Most Popular Baby Names in 1880

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 1880. 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 names in 1880, 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

	Boys		Girls
Rank	Name	Count	Name	Count
1	John	9,655	Mary	7,065
2	William	9,532	Anna	2,604
3	James	5,927	Emma	2,003
4	Charles	5,348	Elizabeth	1,939
5	George	5,126	Minnie	1,746
6	Frank	3,242	Margaret	1,578
7	Joseph	2,632	Ida	1,472
8	Thomas	2,534	Alice	1,414
9	Henry	2,444	Bertha	1,320
10	Robert	2,415	Sarah	1,288
11	Edward	2,364	Annie	1,258
12	Harry	2,152	Clara	1,226
13	Walter	1,755	Ella	1,156
14	Arthur	1,599	Florence	1,063
15	Fred	1,569	Cora	1,045
16	Albert	1,493	Martha	1,040
17	Samuel	1,024	Laura	1,012
18	David	869	Nellie	995
19	Louis	828	Grace	982
20	Joe	731	Carrie	949
21	Charlie	730	Maude	859
22	Clarence	730	Mabel	808
23	Richard	728	Bessie	796
24	Andrew	644	Jennie	793
25	Daniel	643	Gertrude	787
26	Ernest	615	Julia	783
27	Will	588	Hattie	769
28	Jesse	569	Edith	768
29	Oscar	544	Mattie	704
30	Lewis	517	Rose	700
31	Peter	496	Catherine	688
32	Benjamin	490	Lillian	672
33	Frederick	483	Ada	652
34	Willie	476	Lillie	647
35	Alfred	469	Helen	636
36	Sam	457	Jessie	635
37	Roy	440	Louise	635
38	Herbert	424	Ethel	633
39	Jacob	404	Lula	621
40	Tom	399	Myrtle	615
41	Elmer	373	Eva	614
42	Carl	372	Frances	605
43	Lee	361	Lena	603
44	Howard	357	Lucy	590
45	Martin	357	Edna	588
46	Michael	354	Maggie	582
47	Bert	348	Pearl	569
48	Herman	347	Daisy	564
49	Jim	345	Fannie	560
50	Francis	344	Josephine	544
51	Harvey	344	Dora	524
52	Earl	335	Rosa	507
53	Eugene	328	Katherine	502
54	Ralph	317	Agnes	473
55	Ed	310	Marie	471
56	Claude	309	Nora	471
57	Edwin	309	May	462
58	Ben	305	Mamie	436
59	Charley	305	Blanche	427
60	Paul	301	Stella	414
61	Edgar	283	Ellen	411
62	Isaac	274	Nancy	410
63	Otto	271	Effie	406
64	Luther	260	Sallie	404
65	Lawrence	257	Nettie	403
66	Ira	249	Della	391
67	Patrick	248	Lizzie	388
68	Guy	239	Flora	365
69	Oliver	234	Susie	361
70	Theodore	232	Maud	345
71	Hugh	224	Mae	344
72	Clyde	221	Etta	323
73	Alexander	211	Harriet	319
74	August	210	Sadie	317
75	Floyd	206	Caroline	306
76	Homer	205	Katie	303
77	Jack	204	Lydia	302
78	Leonard	200	Elsie	301
79	Horace	199	Kate	299
80	Marion	189	Susan	286
81	Philip	186	Mollie	283
82	Allen	184	Alma	277
83	Archie	183	Addie	274
84	Stephen	176	Georgia	259
85	Chester	168	Eliza	252
86	Willis	166	Lulu	249
87	Raymond	165	Nannie	248
88	Rufus	163	Lottie	245
89	Warren	158	Amanda	241
90	Jessie	154	Belle	238
91	Milton	149	Charlotte	237
92	Alex	147	Rebecca	236
93	Leo	147	Ruth	234
94	Julius	143	Viola	229
95	Ray	142	Olive	224
96	Sidney	142	Amelia	221
97	Bernard	140	Hannah	221
98	Dan	140	Jane	215
99	Jerry	136	Virginia	213
100	Calvin	134	Emily	210
101	Perry	134	Matilda	210
102	Dave	131	Irene	204
103	Anthony	130	Kathryn	204
104	Eddie	129	Esther	198
105	Amos	128	Willie	192
106	Dennis	128	Henrietta	191
107	Clifford	127	Ollie	183
108	Leroy	124	Amy	167
109	Wesley	123	Rachel	166
110	Alonzo	122	Sara	165
111	Garfield	122	Estella	162
112	Franklin	120	Theresa	153
113	Emil	119	Augusta	151
114	Leon	118	Ora	149
115	Nathan	114	Pauline	144
116	Harold	113	Josie	141
117	Matthew	113	Lola	138
118	Levi	112	Sophia	138
119	Moses	111	Leona	137
120	Everett	110	Anne	136
121	Lester	109	Mildred	132
122	Winfield	108	Ann	131
123	Adam	104	Beulah	131
124	Lloyd	104	Callie	131
125	Mack	104	Lou	131
126	Fredrick	103	Delia	129
127	Jay	103	Eleanor	129
128	Jess	103	Barbara	127
129	Melvin	103	Iva	127
130	Noah	103	Louisa	126
131	Aaron	102	Maria	125
132	Alvin	102	Mayme	124
133	Norman	102	Evelyn	122
134	Gilbert	101	Estelle	119
