Choosing the perfect baby name is one of the most exciting parts of preparing for a new arrival. Whether you’re drawn to timeless classics or curious about long-term trends, exploring names that have stood the test of time can be both inspiring and insightful.
In this blog post, we’ll take a deep dive into the Most Popular Baby Names from 1924 to 2023, based on official data from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA). These names have remained beloved across generations, making them some of the most popular baby names of all time.
Most Popular 100 Boy Names (1924–2023)
Here are the top 100 boy names ranked by the number of babies born with these names in the U.S. over the past century:
👦 Most Popular Male Baby Names (1924–2023) in the World
| Rank | Name | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 4,586,625 |
| 2 | Michael | 4,350,425 |
| 3 | Robert | 4,305,346 |
| 4 | John | 4,304,850 |
| 5 | David | 3,563,511 |
| 6 | William | 3,443,460 |
| 7 | Richard | 2,406,731 |
| 8 | Joseph | 2,281,833 |
| 9 | Thomas | 2,125,282 |
| 10 | Christopher | 2,054,571 |
| 11 | Charles | 2,014,431 |
| 12 | Daniel | 1,909,598 |
| 13 | Matthew | 1,626,375 |
| 14 | Anthony | 1,410,412 |
| 15 | Mark | 1,349,763 |
| 16 | Donald | 1,292,951 |
| 17 | Steven | 1,285,675 |
| 18 | Andrew | 1,258,208 |
| 19 | Paul | 1,240,331 |
| 20 | Joshua | 1,236,272 |
| 21 | Kenneth | 1,196,302 |
| 22 | Kevin | 1,180,609 |
| 23 | Brian | 1,171,294 |
| 24 | Timothy | 1,075,595 |
| 25 | Ronald | 1,071,048 |
| 26 | George | 1,061,539 |
| 27 | Jason | 1,045,865 |
| 28 | Edward | 1,023,018 |
| 29 | Jeffrey | 977,893 |
| 30 | Ryan | 956,141 |
| 31 | Jacob | 954,116 |
| 32 | Nicholas | 900,868 |
| 33 | Gary | 900,357 |
| 34 | Eric | 883,570 |
| 35 | Jonathan | 861,302 |
| 36 | Stephen | 836,870 |
| 37 | Larry | 801,334 |
| 38 | Justin | 785,342 |
| 39 | Scott | 770,627 |
| 40 | Brandon | 767,081 |
| 41 | Benjamin | 766,415 |
| 42 | Samuel | 725,374 |
| 43 | Gregory | 708,663 |
| 44 | Alexander | 697,904 |
| 45 | Patrick | 666,713 |
| 46 | Frank | 644,933 |
| 47 | Raymond | 634,457 |
| 48 | Jack | 631,149 |
| 49 | Dennis | 610,240 |
| 50 | Jerry | 599,529 |
| 51 | Tyler | 599,370 |
| 52 | Aaron | 596,024 |
| 53 | Jose | 570,514 |
| 54 | Adam | 563,886 |
| 55 | Nathan | 563,313 |
| 56 | Henry | 552,940 |
| 57 | Zachary | 547,705 |
| 58 | Douglas | 544,161 |
| 59 | Peter | 533,719 |
| 60 | Kyle | 483,513 |
| 61 | Noah | 483,508 |
| 62 | Ethan | 470,038 |
| 63 | Jeremy | 443,481 |
| 64 | Christian | 443,024 |
| 65 | Walter | 430,324 |
| 66 | Keith | 429,542 |
| 67 | Austin | 424,642 |
| 68 | Roger | 423,974 |
| 69 | Terry | 422,079 |
| 70 | Sean | 422,063 |
| 71 | Gerald | 414,685 |
| 72 | Carl | 404,941 |
| 73 | Dylan | 404,594 |
| 74 | Harold | 394,661 |
| 75 | Jordan | 393,902 |
| 76 | Jesse | 386,423 |
| 77 | Bryan | 385,985 |
| 78 | Lawrence | 385,860 |
| 79 | Arthur | 385,299 |
| 80 | Gabriel | 379,942 |
| 81 | Bruce | 373,817 |
| 82 | Logan | 373,584 |
| 83 | Billy | 372,449 |
| 84 | Joe | 365,058 |
| 85 | Alan | 354,811 |
| 86 | Juan | 353,072 |
| 87 | Elijah | 352,537 |
| 88 | Willie | 341,065 |
| 89 | Albert | 339,381 |
| 90 | Wayne | 330,787 |
| 91 | Randy | 328,830 |
| 92 | Mason | 327,673 |
| 93 | Vincent | 324,187 |
| 94 | Liam | 314,543 |
| 95 | Roy | 314,486 |
| 96 | Bobby | 312,303 |
| 97 | Caleb | 310,857 |
| 98 | Bradley | 310,194 |
| 99 | Russell | 309,102 |
| 100 | Lucas | 308,351 |
Trends in Boy Names
Names like James, Michael, Robert, and John have topped the charts for decades, reflecting their strong, traditional appeal. In recent years, names like Liam, Lucas, and Mason have surged in popularity, signaling a shift toward modern and global-sounding names.
