Most popular baby names of 1927

The top three names for both boys and girls remained remarkably stable between 1926 and 1927. Robert, John, and James continued their reign as the most popular boys' names in America, maintaining their exact positions from the previous year. Similarly, the girls' top three of Mary, Dorothy, and Betty held steady, showing the enduring popularity of these classic names among American parents. This consistency suggests that traditional naming patterns continued to dominate American culture during this period of the late 1920s.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1927, the most notable change was Barbara's impressive climb from 16th place in 1926 to 10th place in 1927. Shirley also made a significant jump, rising from 14th to 9th position. Meanwhile, Mildred and Frances, which had been in the top 10 in 1926, dropped to 11th and 12th places respectively. The remaining names in the top 10 - Mary, Dorothy, Betty, Helen, Margaret, Ruth, Doris, and Virginia - maintained relatively stable positions, with only minor shifts in ranking. This indicates that while parents generally favored traditional girls' names, there was growing interest in names like Barbara and Shirley.

In the boys' top 10, the rankings showed slightly more movement than the girls', though no dramatic shifts occurred. Richard moved up one spot from 7th to 6th place, while George dropped from 6th to 7th. Donald maintained its position at 8th, and Joseph moved up from 8th to 9th place. Edward rounded out the top 10, dropping from 10th to 11th place. The popularity of short, strong names with Biblical or royal origins continued to dominate the boys' list, with classic names like Robert, John, James, William, and Charles maintaining their stronghold at the very top of the rankings.

Looking at broader naming patterns, traditional names continued to dominate for both genders in 1927. For girls, names ending in "-y" or "-ie" sounds were particularly popular, including Mary, Dorothy, Betty, and Shirley. Many popular girls' names also featured soft, flowing sounds with multiple syllables. For boys, classic one or two-syllable names prevailed, with a strong preference for traditional Biblical names (John, James, Joseph) and names associated with English royalty (William, Charles, Richard). Interestingly, diminutive forms like Jack and Billy appeared in the top 50 for boys, suggesting a trend toward more casual, approachable names alongside the more formal classics that dominated the very top positions.

Top baby names of 1927