How to Know the Top 10 Baby Names of a Hundred Years Ago

Names come in and out of style as new generations of parents search for just the right names for their new little ones. Many of the old classics are back, while some are thankfully never to return. For parents who are thinking of baby names and naming trends, it's interesting to see what the top 10 boy and girl names were a hundred years ago. You might be surprised to see which names still rank highly today.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. According to the Social Security Administration, the top names of the late 1800s and early 1900s were almost entirely dominated by traditional English names. Some of them still rank high today.
2. The top 10 boy names for the early 1900s were: 1) John 2) William 3) James 4) George 5) Robert 6) Charles 7) Joseph 8) Frank 9) Edward and 10) Henry.
3. The top 10 girl names for the early 1900s were: 1) Mary 2) Helen 3) Margaret 4) Anna 5) Ruth 6) Dorothy 7) Elizabeth 8) Mildred 9) Alice and 10) Marie.
4. Of these names, many still rest comfortably on the list of today's top 50 baby names. However, only the name "William" has a current place in the top 10.

Tips & Warnings

• The naming trend for babies lately is to use "old-fashioned" names, so the names that dominated in the early 1900s may once again be heard in the elementary school halls a few years from now.