From the minute that you find out that you're having a baby, the child's future name becomes one of the biggest decisions you can make. While many aspects of childhood can be changed or dismissed as the baby grows, a name is much more permanent than the color you choose to paint the nursery or the style of car seat you choose for the baby.
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Choosing Tradition
A name will follow the child for the rest of his or her life, as will any nicknames that are associated with their name. For this reason, many parents decide to choose traditional names for their future offspring.
Deciding Between Historical Names or Family Names
If you are looking for an appropriate name for your child that comes from tradition, there are two primary sources that you may consider: family history or cultural history. For families looking for names popular in American cultural history, popular names from the 1910s are often given to their children.
Reasons for Deciding on 1910s Names
1910s baby names are often picked by those families who want their children to have “classic names.” If you do not want to pick a flashy contemporary name that may be difficult for your child to spell, a name from the early part of the 20th century may be right for you.
Do you scorn popular celebrity baby names, such as Apple or Kal-El? If so, you may find comfort in 1910s girl names or 1910s boy names.
Popular 1910s Girl Names
The top five most popular girl names in the 1910s were: Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret, and Ruth. Other popular girls names during this period include Mildred, Elizabeth, Frances, Virginia, and Florence.
If you are looking for names which sound even more traditional, each of the following names were popular during the 1910s for little girls: Edith, Eleanor, Beatrice, Paulie, Bernice, Marion, Lois, and Agnes.
Most Popular Girls Names From the 1910s
- Mary
- Helen
- Dorothy
- Margaret
- Ruth
- Mildred
- Anna
- Elizabeth
- Frances
- Virginia
- Marie
- Evelyn
- Alice
- Florence
- Lillian
- Rose
- Irene
- Louise
- Edna
- Catherine
- Gladys
- Ethel
- Josephine
- Ruby
- Martha
- Grace
- Hazel
- Thelma
- Lucille
- Edith
- Eleanor
- Doris
- Annie
- Pauline
- Gertrude
- Esther
- Betty
- Beatrice
- Marjorie
- Clara
- Emma
- Bernice
- Bertha
- Ann
- Jean
- Elsie
- Julia
- Agnes
- Lois
- Sarah
- Marion
- Katherine
- Eva
- Ida
- Bessie
- Pearl
- Anne
- Viola
- Myrtle
- Nellie
- Mabel
- Laura
- Kathryn
- Stella
- Vera
- Willie
- Jessie
- Jane
- Alma
- Minnie
- Sylvia
- Ella
- Lillie
- Rita
- Leona
- Barbara
- Vivian
- Lena
- Violet
- Lucy
- Jennie
- Genevieve
- Marguerite
- Charlotte
- Mattie
- Marion
- Blanche
- Mae
- Ellen
- Wilma
- Juanita
- Opal
- June
- Geraldine
- Beulah
- Velma
- Theresa
- Carrie
- Phyllis
- Maxine
Popular 1910s Boy Names
Many of the most popular names for little boys in the 1910s are very familiar, traditional names, such as John, William, James, Robert, and Joseph. But the era also has a number of names that have a lovely traditional quality to them without being commonly considered for baby names today.
Some of the less recognizable traditional boy's names that were popular in the 1910s include: Arthur, Albert, Walter, Clarence, Kenneth, Herbert, and Alfred.
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Most Popular Boys Names From the 1910s
- John
- William
- James
- Robert
- Joseph
- George
- Charles
- Edward
- Frank
- Thomas
- Walter
- Harold
- Henry
- Paul
- Richard
- Raymond
- Albert
- Arthur
- Harry
- Donald
- Ralph
- Louis
- Jack
- Clarence
- Carl
- Willie
- Howard
- Fred
- David
- Kenneth
- Francis
- Roy
- Earl
- Joe
- Ernest
- Lawrence
- Stanley
- Anthony
- Eugene
- Samuel
- Herbert
- Alfred
- Leonard
- Michael
- Elmer
- Andrew
- Leo
- Bernard
- Norman
- Peter
- Russell
- Daniel
- Edwin
- Frederick
- Chester
- Herman
- Melvin
- Lloyd
- Lester
- Floyd
- Leroy
- Theodore
- Clifford
- Clyde
- Charlie
- Sam
- Woodrow
- Vincent
- Philip
- Marvin
- Ray
- Lewis
- Milton
- Benjamin
- Victor
- Vernon
- Gerald
- Jesse
- Martin
- Cecil
- Alvin
- Lee
- Willard
- Leon
- Oscar
- Glenn
- Edgar
- Gordon
- Stephen
- Harvey
- Claude
- Sidney
- Everett
- Arnold
- Morris
- Wilbur
- Warren
- Wayne
- Allen
- Homer
Are Popular Names from the 1910s Still Popular Today?
If you're considering names from the 1910s, then chances are you want something traditional. A lot of traditional names are still popular today, but not all of them are. Let's take a look at how the top five boy and girl names from the 1910s fair in 2023.
For boys, the top five names in the 1910s were John, William, James, Robert, and Joseph. John is a rather basic name, which is probably why it remains in the Top 50 at number 40. William and James are still very popular, ranking at 12 and nine in 2023, respectively. Robert doesn't fair quite as well, ranking at 144 in 2023. Joseph is just a little less popular than John, ranking at 44.
For girls, the top five names in the 1910s were Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret, and Ruth. Mary is a decently popular name in 2023, ranking at 330. Helen ranks much lower at 849, while Dorothy is the 973rd most popular name in 2023. Margaret, at 312, is just a little more popular than Mary. Ruth sits roughly in the middle at 415. All of these names would be great choices if you want a traditional name that isn't very popular.