Most popular baby names of 1909

Looking at the latest baby name data between 1908 and 1909, we're seeing remarkable stability at the top of the charts. The top three names for both boys and girls remained unchanged year over year, with John, William, and James continuing their dominance for boys, and Mary, Helen, and Margaret maintaining their stronghold for girls. This consistency suggests parents are still gravitating toward these traditional classics that have stood the test of time.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1909, we notice some subtle but interesting shifts. While the overall lineup remains largely consistent with 1908, Marie climbed from 10th to 9th place, switching positions with Alice. Dorothy moved up one spot from 6th to 5th, while Anna dropped from 5th to 6th. The remaining names - Elizabeth, Mildred, Florence, Ruth, and of course Mary, Helen and Margaret - held steady in their relative positions, showing the enduring appeal of these feminine classics.

For boys' names in 1909, the top 10 showed similar stability but with some minor reshuffling. Thomas moved from 10th to 9th place, trading positions with Edward. Henry remained firmly at 11th position, just outside the top 10. The consistency in the boys' top rankings - with John, William, James, George, Robert, Joseph, Charles, and Frank maintaining their exact positions - demonstrates how traditional masculine names continued to dominate American naming practices during this period.

Looking at broader patterns across both lists, we can see a clear preference for biblical and traditional names, especially for boys. Girls' names show more variety in sounds, with popular ending vowels (like Mary, Dorothy, and Anna) balanced alongside names ending in consonants (Helen, Elizabeth, Margaret). Interestingly, shorter names seem to be preferred across both genders, with few names exceeding three syllables in the top rankings. This naming landscape reflects the conservative cultural values of early 20th century America, with parents largely favoring established classics over innovation.

Top baby names of 1909