Decades List - The Boys of the 1910s

Continuing our Decades List series... These are the Top 100 names historically that made the list for the 1910s decade because the average percentage of use for these names in that ten year period was the highest out of all of the decades. Meaning, this is the decade in which these names were used the most since 1880.

I will need to split the rest of the series into boys and girls because there are too many names to put in one post. So, let's look at the boys of the 1910s!

Carl - Peaking in 1915, Carl reached as high as #22 and was a steady presence in the Top 100 from 1880 through 1979. As a variant of the popular Charles, it is still one of the top 600 names in the US, but slowly slipping in the ranks.

Chester - Even though it left the Top 1000 after 1995 and continues to show decreasing numbers, Chester was a top name for almost 50 years around the turn of the century. It attained the rank of #53 in 1919.

Clifford - Clifford's popularity was at its height in 1918, although its highest rank was #57 in 1909. While Clifford no longer ranks in the Top 1000 and its nickname Cliff may not bring too many to its side, can we consider the up-and-comer Ford? That option could make the name more attractive to those wanting to honor a special Clifford in their lives.

Edwin - Speaking of honor, Edwin is a name present on both sides of my family and was therefore one of the first names on my radar. It ranked as high as #52 in 1919, but had its highest percentage of use in 1915. Edwin is still one of the top 300 names in the United States and is the real first name of astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Francis - A very popular saint name, Francis ranked at #29 in 1915. Its female counterpart, Frances, soared during the same decade, topping out at #8 in 1918. Needless to say, there were a lot of baby Francis/Franceses around in the 1910s/1920s. A new wave of Francis/Franceses may be on the horizon however, as both names have recently made the turn in the ranks from downward to upward.

Howard - Howard may have only fell out of the Top 1000 after 2012, but it actually ranked as high as #24 in 1919 and 1920. If it were to ever make a comeback, one of the main reasons would have to be the adorable nickname Howie.

Irving - Irving only got as high as #93 in 1911 and was only in the Top 100 for 3 years. The most interesting factoid about the name is that it was popular among Jews as an "American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel, and Isaiah." (behindthename.com)

Joseph - Joseph is a powerhouse, having been in the Top 100 for every year since 1880. In the 1910s, more than 2 boys per 100 were named Joseph. It was ranked at #5 for 6 of the decade's years. Currently, it is tied for the second lowest rank it has ever been at #20 (lowest rank was #22 in 2011).

Julius - A name that jumped off and on the Top 100 list between 1880 and 1912, Julius reached its highest rank in 1883 at #88, but had its highest percentage of use in 1912. Its usage has slowly decreased in subsequent years, and currently remains in the Top 400.

Lester - While it was a pretty steady presence in the Top 100 for almost 50 years, Lester never got above #52 in the ranks and that was in 1906. Its highest percentage of use for the decades was in the 1910s however, and it has only gone down from there, falling out of the Top 1000 after 1999.

Lloyd - Lloyd attained its highest popularity in 1918 when it ranked #51. It has since left the Top 1000 (after 2002), but is hanging around a bit as it hasn't dropped too far below it.

Louis - The regal Louis had its highest ranking in 1882 at #18, but its peak percentage of use was in 1914. It has decreased in usage since then, but has never fallen below #353 and is currently on a slight upswing.

Maurice - The saint name Maurice and its counterpart, Morris, both peaked in the 1910s. Maurice reached #94 in 1914 and still ranks among the top 600 names in the United States.

Milton - Milton reached its pinnacle at #64 in 1912. Seemingly considered an "old guy" name, it hasn't ranked since 2008, but is still considered popular in Sweden.

Morris - As mentioned above, Morris rose along with Maurice, climbing to #82 in 1912. Even though Morris ranked higher than Maurice, the French version of the name still ranks, while Morris fell out of the Top 100 after 1994.

Russell - Russell's highest percentage was in 1914, while its highest rank was #48 in 1904. It still remains one of the top 500 names in the US.

Sidney - Like Francis, Sidney has a female equivalent. Unlike Francis, Sidney for boys was popular many years before Sydney was for girls and never ranked as high. Sidney reached its height in 1912 at #80. It is also still in the Top 1000, but just barely.

