Most popular baby names of 1898

Looking at the top three names for both boys and girls between 1897 and 1898, remarkable stability continues to define American naming preferences. The trio of John, William, and James held steady as the most popular boys' names, showing Americans' enduring love for these classic masculine choices. Similarly, Mary, Anna, and Helen maintained their positions as the top three girls' names, with Mary's reign as the premier choice for American daughters remaining unchallenged. This consistency suggests parents continued to favor traditional, established names during this period.Among the top 10 girls' names in 1898, some subtle shifts occurred compared to the previous year. While Mary, Anna, and Helen remained firmly in place, Margaret and Ruth held their fourth and fifth positions respectively. Florence dropped one spot to sixth place, while Elizabeth climbed up to seventh from its previous sixth-place position. Ethel and Marie maintained their eighth and ninth positions, while the most notable change came from Lillian, which rose to claim the tenth position, pushing Emma out of the top 10. Names ending with soft sounds like '-a' (Anna), '-ie' (Marie), and '-en' (Helen) continued to be favored for girls.The top 10 boys' names in 1898 showed a few more interesting movements than their female counterparts. While John, William, James, George, and Charles kept their positions from first to fifth, a significant change occurred with Robert rising to seventh place from its previous eighth position, trading places with Frank. Joseph remained steady at sixth, while Edward and Thomas held onto their ninth and tenth spots respectively. Traditional biblical names (John, James, Joseph, Thomas) and names with royal associations (William, George, Edward) continued to dominate the top ranks, suggesting parents' preference for names that conveyed strength and heritage.Several broader naming patterns emerged when examining the full lists from 1898. Short, one-syllable boys' names like Frank, Fred, and Jack remained popular, while girls' names tended to be more melodic with multiple syllables. Female names ending in 'a' (Anna, Clara), 'ie' (Marie, Minnie), and 'el' (Ethel, Hazel) were particularly fashionable. Biblical names held strong positions in both gender lists, reflecting America's religious foundations. There was also a notable presence of virtue-inspired girls' names such as Grace and Pearl. The consistency between 1897 and 1898 suggests that American naming traditions were well-established during this period, with parents generally preferring conventional choices over novel or unique names for their children.

Top baby names of 1898