Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1921

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl 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 girl 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 Mary 73,985
2 Dorothy 39,087
3 Helen 34,822
4 Margaret 28,468
5 Ruth 25,784
6 Virginia 19,032
7 Mildred 17,881
8 Betty 17,638
9 Frances 15,993
10 Elizabeth 15,801
11 Anna 14,477
12 Evelyn 14,278
13 Doris 13,152
14 Marie 12,501
15 Alice 11,955
16 Marjorie 11,209
17 Florence 10,719
18 Irene 10,624
19 Lillian 9,770
20 Rose 9,352
21 Martha 9,264
22 Louise 9,180
23 Catherine 8,887
24 Gladys 8,814
25 Jean 8,593
26 Ruby 8,333
27 Edna 8,302
28 Josephine 8,134
29 Eleanor 8,054
30 Thelma 7,839
31 Lucille 7,698
32 Ethel 7,603
33 Edith 7,589
34 Hazel 7,341
35 Grace 7,230
36 Annie 7,209
37 Pauline 7,142
38 Lois 6,899
39 Bernice 6,190
40 Barbara 6,013
41 Beatrice 5,968
42 Esther 5,926
43 Marion 5,814
44 Shirley 5,694
45 Clara 5,606
46 Gertrude 5,350
47 Jane 5,187
48 Rita 5,157
49 Katherine 5,156
50 June 5,155
51 Norma 5,101
52 Emma 5,073
53 Ann 5,058
54 Sarah 5,024
55 Elsie 4,878
56 Agnes 4,798
57 Juanita 4,779
58 Julia 4,737
59 Bertha 4,608
60 Phyllis 4,590
61 Lorraine 4,533
62 Geraldine 4,522
63 Eva 4,325
64 Kathryn 4,201
65 Pearl 4,175
66 Viola 4,160
67 Ida 4,146
68 Vivian 4,103
69 Marian 4,064
70 Anne 4,007
71 Laura 3,998
72 Wilma 3,823
73 Myrtle 3,791
74 Willie 3,748
75 Bessie 3,678
76 Vera 3,631
77 Maxine 3,630
78 Alma 3,589
79 Charlotte 3,587
80 Nellie 3,513
81 Violet 3,469
82 Audrey 3,434
83 Kathleen 3,419
84 Patricia 3,381
85 Mabel 3,336
86 Stella 3,335
87 Nancy 3,323
88 Sylvia 3,297
89 Ella 3,237
90 Genevieve 3,235
91 Jessie 3,225
92 Leona 3,210
93 Lucy 3,157
94 Lillie 3,118
95 Ellen 3,065
96 Minnie 2,998
97 Elaine 2,922
98 Marguerite 2,897
99 Jennie 2,889
100 Eileen 2,862
101 Wanda 2,738
102 Gloria 2,731
103 Opal 2,713
104 Lena 2,710
105 Mattie 2,703
106 Margie 2,697
107 Theresa 2,613
108 Velma 2,606
109 Jeanne 2,590
110 Mae 2,589
111 Dolores 2,558
112 Blanche 2,487
113 Geneva 2,485
114 Harriet 2,389
115 Sara 2,350
116 Beulah 2,313
117 Georgia 2,313
118 Christine 2,301
119 Muriel 2,248
120 Eunice 2,240
121 Emily 2,184
122 Loretta 2,134
123 Hilda 2,128
124 Janet 2,123
125 Jeanette 2,096
126 Carrie 2,081
127 Inez 2,081
128 Rosemary 2,035
129 Maria 2,028
130 Dora 2,026
131 Rosa 1,977
132 Naomi 1,976
133 Alberta 1,929
134 Anita 1,924
135 Fannie 1,892
136 Sophie 1,865
137 Joyce 1,840
138 Arlene 1,837
139 Madeline 1,835
140 Cora 1,828
141 Verna 1,813
142 Joan 1,790
143 Lula 1,778
144 Hattie 1,776
145 Ada 1,756
146 Carolyn 1,753
147 Miriam 1,743
148 Roberta 1,732
149 Constance 1,686
150 Mamie 1,627
151 Bonnie 1,609
152 Rachel 1,583
153 Olga 1,572
154 Olive 1,567
155 Mable 1,566
156 Flora 1,553
157 Lola 1,540
158 Erma 1,525
159 Marcella 1,502
160 Daisy 1,481
161 Estelle 1,436
162 Caroline 1,425
163 Winifred 1,417
164 Eloise 1,379
165 Irma 1,376
166 Carol 1,374
167 Nora 1,350
168 Susie 1,321
169 Bette 1,316
170 Eula 1,313
171 Rosie 1,313
172 Lorene 1,304
173 Maggie 1,300
174 Fern 1,297
175 Rebecca 1,272
176 Sadie 1,249
177 Adeline 1,246
178 Lucile 1,242
179 Victoria 1,238
180 Antoinette 1,235
181 Nina 1,212
182 Claire 1,210
183 Lottie 1,208
184 Henrietta 1,174
185 Laverne 1,163
186 Beverly 1,160
187 Della 1,153
188 Regina 1,144
189 Donna 1,111
190 Billie 1,104
191 Jeannette 1,094
192 Angelina 1,075
193 Rosalie 1,074
194 Veronica 1,074
195 Peggy 1,066
196 Dorothea 1,057
197 Lydia 1,052
198 Nettie 1,034
199 Essie 1,032
200 Amelia 995
201 Cleo 992
202 Faye 989
203 Angeline 986
204 Goldie 984
205 May 977
206 Katie 976
207 Isabel 971
208 Freda 970
209 Ollie 912
210 Melba 910
211 Johnnie 909
212 Lela 907
213 Lila 894
214 Sally 891
215 Adele 890
216 Luella 887
217 Ernestine 871
218 Annette 866
219 Jewell 857
220 Effie 848
221 Isabelle 846
222 Susan 846
223 Imogene 838
224 Addie 836
225 Ora 835
226 Cecelia 825
227 Gwendolyn 819
228 Bettie 818
229 Delores 810
230 Leola 789
231 Iva 785
232 Jewel 784
233 Sallie 782
234 Carmen 776
235 Eleanore 768
236 Cecilia 761
237 Yvonne 761
238 Nell 760
239 Jacqueline 757
240 Ola 755
241 Reba 748
242 Ina 745
243 Alta 741
244 Etta 740
245 Teresa 738
246 Janice 732
247 Natalie 729
248 Priscilla 723
249 Elva 720
250 Janie 708

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 'Teresa' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Mary' 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 'Margaret' 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 'Helens' 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 'Ruth' 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 'Virginia' 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 'Elizabeth' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Mildred' 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 'Betty' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Frances' 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 Girl Names in 1921". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 19, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1921/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1921". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1921/. Accessed 19 April, 2024

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