Stanley - Stanley peaked at #34 in the mid-1910s. While it has become a top 100 name in England, it is slowly falling away in the States, ranking at #679 in 2013.

Victor - Victor has one of the most, if not the most, irregular record when it comes to the Top 100. Between 1885 and 2003, the name entered and left the Top 100 18 times. It reached its pinnacle at #63 in 1918. Currently, Victor is #142, the lowest rank it has ever had.

Vincent - Another very irregular record is the one held by Vincent. Between 1910 and 1994, Vincent entered and left the Top 100 nine times. Oddly enough, and as proof of its weird track, it reached its highest percentage of use and highest rank (#58) in the 1960s but had its highest use in a decade in the 1910s. Even now, it is possibly on its way back into the top rankings as it sits at #101 after falling to #123 in 2002.

Virgil - Virgil was present in the Top 100 for several years between 1904 and 1922, but never ranked higher than #93 (1907). It fell out of the Top 1000 after 1991.

Wilbur - Wilbur was only in the Top 100 for nine years, mostly in the 1910s. It peaked at #91 in 1913, which happens to closely coincide with the death of Wilbur Wright in 1912. Not sure if there really was an influence there, but other than the pig in Charlotte's Web, Mr. Wright is probably the most famous Wilbur out there.

Willard - Another "Will" name, Willard reached #58 in 1915 and slid down from there, exiting the Top 1000 after 1989.

Woodrow - There is no question where the popularity of Woodrow came from. Woodrow Wilson ran for President in 1912, the same year the name Woodrow entered the Top 100 (it ranked at #234 in 1911). It remained in the Top 100 for the majority of his two terms in office, peaking at #44 in 1913 and has since decreased in use by a large amount.

Wow! What a great list! I especially love Victor and Vincent and wonder why their popularity wavers so much. It surprised me to find that Maurice still ranked while Morris did not. Is it the French twist to the name that makes Maurice more popular or is it the link to the cat in the 9Lives commercials that makes Morris less popular? I personally would love to see Morris rise again, but the numbers do not show that possibility any time soon.

Decades List - 1900s

Let's continue the series...

These names made the list for the 1900s decade because the average percentage of use for these names in that ten year period was the highest out of all of the decades. Meaning, this is the decade in which these names were used the most since 1880.

Boys

Alton - Alton was in the Top 100 for only one year. It reached #78 in 1904, which also happens to be the year Alton Parker ran for President against Theodore Roosevelt. It fell out of the Top 1000 almost 100 years later.

Cecil - Cecil hit is height at #65 in 1902. It stayed fairly popular for several decades before gradually falling away and out of the Top 1000 after 1997. However, the feminine form of Cecilia is currently on the rise.

Clyde -  While Clyde's highest rank was at #50 in 1883, its highest percentage of use was in 1905 when it was ranked #52. Interestingly, it returned to the Top 1000 in 2013 at #999 after 14 years of absence.

Eddie - Eddie was extremely sporadic in terms of popularity during the turn of the century. It was consistently in the Top 100 from 1930 through 1958, but it was at its peak in 1910 at #59. Even though it may be seen more as a nickname for such names as Edward, Edwin, Edgar, and Edmond, it is still ranked in the 600s in the United States as a given name.

Everett - Currently a name increasing in popularity, Everett reached as high as #81 in 1906. It seemed to be on a downward path until the 1990s when it turned around and has been consistently rising since.

Floyd - Did you know Floyd is actually a variant of Lloyd (which reached its height in the 1910s)? Floyd seems to have been a decade or so ahead of its base name, as it peaked in 1905 at #44, 14 years before Lloyd did and seven ranks higher than Lloyd reached, but did not last as long in the Top 1000.

Herman - Herman was used more in the 1900s than any other decade since 1880. However, it ranked highest in 1886 and 1893 at #44 and had the highest percentage of use in 1893. I think we can safely say that even though it is currently ranked high in Norway, in the United States, Herman had its heyday over the turn of the century and has since fallen away.