Most Popular 100 Girl Names (1924–2023)
Here are the top 100 girl names from the same period:
👧 Most Popular Female Baby Names (1924–2023)
| Rank | Name | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 2,985,148 |
| 2 | Patricia | 1,546,373 |
| 3 | Jennifer | 1,470,260 |
| 4 | Linda | 1,448,217 |
| 5 | Elizabeth | 1,395,049 |
| 6 | Barbara | 1,379,146 |
| 7 | Susan | 1,101,447 |
| 8 | Jessica | 1,048,185 |
| 9 | Karen | 986,083 |
| 10 | Sarah | 985,596 |
| 11 | Lisa | 965,624 |
| 12 | Nancy | 957,210 |
| 13 | Sandra | 873,476 |
| 14 | Betty | 860,122 |
| 15 | Ashley | 855,088 |
| 16 | Emily | 844,051 |
| 17 | Kimberly | 843,885 |
| 18 | Margaret | 843,625 |
| 19 | Donna | 818,300 |
| 20 | Michelle | 814,766 |
| 21 | Carol | 801,415 |
| 22 | Amanda | 774,175 |
| 23 | Melissa | 756,273 |
| 24 | Deborah | 740,606 |
| 25 | Stephanie | 739,794 |
| 26 | Rebecca | 728,978 |
| 27 | Sharon | 720,838 |
| 28 | Laura | 708,987 |
| 29 | Cynthia | 705,809 |
| 30 | Dorothy | 697,522 |
| 31 | Amy | 684,043 |
| 32 | Kathleen | 675,838 |
| 33 | Angela | 660,858 |
| 34 | Shirley | 643,445 |
| 35 | Emma | 609,552 |
| 36 | Brenda | 606,297 |
| 37 | Pamela | 592,702 |
| 38 | Nicole | 592,373 |
| 39 | Anna | 586,790 |
| 40 | Samantha | 586,620 |
| 41 | Katherine | 562,316 |
| 42 | Christine | 554,351 |
| 43 | Debra | 548,279 |
| 44 | Rachel | 545,408 |
| 45 | Carolyn | 535,512 |
| 46 | Janet | 532,883 |
| 47 | Maria | 531,945 |
| 48 | Olivia | 529,879 |
| 49 | Heather | 524,159 |
| 50 | Helen | 521,991 |
| 51 | Catherine | 519,846 |
| 52 | Diane | 514,893 |
| 53 | Julie | 507,265 |
| 54 | Victoria | 496,323 |
| 55 | Joyce | 493,375 |
| 56 | Lauren | 473,780 |
| 57 | Kelly | 472,633 |
| 58 | Christina | 471,334 |
| 59 | Ruth | 470,497 |
| 60 | Joan | 461,369 |
| 61 | Virginia | 460,276 |
| 62 | Judith | 449,493 |
| 63 | Evelyn | 449,218 |
| 64 | Hannah | 443,141 |
| 65 | Andrea | 441,094 |
| 66 | Megan | 438,962 |
| 67 | Cheryl | 436,892 |
| 68 | Jacqueline | 419,204 |
| 69 | Madison | 410,119 |
| 70 | Teresa | 403,101 |
| 71 | Abigail | 400,963 |
| 72 | Sophia | 400,325 |
| 73 | Martha | 400,322 |
| 74 | Sara | 398,974 |
| 75 | Gloria | 397,491 |
| 76 | Janice | 397,288 |
| 77 | Kathryn | 392,336 |
| 78 | Ann | 392,251 |
| 79 | Isabella | 387,757 |
| 80 | Judy | 377,155 |
| 81 | Charlotte | 376,098 |
| 82 | Julia | 374,483 |
| 83 | Grace | 373,257 |
| 84 | Amber | 372,256 |
| 85 | Alice | 372,214 |
| 86 | Jean | 372,205 |
| 87 | Denise | 371,275 |
| 88 | Frances | 370,713 |
| 89 | Danielle | 370,525 |
| 90 | Marilyn | 366,336 |
| 91 | Natalie | 365,800 |
| 92 | Beverly | 365,366 |
| 93 | Diana | 362,823 |
| 94 | Brittany | 359,795 |
| 95 | Theresa | 359,658 |
| 96 | Kayla | 343,876 |
| 97 | Alexis | 343,195 |
| 98 | Doris | 341,604 |
| 99 | Lori | 337,994 |
| 100 | Tiffany | 337,966 |
Trends in Girl Names
Mary has reigned as a long-standing favorite for most of the 20th century. Names like Jennifer, Linda, and Jessica reflect naming booms during their peak decades. More recently, Olivia, Isabella, and Sophia have climbed the charts, showing modern preferences for lyrical and elegant names.
Why These Names Endure
The most popular baby names of all time often combine cultural significance, positive meaning, and phonetic appeal. Many of them are easy to pronounce and spell, cross-cultural, and rich in family tradition. These names often cycle back into popularity with each new generation.
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Final Thoughts
Whether you’re naming your baby boy James or your baby girl Elizabeth, these time-tested names carry a sense of tradition and charm. The SSA’s data offers a fascinating look at how naming trends have evolved over time, helping parents make informed and heartfelt decisions. Which of these names is your favorite?
📌 Data Source
All name data in this article is based on official records from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), which tracks baby name trends through Social Security card applications.
Source:
U.S. Social Security Administration. Top Names of the 20th Century.
https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/century.html
Sr. No.: SSA-CENT-1924-2023
Note: Data accessed in April 2025.
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