Most popular baby names of 1891

The names at the very top of American baby name charts showed remarkable stability from 1890 to 1891. The top three names for both boys and girls remained unchanged, with John, William, and James holding firm for boys, while Mary, Anna, and Margaret (which replaced Elizabeth at #3 in 1890) continued to dominate for girls. This consistency reflects the strong traditional naming patterns that characterized the era, with parents continuing to favor classic, established names for their children.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1891, we see some interesting movement despite the stability at the very top. Helen made an impressive jump from #12 in 1890 to #9 in 1891, showing growing popularity. Elizabeth dropped slightly from #3 to #4, while Emma remained steady at #5. Florence and Ethel both held their positions at #6 and #7 respectively, while Minnie stayed at #8. Clara fell from #9 to #11, making room for Helen's rise, while Bertha maintained the #10 spot. Names ending with the feminine "-a" sound (Anna, Clara, Bertha) and "-ie" diminutives (Minnie) remained quite fashionable for girls.

For boys, the top 10 showed only minor fluctuations from 1890 to 1891. Harry moved up one position from #10 to #9, switching places with Henry who dropped from #9 to #10. Robert (#8), Joseph (#7), Frank (#6), Charles (#5), and George (#4) all maintained their exact positions from the previous year. Traditional English and biblical names continued to dominate the boys' list, reflecting America's cultural heritage. One-syllable names were particularly common among popular boys' names, with four of the top 15 (John, Frank, Fred, Charles) being either one syllable or commonly shortened to a single syllable in everyday use.

Looking at broader naming patterns, short, classic names dominated both gender lists in the early 1890s. For girls, names ending in "-ie" (Minnie, Bessie) and "-a" (Anna, Clara) were prevalent throughout the top 20. For boys, traditional biblical names (John, James, Joseph) and English royal names (William, Charles) showed enduring popularity. Interestingly, the data shows very little influence from trending nicknames becoming formal given names—a pattern that would emerge more strongly in later decades. The stability in these naming patterns suggests that parents in 1891 America largely favored convention and tradition when selecting names for their children, with relatively little year-to-year volatility compared to modern naming trends.

Top baby names of 1891