Most popular baby names of 1922

Stability reigned supreme for America's most popular baby names in 1922, with the top three names for both boys and girls remaining identical to 1921. Mary, Dorothy, and Helen continued their dominance for girls, while John, Robert, and William held firm for boys. This consistency suggests parents were drawn to traditional choices during this period, showing little deviation in naming preferences at the highest ranks.

The top 10 girls' names in 1922 showed some interesting movement just beyond the steadfast top three. Betty climbed from 8th place to 6th position, demonstrating growing popularity. Elizabeth also made a notable gain, rising from 10th to 9th place. Frances, meanwhile, dropped from 9th to 10th, while Virginia slipped from 6th to 7th. Mildred and Ruth largely maintained their positions, exhibiting the general stability that characterized this era's naming patterns.

For boys, the top 10 rankings revealed subtle shifts within a framework of consistency. Richard moved up one spot to 9th place, while Frank dropped from 9th to 10th. Charles, George, Joseph, Edward, and Thomas all maintained their exact positions from the previous year. The continued prominence of biblical names (John, James, Joseph) and traditional English names (William, Robert, Charles) highlights the strong cultural influences on American naming conventions during the early 1920s.

Looking at broader patterns, short, classic names dominated both gender lists. For girls, names ending in vowel sounds were extremely popular, with Mary, Dorothy, Betty and Ruby exemplifying this trend. Boys' names showed a preference for strong consonant endings, with John, Robert, and Richard. Interestingly, several traditional names appeared on both the 1921 and 1922 lists that would later fade from popularity, such as Mildred, Doris, and Harold, while others like Elizabeth, James, and William have demonstrated remarkable staying power over the decades.

Top baby names of 1922