Popular Boy Names of the 20th Century

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Written by Mary Fetzer

Every year, the Social Security Administration tracks what names were given to new babies. Here, we take a look at male names – specifically the most popular boy names of the 20th Century. Through these baby name trends we get an idea of what was going on in our culture at the time. Take a look at our list and perhaps you will find the perfect baby boy name for your child!

Cute boy sticking tongue out One hundred years ago, in 1910, the names most often given to baby boys were John, James, William, Robert and George – in that order. John held the top spot through 1923 and remained a constant presence in the Top 5 until 1973 – making it one of the most popular boy names for 63 years!

Traditional Names Ruled the Charts

Robert was no slouch and stayed with John in the Top 5 until 1972. Robert stole John’s top spot in 1924 and maintained the lead through 1939. Similarly, James continued its popularity through 1972, moving around the Top 5 and occupying 1st place from 1940 through 1952. William, on the other hand, fell out of the Top 5 by 1950. William did not return to the Top 5 ranks until 2009, when it made a surprise comeback at #5. The remaining most-popular name in 1910, George, lasted only two years after which it was replaced by Joseph.

Joseph never jockeyed out of 5th place. In 1918, it was ousted by Charles. Likewise, Charles occupied the 5th-place spot from 1918 through 1929, but would never again be seen again in the Top 5. Richard was Charles’ replacement, and it, too, never moved out of 5th place. Meanwhile, John, Robert, James and William continued taking turns among the top four ranks

1950's - David and Michael

Right before the 1950s, David and Michael entered the Top 5. David enjoyed an excellent run of popularity and a brief stint as the most popular name in 1960. David stayed in the Top 5 through 1987. Michael, on the other hand, was the new John. Once introduced to the Top 5, Michael never left the Top 5. In fact, Michael occupied the #1 spot from 1954 through 1998 (except for David’s 1960).

New Names Enter the Charts

While David and Michael battled for leadership position, more new names joined the ranks including Christopher (introduced in 1972), Jason (1973), Matthew (1981), Joshua (1984) and Andrew (1988). None of these names were ever able to overtake Michael for the lead. Tyler made a fleeting appearance (1993-94), as did Nicholas (1999). In the early 2000s, Ethan made a strong entrance and remains a Top 5 contender even today. Alexander made the list for the first time in 2009. But 2009’s most popular male name was Jacob. In fact Jacob, which joined the Top 5 in 1995, earned the #1 spot in 1999 and remains there today.

Popular Names of the Century

The Top 5 names in 1910 were:

The Top 5 names in 2009 were:

The Top 23 Boy Names Rule the List

In 100 years’ time, only 21 male names (compared to 43 female names) made it to the ranks of Five Most Popular: James (71 times), John (63), Robert (62), Michael (61), William (41), David (39), Christopher (29), Joshua and Matthew (26), Richard (18), Jacob (15), Charles (12), Jason (10), Ethan (7), Joseph (6), Andrew and Daniel (4), George and Tyler (2), and Nicholas and Alexander (1).

And of these 21 names, only six have held the #1 honor of “Most Popular Male Name of the Year”: David (once), Jacob (11 times and still counting), James (13 times), John (14), Robert (17) and Michael (44).