Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1912

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1912. 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 1912, 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 24,587
2 William 19,626
3 James 17,644
4 Robert 12,836
5 Joseph 12,062
6 George 11,734
7 Charles 11,070
8 Edward 7,936
9 Frank 7,912
10 Thomas 6,087
11 Walter 5,809
12 Henry 5,643
13 Harold 5,102
14 Paul 4,785
15 Arthur 4,685
16 Harry 4,624
17 Albert 4,587
18 Raymond 4,374
19 Richard 4,188
20 Louis 3,591
21 Clarence 3,590
22 Willie 3,508
23 Ralph 3,435
24 Carl 3,224
25 Howard 3,212
26 Fred 3,103
27 Donald 2,872
28 Jack 2,870
29 David 2,858
30 Samuel 2,602
31 Roy 2,591
32 Ernest 2,569
33 Kenneth 2,538
34 Earl 2,518
35 Francis 2,516
36 Joe 2,515
37 Anthony 2,480
38 Lawrence 2,467
39 Herbert 2,236
40 Alfred 2,210
41 Eugene 2,114
42 Michael 2,104
43 Stanley 2,017
44 Andrew 1,946
45 Leonard 1,928
46 Woodrow 1,843
47 Elmer 1,840
48 Peter 1,679
49 Leo 1,654
50 Herman 1,646
51 Frederick 1,564
52 Theodore 1,561
53 Daniel 1,524
54 Edwin 1,518
55 Chester 1,460
56 Russell 1,449
57 Charlie 1,446
58 Lester 1,443
59 Floyd 1,438
60 Bernard 1,437
61 Norman 1,367
62 Clifford 1,345
63 Sam 1,325
64 Milton 1,319
65 Clyde 1,314
66 Leroy 1,306
67 Benjamin 1,272
68 Lewis 1,247
69 Philip 1,237
70 Lloyd 1,227
71 Melvin 1,185
72 Vincent 1,178
73 Oscar 1,157
74 Jesse 1,106
75 Martin 1,064
76 Cecil 1,057
77 Ray 1,050
78 Lee 1,030
79 Leon 1,006
80 Sidney 1,003
81 Victor 989
82 Morris 960
83 Marvin 958
84 Glenn 948
85 Edgar 945
86 Alvin 929
87 Gerald 929
88 Stephen 928
89 Claude 890
90 Vernon 889
91 Harvey 875
92 Wilbur 832
93 Gordon 822
94 Irving 815
95 Maurice 811
96 Everett 806
97 Alexander 803
98 Homer 794
99 Arnold 767
100 Julius 758
101 Max 734
102 Ben 731
103 Allen 730
104 Eddie 718
105 Willard 718
106 Johnnie 709
107 Warren 697
108 Leslie 693
109 Jessie 692
110 Jacob 691
111 Virgil 684
112 Marion 680
113 Nicholas 676
114 Luther 664
115 Gilbert 649
116 Hugh 648
117 Oliver 646
118 Wayne 617
119 Horace 615
120 Nathan 581
121 Curtis 566
122 Hubert 544
123 Steve 543
124 Tom 538
125 Abraham 533
126 Otis 522
127 Roland 522
128 Wallace 507
129 Franklin 497
130 Archie 496
131 Wilson 496
132 Earnest 486
133 Jerome 486
134 Wesley 485
135 Alex 482
136 Orville 477
137 Manuel 469
138 Roger 464
139 Glen 460
140 Guy 455
141 Rudolph 453
142 Willis 453
143 Edmund 452
144 Mike 430
145 Patrick 430
146 Emil 407
147 Jerry 405
148 Clifton 404
149 Jim 401
150 Otto 398
151 Marshall 397
152 Ira 394
153 Tony 394
154 Bennie 392
155 Angelo 384
156 Matthew 380
157 Calvin 375
158 Salvatore 374
159 Dale 371
160 Jimmie 366
161 Clinton 362
162 Isaac 359
163 Jose 356
164 Nathaniel 356
165 Douglas 350
166 Nelson 349
167 Sylvester 348
168 Bill 347
169 Clayton 346
170 Irvin 344
171 August 343
172 Elbert 342
173 Ivan 339
174 Percy 337
175 Rufus 336
176 Bert 332
177 Don 332
178 Bruce 328
179 Lonnie 327
180 Delbert 325
181 Lyle 325
182 Karl 323
183 Adolph 318
184 Jay 318
185 Wilfred 317
186 Johnie 311
187 Forrest 308
188 Adam 307
189 Phillip 306
190 Aaron 303
191 Ronald 302
192 Alton 300
193 Felix 300
194 Dan 298
195 Mack 295
196 Ervin 294
197 Julian 294
198 Wilbert 291
199 Emmett 290
200 Charley 288
201 Mark 284
202 Ellis 282
203 Dominick 275
204 Laurence 271
205 Antonio 270
206 Dennis 268
207 Merle 268
208 Roosevelt 267
209 Owen 265
210 Roscoe 264
211 Pete 263
212 Elwood 262
213 Carroll 256
214 Will 256
215 Hyman 255
216 Murray 254
217 Grady 252
218 Leland 252
219 Nick 248
220 Ted 244
221 Amos 243
222 Cornelius 243
223 Ross 240
224 Aubrey 236
225 Malcolm 233
226 Solomon 233
227 Myron 231
228 Ed 229
229 Byron 227
230 Simon 226
231 Lowell 225
232 Austin 223
233 Dave 222
234 Allan 221
235 Reuben 220
236 Grover 219
237 Sherman 218
238 Dominic 217
239 Johnny 217
240 Juan 217
241 Perry 216
242 Wendell 212
243 Erwin 210
244 Emanuel 207
245 Moses 207
246 Preston 206
247 Troy 202
248 Loren 201
249 Carlton 201
250 Edmond 200

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 'Moses' 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 'Robert' 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 'Joseph' 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 'George' 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 'Edward' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Frank' 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 1912". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1912/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1912". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1912/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1912. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1912/.