Most popular baby names of 1920

America's favorite baby names saw some interesting shifts as we moved from 1919 into 1920. Among the top three names for boys, Robert made a significant leap from fourth position in 1919 to claim the third spot in 1920, displacing James who dropped to fourth. John and William maintained their respective first and second positions, showing remarkable stability at the very top of the charts. For girls, the trio of Mary, Helen, and Dorothy remained in the top three, although there was a notable change in their order. While Mary held firmly onto the crown, Dorothy moved up from third to second place, causing Helen to slip one position to third.

Looking at the broader top 10 girls' names in 1920, traditional favorites continued to dominate. Mary's reign as the most popular girl's name remained unchallenged, reflecting America's long-standing preference for this timeless classic. Betty showed the most impressive climb within the top tier, jumping from 15th place in 1919 to 11th in 1920, nearly breaking into the top 10. The popularity of short, two-syllable names with soft endings like Mary, Dorothy, Ruth, and Anna suggests parents were favoring gentle, feminine sounds. Names ending with the "-th" sound (Ruth, Elizabeth) and those with strong "r" sounds (Dorothy, Margaret) appeared multiple times in the top rankings.

The boys' top 10 list in 1920 revealed a preference for traditional, biblical names that have stood the test of time. Richard moved up from 12th to claim the 10th position, making it the only newcomer to the boys' top 10. Short, solid names dominated the upper rankings, with five of the top 10 being single-syllable names (John, James, Charles, George, Frank). Biblical influences remained strong in the top tier, with John, James, Joseph, and Thomas all having prominent biblical connections. Classic English names like William, Charles, and Edward continued to show staying power, suggesting parents were favoring traditional masculinity and heritage in their naming choices.

Looking at broader patterns across both lists, classic names with long histories clearly dominated American naming practices as the country entered the 1920s. Traditional religious names remained particularly popular for boys, while girls' names showed more variety in their origins. Short names were generally favored for both genders, with most top names consisting of just one or two syllables. There was also a notable prevalence of names beginning with the letters J, M, and E across both lists. Interestingly, the name Willie appeared on both the boys' and girls' top 100 lists, suggesting its use as a unisex option during this period. As America moved into the Roaring Twenties, these naming patterns would continue to evolve, reflecting the country's changing cultural landscape.

Top baby names of 1920