Most popular baby names of 1924

Looking at the baby name trends between 1923 and 1924, we see both stability and subtle shifts in American naming preferences. The top three boys' names experienced a notable reshuffling, with Robert climbing from second place to claim the number one spot, pushing John down to second place. William held steady at third position. For girls, the top three names remained remarkably stable, with Mary, Dorothy, and Helen maintaining their respective first, second, and third positions for both years.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1924, there was one significant change, with Doris rising from 11th place in 1923 to 9th place in 1924. Elizabeth, which had been 9th in 1923, dropped to 11th position. Frances held steady at 10th place across both years. The traditional favorites Mary, Dorothy, Helen, Margaret, Betty, Ruth, Virginia, and Mildred continued their popularity, showing Americans' preference for classic feminine names during this period.

The boys' top 10 showed more consistency than dramatic shifts. Donald remained solidly in 10th position, while Thomas moved up one spot from 12th to 11th. The top nine boys' names (Robert, John, William, James, Charles, George, Joseph, Richard, and Edward) maintained their strong showing, though with the notable switch between Robert and John at the top. Traditional masculine names with strong historical roots clearly dominated American parents' preferences for their sons.

Looking at broader naming patterns, short, classic names were favored for both genders in the early 1920s. For girls' names, those ending in "-y" or "-ie" sounds (Mary, Dorothy, Betty) were particularly popular, while many top boys' names were traditional biblical or royal names (John, James, William, Joseph). Interestingly, the letter "M" featured prominently in girls' names with Mary, Margaret, Martha, and Mildred all appearing in the top 25. For boys, hard consonant sounds like those in Robert, Richard, and Donald seemed preferred. The consistency between these two years suggests American parents were largely conservative in their naming choices during this period, favoring tradition over novelty.

Top baby names of 1924