Jessie - While we may see Jessie more as a nickname for Jessica, it is also a popular variant of the name Jesse for boys. Reaching #69 in 1900 (and its highest percentage of use in 1910), Jessie was not too far from the original Jesse's 1900 rank of #50. Even though its usage is decreasing now, in 2013, Jessie was given to 320 boys (versus 477 girls) and ranked at #720.

Joe - Joe was a steady presence in the Top 100 from 1880 through 1970. Its highest rank was #20 in 1880, but its highest percentage of use was in 1910. It is a fairly steady nickname name that still holds a place in the Top 1000.

Johnnie - With John being #1 from 1880 through 1923, it is no surprise that its nicknames also peaked in the Top 100. Johnnie reached as high as #74 in 1910, many ranks lower and many years prior to counterpart Johnny. It has also disappeared from the Top 1000, while Johnny is still in the 200s.

Leo - Leo reached its pinnacle in 1903 at the rank of #38. It was an early peaker compared to its associates Leon and Leonard, and is currently on its way back into the Top 100.

Leslie - Leslie is now considered a girl's name, but it was once dominated by boys. The takeover happened during the 1940s when the boy Leslie started a gradual decline in popularity. In 1902, however, Leslie reached its highest percentage of use (it reached its highest rank in 1895 at #81), when girl Leslie was in the lower half of the Top 1000.

Otis - Otis only entered the Top 100 three times (1899, 1905, and 1909) and never really got extremely high in rank, only reaching #94 in 1899 (was #99 the other two years). It fell out of the Top 1000 after 1994, but has recently started an upswing that could possibly be aided by the fact that celebrity Olivia Wilde used it on her son in 2014.

Roosevelt - There is no wonder as to the root of Roosevelt's popularity. It was in the Top 100 from 1903-1905, the years Theodore Roosevelt ran for President and won his second term (after taking over for McKinley following his assassination). It peaked in 1905 at #91. Interestingly, there was another peak in the raw numbers in 1933 when Franklin Roosevelt became President, but the rank at that time only rose to #132.

Theodore - No doubt due to the previously mentioned President, Theodore peaked in percentage of use in 1904, when it also reached its highest rank at #30. It had a steady presence in the Top 100 (1880-1944, 1949-1952), and is currently on the rise again (#170 in 2013).

Willie - A very popular name for both boys and girls in the 1900s, Willie was probably used to honor a special William, Willard or Wilbur in the family's life. Boy Willie reached as high as #11 in 1910, when it was given to almost 14 out of every 1,000 boys born, and it is still in the Top 1000 today.

Girls

Beulah - While the name does not attract very many people nowadays, Beulah was once ranked as high as #72 in 1903 and 1904, and held a place in the Top 100 for 30 years. It was once used in the Bible as a reference to Israel.

Esther - A Biblical name that has a different fate is Esther. Peaking at #27 in 1896, Esther had its highest usage in the 1900s and after falling only into the 300s in rank over time, it is currently on the rise.

Gladys - Gladys made it all the way to #11 in 1901. In that year, about one girl out of a hundred were given the name. From there, Gladys has slowly moved towards disappearance from use.

Hilda - Hilda was never any higher than it was in 1899 at #87, but it remained a part of the Top 100 for several years around the turn of the century. It is currently used even less than Gladys in the United States, but is one of the top 100 names in Sweden.

Leona - Like the aforementioned Leo, Leona reached its height in the 1900s and after a decrease in usage is currently on the rise. It peaked in 1905 at #69, fell out of the Top 1000 in 1982, re-entered in 2009, and then shot up to #734 in 2013.

Lillian - Lillian may be ranked pretty high right now (#26 in 2013), but it was as high as #10 from 1898 through 1901. During the 1900s, 1 out of every 100 girls was named Lillian. While that number may not be reached again, reaching the Top 10 again is highly possible.

Lola - Lola was only in the Top 100 in 1904 at #99. So, while it did not hold as much muster as most other names on this list, it still held up well on its own as it is usually a diminutive for Dolores. Lola re-entered the Top 1000 in 2002 after a 20-year absence and is continuing to slowly rise.

