Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1926

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1926. 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 1926, 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 67,836
2 Dorothy 36,617
3 Betty 32,961
4 Helen 26,885
5 Margaret 23,072
6 Ruth 20,223
7 Doris 16,298
8 Virginia 16,161
9 Mildred 13,549
10 Frances 13,355
11 Elizabeth 12,835
12 Jean 12,167
13 Evelyn 11,780
14 Shirley 11,760
15 Anna 11,697
16 Barbara 11,080
17 Alice 10,956
18 Marie 10,631
19 Lois 9,819
20 Gloria 9,196
21 Irene 9,169
22 Marjorie 8,640
23 Patricia 8,589
24 Martha 8,554
25 Rose 8,509
26 Florence 8,178
27 Louise 7,979
28 Lillian 7,661
29 Norma 7,528
30 Ruby 7,474
31 Catherine 7,470
32 Eleanor 7,304
33 Phyllis 6,921
34 Annie 6,876
35 Gladys 6,634
36 Thelma 6,584
37 Josephine 6,409
38 Edna 6,395
39 Pauline 6,356
40 June 6,077
41 Ethel 5,858
42 Edith 5,786
43 Lucille 5,760
44 Joyce 5,704
45 Bernice 5,442
46 Grace 5,427
47 Marion 5,354
48 Hazel 5,302
49 Dolores 5,219
50 Rita 5,015
51 Joan 4,995
52 Juanita 4,983
53 Lorraine 4,891
54 Geraldine 4,812
55 Ann 4,779
56 Jane 4,642
57 Nancy 4,566
58 Beatrice 4,518
59 Emma 4,480
60 Audrey 4,477
61 Clara 4,464
62 Esther 4,454
63 Sarah 4,423
64 Theresa 4,406
65 Marilyn 4,370
66 Wanda 4,125
67 Wilma 4,055
68 Elaine 4,004
69 Elsie 3,909
70 Marian 3,859
71 Gertrude 3,852
72 Katherine 3,834
73 Willie 3,819
74 Beverly 3,776
75 Julia 3,688
76 Bertha 3,583
77 Agnes 3,533
78 Charlotte 3,512
79 Eva 3,494
80 Vivian 3,431
81 Laura 3,374
82 Ida 3,285
83 Kathleen 3,277
84 Vera 3,152
85 Maxine 3,150
86 Anne 3,109
87 Kathryn 3,094
88 Jeanne 3,063
89 Bessie 3,054
90 Donna 3,008
91 Alma 2,990
92 Eileen 2,928
93 Jessie 2,921
94 Violet 2,904
95 Rosemary 2,900
96 Pearl 2,899
97 Viola 2,877
98 Ella 2,852
99 Lillie 2,845
100 Ellen 2,768
101 Myrtle 2,756
102 Nellie 2,722
103 Margie 2,714
104 Peggy 2,622
105 Bonnie 2,609
106 Lucy 2,546
107 Sylvia 2,528
108 Arlene 2,522
109 Mattie 2,497
110 Janet 2,468
111 Minnie 2,448
112 Leona 2,429
113 Carol 2,427
114 Carolyn 2,415
115 Maria 2,351
116 Georgia 2,348
117 Geneva 2,329
118 Mae 2,261
119 Jacqueline 2,245
120 Christine 2,213
121 Stella 2,192
122 Billie 2,170
123 Lena 2,143
124 Velma 2,120
125 Rosa 2,114
126 Loretta 2,108
127 Mabel 2,076
128 Genevieve 2,031
129 Muriel 2,027
130 Opal 2,027
131 Sara 2,022
132 Jennie 2,012
133 Harriet 1,984
134 Eunice 1,942
135 Roberta 1,877
136 Jeanette 1,871
137 Marguerite 1,869
138 Carrie 1,860
139 Hilda 1,847
140 Dora 1,774
141 Naomi 1,757
142 Emily 1,729
143 Alberta 1,701
144 Claire 1,679
145 Delores 1,675
146 Constance 1,669
147 Blanche 1,658
148 Beulah 1,650
149 Inez 1,633
150 Anita 1,617
151 Hattie 1,601
152 Verna 1,586
153 Fannie 1,571
154 Lula 1,564
155 Miriam 1,511
156 Rosie 1,491
157 Erma 1,485
158 Cora 1,477
159 Janice 1,467
160 Sally 1,466
161 Ada 1,462
162 Lola 1,442
163 Madeline 1,397
164 Rachel 1,389
165 Mable 1,388
166 Bette 1,381
167 Mamie 1,367
168 Flora 1,366
169 Laverne 1,327
170 Irma 1,298
171 Daisy 1,288
172 Imogene 1,253
173 Faye 1,219
174 Caroline 1,217
175 Eloise 1,209
176 Nora 1,203
177 Marcella 1,185
178 Bettie 1,182
179 Eula 1,175
180 Teresa 1,160
181 Rosalie 1,159
182 Antoinette 1,158
183 Olga 1,157
184 Susie 1,152
185 Rebecca 1,144
186 Estelle 1,113
187 Nina 1,111
188 Winifred 1,111
189 Maggie 1,092
190 Lila 1,084
191 Johnnie 1,073
192 Yvonne 1,066
193 Ernestine 1,038
194 Sadie 1,029
195 Lorene 1,018
196 Della 1,009
197 Regina 997
198 Patsy 993
199 Iris 965
200 Victoria 963
201 Henrietta 957
202 Carmen 956
203 Sophie 953
204 Colleen 945
205 Adeline 944
206 Joanne 944
207 Jeannette 920
208 Melba 917
209 Fern 912
210 Joy 892
211 Essie 882
212 Darlene 875
213 Olive 872
214 Angelina 870
215 Susan 857
216 Katie 852
217 Gwendolyn 849
218 Bobbie 839
219 Nettie 839
220 Priscilla 834
221 Freda 830
222 Jo 815
223 Lydia 813
224 Lucile 805
225 Jewel 787
226 Veronica 782
227 Therese 781
228 Annette 780
229 Nadine 778
230 Ollie 778
231 Lottie 773
232 May 767
233 Dorothea 758
234 Ora 758
235 Reba 748
236 Amelia 746
237 Angeline 745
238 Isabel 744
239 Goldie 743
240 Cleo 730
241 Connie 723
242 Rosemarie 723
243 Fay 722
244 Lela 721
245 Jewell 718
246 Cecilia 717
247 Iva 711
248 Sue 697
249 Corinne 689
250 Sallie 689

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 'Jewell' 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 'Helen' 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 'Bettys' 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 'Margaret' 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 'Ruth' 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 'Frances' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

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

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Mildred' 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 1926". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1926/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1926". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1926/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1926. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1926/.