Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1917

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1917. 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 1917, 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 51,852
2 William 42,422
3 James 37,339
4 Robert 35,220
5 Joseph 24,762
6 George 24,196
7 Charles 24,143
8 Edward 17,501
9 Frank 15,769
10 Thomas 12,611
11 Walter 12,582
12 Harold 11,194
13 Paul 11,156
14 Richard 10,914
15 Henry 10,696
16 Raymond 9,956
17 Arthur 9,282
18 Albert 9,157
19 Harry 8,856
20 Donald 8,729
21 Ralph 7,391
22 Jack 6,874
23 Louis 6,771
24 Carl 6,699
25 Clarence 6,586
26 Howard 6,410
27 Kenneth 6,141
28 David 6,100
29 Fred 5,986
30 Francis 5,801
31 Willie 5,751
32 Earl 5,632
33 Roy 5,586
34 Stanley 5,186
35 Joe 5,143
36 Lawrence 5,094
37 Ernest 5,055
38 Anthony 5,027
39 Eugene 4,873
40 Herbert 4,745
41 Leonard 4,694
42 Samuel 4,490
43 Alfred 4,424
44 Michael 4,289
45 Elmer 3,812
46 Norman 3,788
47 Leo 3,779
48 Andrew 3,752
49 Bernard 3,711
50 Peter 3,464
51 Frederick 3,455
52 Russell 3,436
53 Lloyd 3,417
54 Daniel 3,360
55 Edwin 3,346
56 Chester 3,338
57 Melvin 3,155
58 Herman 2,974
59 Clifford 2,969
60 Leroy 2,951
61 Lester 2,854
62 Floyd 2,820
63 Theodore 2,809
64 Clyde 2,719
65 Vincent 2,636
66 Philip 2,544
67 Charlie 2,536
68 Marvin 2,517
69 Gerald 2,486
70 Lewis 2,477
71 Vernon 2,463
72 Sam 2,455
73 Woodrow 2,428
74 Ray 2,426
75 Milton 2,394
76 Benjamin 2,386
77 Martin 2,336
78 Victor 2,207
79 Jesse 2,200
80 Willard 2,188
81 Alvin 2,142
82 Leon 2,102
83 Cecil 2,101
84 Gordon 2,019
85 Lee 2,004
86 Glenn 1,997
87 Oscar 1,961
88 Edgar 1,920
89 Stephen 1,892
90 Harvey 1,808
91 Arnold 1,781
92 Wilbur 1,749
93 Warren 1,743
94 Everett 1,734
95 Sidney 1,727
96 Wayne 1,715
97 Alexander 1,664
98 Claude 1,625
99 Morris 1,624
100 Allen 1,592
101 Maurice 1,554
102 Homer 1,552
103 Virgil 1,523
104 Max 1,511
105 Gilbert 1,510
106 Irving 1,470
107 Leslie 1,440
108 Marion 1,416
109 Nicholas 1,412
110 Hugh 1,403
111 Johnnie 1,403
112 Steve 1,385
113 Julius 1,384
114 Jessie 1,361
115 Hubert 1,338
116 Luther 1,304
117 Roland 1,285
118 Eddie 1,265
119 Roger 1,249
120 Dale 1,248
121 Curtis 1,243
122 Glen 1,235
123 Wallace 1,215
124 Franklin 1,194
125 Horace 1,182
126 Mike 1,181
127 Oliver 1,175
128 Manuel 1,158
129 Ben 1,128
130 Jacob 1,122
131 Tony 1,111
132 Alex 1,081
133 Jerome 1,073
134 Orville 1,061
135 Edmund 1,045
136 Wesley 1,014
137 Emil 1,004
138 Douglas 981
139 Tom 981
140 Willis 954
141 Rudolph 946
142 Archie 939
143 Earnest 924
144 Wilson 921
145 Otis 912
146 Guy 904
147 Bill 891
148 Nathan 881
149 Matthew 862
150 Jerry 861
151 Ira 857
152 Angelo 856
153 Lyle 855
154 Patrick 836
155 Salvatore 834
156 Bruce 805
157 Otto 803
158 Jose 800
159 Clifton 793
160 Calvin 785
161 Marshall 777
162 Delbert 775
163 Jim 774
164 Wilfred 772
165 Ronald 767
166 Clayton 759
167 Don 757
168 Ivan 756
169 Wilbert 754
170 Irvin 734
171 Abraham 731
172 Bennie 730
173 Phillip 722
174 Ervin 718
175 Sylvester 715
176 Jimmie 712
177 Nick 705
178 Merle 701
179 Elbert 675
180 Adolph 673
181 Karl 673
182 Clinton 670
183 Forrest 663
184 August 661
185 Felix 660
186 Julian 652
187 Rufus 646
188 Jay 643
189 Nathaniel 640
190 Pete 639
191 Leland 627
192 Isaac 622
193 Adam 614
194 Nelson 605
195 Alton 604
196 Lonnie 597
197 Aaron 596
198 Dan 595
199 Dennis 582
200 Antonio 579
201 Ellis 574
202 Carroll 563
203 Dean 559
204 Johnie 552
205 Lowell 551
206 Malcolm 544
207 Emmett 542
208 Gene 542
209 Grover 540
210 Bert 533
211 Johnny 531
212 Elwood 528
213 Grady 528
214 Mark 528
215 Perry 527
216 Keith 518
217 Percy 515
218 Dominick 508
219 Dominic 505
220 Ross 503
221 Ted 498
222 Laurence 495
223 Myron 490
224 Owen 489
225 Loyd 488
226 Byron 487
227 Mack 480
228 Erwin 479
229 Fredrick 471
230 Rex 471
231 Billy 469
232 Roscoe 468
233 Norbert 466
234 Sherman 466
235 Wendell 466
236 Amos 462
237 Charley 457
238 Allan 451
239 Eldon 439
240 Aubrey 437
241 Murray 436
242 Seymour 434
243 Harley 430
244 Reuben 430
245 Loren 424
246 Millard 421
247 Dewey 417
248 Preston 413
249 Gerard 413
250 Austin 409

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 'Loren' 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 1917". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1917/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1917". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1917/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1917. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1917/.