Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1909

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1909. 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 1909, 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 9,591
2 William 7,913
3 James 7,595
4 George 4,688
5 Robert 4,563
6 Joseph 4,348
7 Charles 4,029
8 Frank 3,244
9 Edward 2,935
10 Thomas 2,468
11 Henry 2,411
12 Walter 2,287
13 Willie 2,175
14 Harry 1,924
15 Albert 1,816
16 Harold 1,725
17 Paul 1,676
18 Arthur 1,665
19 Clarence 1,518
20 Raymond 1,441
21 Richard 1,427
22 Fred 1,355
23 Joe 1,292
24 Louis 1,231
25 Carl 1,215
26 Howard 1,166
27 Jack 1,150
28 Roy 1,135
29 David 1,094
30 Ralph 1,091
31 Earl 1,007
32 Samuel 983
33 Francis 886
34 Ernest 885
35 Lawrence 854
36 Charlie 833
37 Herbert 831
38 Andrew 766
39 Alfred 763
40 Anthony 758
41 Kenneth 746
42 Donald 725
43 Eugene 724
44 Sam 700
45 Elmer 687
46 Leonard 665
47 Michael 635
48 Herman 618
49 Leo 609
50 Stanley 607
51 Theodore 595
52 Lee 584
53 Floyd 570
54 Daniel 569
55 Leroy 568
56 Peter 539
57 Clifford 536
58 Russell 528
59 Jesse 517
60 Clyde 516
61 Lester 501
62 Edwin 492
63 Benjamin 489
64 Frederick 477
65 Lewis 477
66 Chester 475
67 Ray 475
68 Bernard 463
69 Eddie 462
70 Oscar 459
71 Melvin 448
72 Cecil 432
73 Jessie 432
74 Claude 419
75 Norman 415
76 Lloyd 412
77 Johnnie 401
78 Philip 395
79 Martin 391
80 Leon 377
81 Milton 369
82 Alvin 363
83 Harvey 361
84 Ben 358
85 Marvin 354
86 Edgar 347
87 Luther 347
88 Tom 340
89 Victor 320
90 Everett 314
91 Stephen 314
92 Homer 313
93 Allen 312
94 Morris 305
95 Gerald 301
96 Leslie 292
97 Vernon 284
98 Julius 269
99 Otis 267
100 Will 267
101 Vincent 264
102 Jacob 262
103 Glenn 261
104 Hugh 260
105 Jim 259
106 Wilbur 259
107 Alexander 255
108 Earnest 255
109 Horace 252
110 Virgil 250
111 Marion 247
112 Oliver 246
113 Maurice 245
114 Curtis 244
115 Manuel 243
116 Gilbert 239
117 Arnold 237
118 Archie 235
119 Sidney 233
120 Warren 231
121 Gordon 230
122 Max 228
123 Alex 227
124 Hubert 222
125 Willard 219
126 Orville 218
127 Jose 213
128 Isaac 209
129 Lonnie 209
130 Nathan 209
131 Rufus 206
132 Bill 205
133 Nicholas 204
134 Irving 202
135 Patrick 199
136 Wesley 197
137 Guy 195
138 Jerry 192
139 Willis 189
140 Bennie 187
141 Steve 187
142 Jimmie 185
143 Wallace 185
144 Otto 180
145 Glen 178
146 Calvin 176
147 Ira 175
148 Rudolph 173
149 Clinton 171
150 Franklin 168
151 Elbert 167
152 Mike 167
153 Abraham 163
154 Dan 163
155 Wayne 163
156 Roosevelt 160
157 Ed 159
158 Percy 159
159 Clifton 157
160 Tony 155
161 Mack 154
162 Emil 153
163 Roland 153
164 Sylvester 151
165 Felix 148
166 Charley 147
167 Edmund 147
168 Emmett 147
169 Johnie 147
170 Matthew 147
171 Phillip 146
172 Nathaniel 143
173 Aaron 142
174 Jerome 141
175 Kermit 139
176 Clayton 137
177 Marshall 134
178 Ellis 131
179 August 129
180 Roger 128
181 Douglas 126
182 Forrest 125
183 Juan 123
184 Ted 122
185 Bruce 121
186 Antonio 120
187 Dennis 120
188 Pete 120
189 Bert 119
190 Johnny 117
191 Amos 116
192 Sherman 115
193 Adam 113
194 Nelson 113
195 Tommie 113
196 Ivan 111
197 Don 110
198 Irvin 109
199 Jake 109
200 Perry 109
201 Moses 108
202 Adolph 107
203 Roscoe 107
204 Wilson 106
205 Gus 104
206 Ervin 103
207 Austin 102
208 Dale 102
209 Dave 102
210 Julian 102
211 Karl 102
212 Alton 101
213 Booker 101
214 Mark 101
215 Ollie 99
216 Grady 99
217 Angelo 98
218 Cornelius 98
219 Jay 98
220 Wilbert 98
221 Grover 97
222 Salvatore 96
223 Alonzo 95
224 Simon 94
225 Ronald 93
226 Delbert 91
227 Dewey 91
228 Dominick 91
229 Reuben 91
230 Wilfred 91
231 Elijah 90
232 Leland 90
233 Owen 90
234 Laurence 89
235 Carroll 87
236 Jess 87
237 Larry 87
238 Buster 85
239 Aubrey 84
240 Cleveland 83
241 Jasper 83
242 Malcolm 83
243 Levi 82
244 Gene 81
245 Ross 81
246 Hyman 81
247 Elmo 80
248 Mary 80
249 Loyd 79
250 Solomon 79

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 'Ross' 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 1909". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1909/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1909". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1909/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1909. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1909/.