Top Baby Names 100 Years Ago

Choosing a name for your baby can be one of the hardest tasks for soon-to-be parents. Picking out the perfect name can be a lot of pressure. Many parents may look back into their family tree in search for inspiration.

Image: Nationaal Archief / Flickr

Here’s a look back at the top 5 most popular girl and boy names from 100 years ago according to the U.S. Social Security Administration:

Top 5 Female Names of 1915

1. Mary
2. Helen
3. Dorothy
4. Margaret
5. Ruth

The name Mary held the top spot a total of 41 times in the last century, consecutively holding the top spot between 1915 – 1946. Mary is currently ranked the most popular name over the last 100 years, while the other four have fallen behind.

Top 5 Male Names of 1915

1. John
2. William
3. James
4. Robert
5. Joseph

These male names seem to have withstood the test of time a bit better than the female names. According to the Social Security Administration, James is the most popular name of the last 100 years, with John, Robert and William taking up the other top five spots.

It’s interesting to see how these names compare with the most popular baby names of 2014. None of 1915’s top 5 female names appear in the most recent list in 2014. On the other hand, only William continues to appear in the top 5 of 2014’s most popular male names. After falling out of the top 5 for several decades, the name appears to be making a comeback in the last few years.

Do any of these names appear in your family tree? What’s the most popular name in your family?