Marie - Marie is the French form of Maria and variation of Mary. It is no big surprise then that it peaked pretty high at #7 in 1901, 1903 and 1904. In 1899, almost 13 out of every 1,000 girls were named Marie. Ever since then, however, the name is on an extremely slow downslide.

Rose - Like Marie, Rose may be more commonly heard as a middle name nowadays, but back in 1911 and 1913, it was ranked as high as #14 as a first name. Rose reached it's highest percentage of use in 1908 and while it went down from there, it may be currently making a turn for the better.

Vera - Vera made it as high as #65 in 1915 and 1919, although it had its most percentage of use in the 1900s. It dropped out of the Top 1000 in 1984, but has since made a huge comeback, re-entering in 2009 and increasing to #422 in five short years.

Viola - Believe it or not, Viola was more popular at its highest than Violet ever has been. In 1908, Viola ranked at #42, while Violet has just reached its highest ranking at #69 in 2013. It is very different from Violet now, however, as its come back has not been as dramatic and quick. But with increasing numbers in recent years, Viola is definitely another "old" name that is making a move.

Willie - It is fascinating that Willie reached its height as a boy's name and as a girl's name in the same decade. Although, for girls, it did not achieve the same pinnacle. Girl Willie peaked at #54 in 1909 and fell out of the Top 1000 after 1972. In fact, it has almost fallen out of favor completely, as it was only given to five girls in 2013 and was not recorded at all in the previous three years.

Which of these names that peaked in the decade of the 1900s is your favorite? Would you like to see more of any of them? My faves would have to be Otis and Viola!

Decades List - 1890s

One of the features of Name-alytics that I loved putting together is the Decades List. This is a list of every Top 100 name listed according to the decade in which they were the most popular (by percentage). It turns out to be a fascinating glimpse of the history of our top names. I thought it would be fun to go through each decade to see if anything special jumps out!

I am going to skip the 1880s because there is no way to tell if the names included in it were actually the most popular in that decade or decades prior. Now, I realize that there is no certainty of any of these lists being perfect since we don't have the data before 1880 and the data is questionable at times. But given what we have, it is even more uncertain for the 1880s names, so I will start this series with the 1890s.

As a reminder, these names made the list for the 1890s decade because the average percentage of use for these names in that ten year period was the highest out of all of the decades. Meaning, this is the decade in which these names were used the most since 1880.

Boys

Archie - Archie's highest rank was only at #79 in 1890-91 and after falling out of the Top 100, it kept falling to hardly any use currently. It is one of those names that is highly popular in England/Wales, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand, but just can't find a footing in the United States anymore.

Clarence - Clarence had a very strong run for quite a while in the 1890s and early 1900s, reaching #17 in several of those years. It is still more popular than Archie, but it is very slowly falling away.

Dewey - As I write in the book, Dewey seems to have capitalized on the success of Admiral George Dewey in the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War in 1898. It was only in the Top 100 for the 3 years after the battle, but jumped to #19 in 1898 from the previous year's #111. Interestingly, 1898 was also a standout year for girls named Dewey...  104 girls were given the name that year, compared to 13 the previous year and nothing even close to that since then.

Earl - This royal title name went as high as #20 in 1894 and was in the Top 100 until 1954. It is still being used today, but gradually decreasing in use with each passing year.

Elmer - While Elmer remained in the Top 100 until the early 1930s, its strong years were definitely in the 1890s when it reached its highest rank of #32. Over 100 boys are still given the name each year.

Ernest - Ernest reached its highest rank in 1885 at #21, however it had the most percentage of use in 1895 and in the 1890s. We know of one specific Ernest born in the 1890s... Ernest Hemingway was born in 1899.

Homer - Homer has almost completely disappeared from use despite the famous Greek poet with the same name. It reached its highest rank of #64 in 1893.

Lee - Lee has been regularly used for both genders, but continues to be more popular on boys (girls are more often given the Leigh spelling). It actually peaked in 1900 for percentage of use and rank at #39, but its percentage of use for decades place it in the 1890s.

Mack - Like Lee, Mack peaked in 1900 but had its highest percentage of use in the 1890s. In fact, Mack was only in the Top 100 for the year 1900, when it ranked #96. It is currently involved in an upswing, as the number of boys given the name has increased over the past several years.