135	Elijah	100	Nina	119
136	Victor	100	Betty	117
137	Nelson	99	Marion	115
138	Gus	99	Bettie	113
139	Jasper	98	Dorothy	112
140	Silas	98	Luella	111
141	Jake	96	Inez	106
142	Christopher	95	Lela	106
143	Mike	95	Rosie	106
144	Percy	94	Allie	105
145	Adolph	93	Millie	105
146	Maurice	93	Janie	96
147	Cornelius	92	Cornelia	94
148	Felix	92	Victoria	93
149	Reuben	92	Ruby	92
150	Wallace	91	Winifred	92
151	Claud	90	Alta	91
152	Roscoe	90	Celia	90
153	Sylvester	89	Christine	89
154	Earnest	88	Beatrice	87
155	Hiram	88	Birdie	85
156	Otis	88	Harriett	83
157	Simon	88	Mable	83
158	Willard	88	Myra	83
159	Irvin	86	Sophie	83
160	Mark	85	Tillie	83
161	Jose	84	Isabel	81
162	Wilbur	82	Sylvia	81
163	Abraham	81	Carolyn	80
164	Virgil	81	Isabelle	80
165	Clinton	79	Leila	80
166	Elbert	79	Sally	80
167	Leslie	79	Ina	79
168	Marshall	78	Essie	78
169	Owen	78	Bertie	77
170	Wiley	78	Nell	77
171	Anton	77	Alberta	76
172	Morris	77	Katharine	76
173	Manuel	75	Lora	74
174	Phillip	75	Rena	74
175	Augustus	74	Mina	73
176	Emmett	74	Rhoda	73
177	Eli	73	Mathilda	72
178	Nicholas	73	Abbie	71
179	Wilson	72	Eula	70
180	Alva	70	Dollie	69
181	Harley	70	Hettie	69
182	Newton	70	Eunice	67
183	Timothy	70	Fanny	67
184	Marvin	69	Ola	67
185	Ross	69	Lenora	66
186	Curtis	68	Adelaide	65
187	Edmund	67	Christina	65
188	Jeff	66	Lelia	65
189	Elias	65	Nelle	65
190	Harrison	65	Sue	65
191	Stanley	65	Johanna	64
192	Columbus	64	Lilly	64
193	Lon	64	Lucinda	63
194	Ora	64	Minerva	63
195	Ollie	63	Lettie	62
196	Pearl	62	Roxie	62
197	Russell	62	Cynthia	61
198	Solomon	62	Helena	60
199	Arch	61	Hilda	60
200	Scott	60	Hulda	60
201	Nathaniel	60	Bernice	59
202	Mathew	60	Genevieve	59
203	Enoch	60	Jean	59
204	Clayton	60	Cordelia	58
205	Asa	60	Marian	56
206	Irving	60	Francis	55
207	Hubert	59	Jeanette	55
208	Lemuel	59	Adeline	54
209	Andy	58	Gussie	54
210	Ellis	58	Leah	54
211	Emanuel	57	Lois	53
212	Joshua	57	Lura	53
213	Millard	56	Mittie	53
214	Vernon	56	Hallie	51
215	Wade	56	Isabella	50
216	Cyrus	54	Olga	50
217	Miles	54	Phoebe	50
218	Rudolph	54	Teresa	50
219	Sherman	54	Hester	49
220	Austin	53	Lida	49
221	Bill	53	Lina	49
222	Chas	53	Winnie	49
223	Lonnie	53	Claudia	48
224	Monroe	53	Marguerite	48
225	Byron	52	Vera	48
226	Edd	52	Cecelia	47
227	Emery	52	Bess	46
228	Grant	52	Emilie	46
229	Jerome	52	John	46
230	Max	52	Rosetta	46
231	Mose	52	Verna	46
232	Steve	52	Myrtie	45
233	Gordon	51	Cecilia	44
234	Abe	50	Elva	44
235	Pete	50	Olivia	44
236	Gustave	49	Ophelia	44
237	Orville	49	Georgie	43
238	Chris	49	Elnora	42
239	Clark	49	Violet	42
240	Lorenzo	48	Adele	41
241	Bruce	47	Virgie	41
242	Marcus	47	Polly	41
243	Preston	47	Madge	41
244	Donald	46	Linnie	41
245	Jackson	46	Loretta	41
246	Dock	46	Lily	41
247	Bob	46	Eugenia	40
248	Cecil	45	Lucille	40
249	Delbert	44	Lucile	40
250	Edmond	44	Mabelle	39

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 'Jackson' or 'Lily', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'John' or 'Mary' 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 'Charles' or 'Alice' 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 'Annas' 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 'George' or 'Ida' 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 'Frank' or 'Bertha' 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 'Robert' or 'Elizabeth' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Joseph' or 'Ella' 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 'Thomas' or 'Margaret' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Henry' or 'Julia' 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.

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.