Most popular baby names of 1901

The top three names for both boys and girls remained remarkably steady from 1900 to 1901, showing Americans' continued attachment to traditional favorites. John, William, and James held their ground as the top three boys' names, while Mary, Helen, and Anna maintained their dominance for girls. This stability in the highest ranks suggests parents were sticking with time-tested classics as the new century began.Looking at the top 10 girls' names in 1901, Mary continued its long-standing reign at number one, followed by Helen and Anna. Interestingly, Marie climbed two positions from 9th to 7th place, showing increased popularity. Florence dropped slightly from 7th to 8th, while Elizabeth held steady at 6th place. Ruth rounded out the top five in both years, demonstrating its enduring appeal. The top 10 featured classic, feminine names with a mix of biblical choices (Mary, Ruth, Elizabeth) and more romantic options like Florence and Lillian.For boys, the top 10 names in 1901 showed remarkable consistency with the previous year. John, William, James, George, and Charles formed an unchanged top five. The only notable shift was Joseph moving down one spot to 6th place, while Robert climbed to 7th from 6th. Frank, Edward, and Henry completed the top 10, maintaining their exact positions from 1900. These timeless classics continued to dominate American baby naming at the turn of the century, with strong traditional masculine names clearly preferred by parents.The broader naming patterns reveal Americans' preference for traditional names at the start of the 20th century. For girls, names ending in 'a' or 'e' sounds were particularly popular, with names like Mary, Anna, Marie, and Florence filling the top ranks. Many girls' names had soft, feminine qualities and often featured multiple syllables. For boys, single-syllable classics like John and Frank remained stalwarts, while biblical names featured prominently in both gender lists. There was also a notable preference for names with English or biblical origins, reflecting America's cultural heritage at the time.

Top baby names of 1901