Percy - Percy is another name that was barely in the Top 100. It reached #98 in the years 1893 and 1897, and has not been ranked at all since the 1980s. Any influence the popular Percy Jackson series had is minuscule.

Ray - Ray is a steady name that reached its peak before its even more popular counterpart Raymond, which reached #14 in 1919. Ray's highest rank was #49 in 1891. An ever-present name in the Top 1000, Ray continues to shine.

Roy - I can't help but compare the names because they are separated by one letter, but personally, I prefer Ray to Roy. While they both peaked at the same time, Roy has consistently been the more popular of the two and reached its height #18 for six years in the late 1880s and early 1890s.

Walter - Walter may be labeled as an old-guy name at times, but it continues to be a consistent name in the Top 500. The old-guy connotation could come from the fact that while it peaked at #10 in 1914, it was at the lowest #13 from 1880 through 1920, meaning there were a lot of Walters born in that span of 40 years. Walter's highest percentage of use was in the 1890s, when almost 16 of every 1,000 boys were given the name.

Girls

Agnes - Peaking at #37 in 1899, Agnes is a name that is fairly considered an old-lady name. But, possibly with the help of Despicable Me and her charming costars Margo and Edith, it seems to be making a slight upturn in recent years.

Alma - Alma is a name that stuck around for quite a bit in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but never got any higher than #51 as it did for three years in the 1890s. It is also the Spanish word for "soul", which could be the reason it is still given to more than 300 girls each year.

Edna - Edna is an old powerhouse, ranking as high as #11 in 1899. It was given to about 1 in every 100 girls born in the 1890s. That number has definitely shrunk over the years, however.

Elsie - As one of the many nicknames for Elizabeth, Elsie achieved its highest ranking in 1896 and 1897 at #31. While it fell away for quite a while, it re-entered the Top 1000 in 2005 and is only getting stronger.

Ethel - If Edna can be considered a powerhouse back in the day, then Ethel was nuclear. While it is currently less popular than Edna, at its height Ethel was #6 in 1896 and was in the Top 10 from 1888 through 1903.

Eva - Eva is another "old" E name that is on the rise, coming back into the Top 100 in 2009 after over 70 years of absence. It peaked at #31 back in 1889.

Florence - Florence was right along side Ethel as another strong name from around the turn of the century, and probably even more substantial. It soared as high as #6 for five years during the 1890s and was in the Top 10 from 1887 through 1904.

Gertrude - Oh, Trudy. One of the classic names that people consider a little too rough around the edges for today's standards. At its height, however, Gertrude was #22 in 1906 and had its best percentage of use in 1896.

Hazel - Whatever Gertrude currently lacks, Hazel has it in spades. Hazel may very well reach its 1897 ranking of #18 in another decade or so.

Mabel - "Mothers Always Bring Extra Love." That is the reasoning behind the Buchman's naming their daughter Mabel on the hit show Mad About You in 1997. While the show didn't have a direct impact on the name's popularity, it has caught some steam in the past several years. Not sure it will reach its 1891 ranking of #15 again, however.

Mae - Somewhat related to Mabel is the simple Mae. Mae never achieved the heights that Mabel did, as it only got to #52 in 1892 and 1895, but it is currently given to more girls and is still on the rise.

Marguerite - This French form of Margaret got as high as #78 for several years in the 1890s and 1910s. Its dominant decade was the 1890s though and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere but down from there.

Myrtle - Myrtle is one of the two names (Nannie is the other) that have been in the Top 100 but are currently not being used at all (by more than 4 in a given year). Definitely not the reason any name wants to stand out, but we can remember Myrtle for the #27 rank it had in 1894 and its steady presence in the Top 100 from 1880 through 1925.

Pearl - After peaking at #24 in 1889, 1890, and 1900, Pearl eventually fell out of the Top 1000 in the 1980s only to return in 2007. It has jumped several hundred spots since then and continues to increase in use.

Would you use any of the names that peaked in the 1890s? I would love to see more Archie and Mae!