112 Willard 229
113 Nicholas 226
114 Irving 225
115 Archie 223
116 Gilbert 223
117 Jim 220
118 Manuel 220
119 Max 218
120 Patrick 216
121 Hugh 215
122 Oliver 207
123 Curtis 203
124 Hubert 203
125 Arnold 202
126 Guy 200
127 Alex 199
128 Jerry 198
129 Gordon 196
130 Ira 196
131 Roosevelt 194
132 Warren 194
133 Jose 192
134 Wallace 190
135 Wesley 185
136 Mack 183
137 Nathan 178
138 Wayne 178
139 Otto 177
140 Rudolph 173
141 Johnie 172
142 Lonnie 169
143 Sylvester 166
144 Bill 164
145 Isaac 162
146 Willis 161
147 Jimmie 160
148 Marshall 160
149 Bennie 158
150 Glen 158
151 Roland 156
152 Rufus 156
153 Charley 155
154 Orville 153
155 Dan 152
156 Ed 152
157 Matthew 152
158 Percy 151
159 Abraham 150
160 Nathaniel 150
161 Steve 149
162 Clifton 143
163 Tony 142
164 Edmund 141
165 Emil 141
166 Clinton 140
167 Mike 139
168 August 138
169 Calvin 135
170 Clayton 134
171 Franklin 133
172 Perry 133
173 Pete 131
174 Phillip 131
175 Jerome 127
176 Emmett 126
177 Ellis 123
178 Elbert 121
179 Bert 120
180 Alton 119
181 Amos 119
182 Felix 118
183 Sherman 118
184 Dave 116
185 Jake 115
186 Roger 115
187 Aaron 114
188 Ted 113
189 Nelson 112
190 Booker 111
191 Douglas 111
192 Adam 109
193 Don 107
194 Johnny 107
195 Tommie 106
196 Forrest 105
197 Owen 105
198 Irvin 104
199 Reuben 102
200 Juan 101
201 Wilbert 101
202 Dennis 101
203 Dale 100
204 Bruce 99
205 Antonio 99
206 Ross 99
207 Dewey 99
208 Wilfred 98
209 Ervin 97
210 Karl 97
211 Roscoe 97
212 Adolph 96
213 Grady 96
214 Ivan 95
215 Salvatore 95
216 Delbert 92
217 Laurence 91
218 Jay 89
219 Edmond 88
220 Jess 88
221 Julian 88
222 Preston 88
223 Troy 87
224 Cornelius 86
225 Grover 85
226 Simon 85
227 Austin 84
228 Nick 84
229 Ollie 84
230 Angelo 82
231 Moses 82
232 Monroe 81
233 Gus 80
234 Millard 80
235 Grant 79
236 Mary 79
237 Wilson 79
238 Gene 78
239 Jasper 78
240 Leland 78
241 Malcolm 78
242 Bob 77
243 Carroll 77
244 Merle 76
245 Levi 75
246 Lyle 75
247 Ronald 75
248 Freddie 72
249 Murray 72
250 Buster 71

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 'Levi' 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 'Robert' 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 'Thomas' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Charles' 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 1908". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 24, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1908/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1908". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1908/. Accessed 24 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1908. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1908/.