Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1921

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1921. 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 1921, 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 58,215
2 Robert 52,784
3 William 51,862
4 James 49,749
5 Charles 29,243
6 George 27,476
7 Joseph 26,182
8 Edward 20,818
9 Frank 16,707
10 Richard 16,376
11 Thomas 15,307
12 Harold 13,811
13 Donald 13,776
14 Paul 13,168
15 Walter 13,004
16 Raymond 12,646
17 Henry 11,411
18 Jack 10,756
19 Arthur 10,527
20 Albert 10,158
21 Harry 9,731
22 Kenneth 8,960
23 Ralph 8,860
24 Warren 7,798
25 David 7,766
26 Eugene 7,718
27 Howard 7,713
28 Clarence 7,332
29 Louis 7,247
30 Carl 7,077
31 Earl 6,754
32 Roy 6,545
33 Fred 6,495
34 Willie 6,490
35 Francis 6,293
36 Joe 6,204
37 Lawrence 5,977
38 Ernest 5,697
39 Leonard 5,651
40 Anthony 5,239
41 Stanley 5,232
42 Herbert 5,217
43 Alfred 4,925
44 Samuel 4,755
45 Bernard 4,484
46 Norman 4,479
47 Michael 4,198
48 Elmer 4,146
49 Daniel 4,088
50 Leo 4,066
51 Andrew 4,015
52 Russell 3,946
53 Melvin 3,886
54 Edwin 3,750
55 Leroy 3,749
56 Chester 3,549
57 Peter 3,548
58 Lloyd 3,537
59 Marvin 3,490
60 Gerald 3,383
61 Frederick 3,376
62 Clifford 3,262
63 Floyd 3,255
64 Herman 3,219
65 Theodore 3,171
66 Lester 3,076
67 Ray 3,075
68 Vernon 3,068
69 Clyde 3,022
70 Vincent 2,779
71 Lewis 2,712
72 Philip 2,703
73 Alvin 2,687
74 Leon 2,618
75 Milton 2,588
76 Charlie 2,574
77 Jesse 2,486
78 Martin 2,461
79 Cecil 2,456
80 Glenn 2,449
81 Wayne 2,417
82 Benjamin 2,412
83 Victor 2,407
84 Gordon 2,382
85 Sam 2,366
86 Lee 2,354
87 Harvey 2,286
88 Wallace 2,095
89 Willard 2,077
90 Edgar 2,014
91 Arnold 1,982
92 Oscar 1,978
93 Dale 1,956
94 Allen 1,937
95 Everett 1,913
96 Claude 1,887
97 Stephen 1,869
98 Virgil 1,830
99 Roger 1,803
100 Wilbur 1,755
101 Maurice 1,743
102 Marion 1,716
103 Gilbert 1,704
104 Morris 1,666
105 Homer 1,657
106 Leslie 1,647
107 Roland 1,630
108 Johnnie 1,624
109 Billy 1,622
110 Sidney 1,588
111 Douglas 1,566
112 Max 1,558
113 Manuel 1,556
114 Nicholas 1,554
115 Hubert 1,548
116 Alexander 1,533
117 Jessie 1,517
118 Eddie 1,511
119 Glen 1,506
120 Hugh 1,485
121 Bill 1,482
122 Curtis 1,479
123 Luther 1,453
124 Irving 1,417
125 Jerome 1,408
126 Franklin 1,350
127 Wesley 1,332
128 Julius 1,326
129 Horace 1,313
130 Steve 1,294
131 Calvin 1,276
132 Jose 1,209
133 Willis 1,209
134 Tony 1,196
135 Oliver 1,194
136 Don 1,172
137 Orville 1,149
138 Earnest 1,128
139 Ben 1,124
140 Guy 1,120
141 Jerry 1,114
142 Edmund 1,104
143 Jacob 1,094
144 Tom 1,093
145 Mike 1,080
146 Bruce 1,070
147 Jimmie 1,051
148 Angelo 1,044
149 Alex 1,022
150 Lyle 1,007
151 Otis 1,001
152 Patrick 1,001
153 Keith 998
154 Ronald 993
155 Archie 979
156 Delbert 972
157 Rudolph 960
158 Clayton 951
159 Salvatore 949
160 Clifton 932
161 Matthew 914
162 Phillip 914
163 Wilbert 899
164 Marshall 896
165 Jim 879
166 Ira 878
167 Junior 877
168 Dean 876
169 Clinton 873
170 Gene 873
171 Leland 866
172 Ervin 859
173 Merle 833
174 Jay 828
175 Johnny 824
176 Ivan 820
177 Emil 819
178 Bob 798
179 Irvin 789
180 Forrest 781
181 Bennie 775
182 Julian 765
183 Nick 765
184 Dewey 762
185 Sylvester 755
186 Nathan 751
187 Nathaniel 748
188 Antonio 745
189 Wilfred 737
190 Dennis 728
191 Rufus 721
192 Dan 717
193 Elbert 714
194 Nelson 704
195 Owen 703
196 Seymour 700
197 Aaron 697
198 Grover 690
199 Lowell 690
200 Alton 688
201 Woodrow 684
202 Abraham 683
203 Ellis 682
204 Carroll 669
205 Pete 668
206 Felix 667
207 Bert 661
208 Isaac 648
209 Lonnie 643
210 Otto 640
211 Johnie 626
212 Mark 626
213 Grady 619
214 Ted 614
215 Elwood 613
216 Myron 612
217 August 610
218 Emmett 608
219 Murray 604
220 Percy 603
221 Wilson 601
222 Loyd 600
223 Laurence 599
224 Malcolm 599
225 Eldon 596
226 Rex 591
227 Wendell 587
228 Adam 583
229 Fredrick 582
230 Norbert 577
231 Allan 576
232 Dominick 575
233 Karl 573
234 Juan 571
235 Perry 565
236 Byron 558
237 Dominic 553
238 Roscoe 550
239 Billie 547
240 Amos 546
241 Duane 546
242 Harley 537
243 Troy 532
244 Gerard 530
245 Mack 529
246 Adolph 525
247 Jesus 517
248 Ross 514
249 Burton 503
250 Mario 502

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 'Mack' 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 'James' 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 'Williams' 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 '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 'Richard' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Joseph' 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 1921". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 8, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1921/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1921". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1921/. Accessed 8 May, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1921. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1921/.