US first names, 1920–1929
Random names from the 1920s
First names on this page come from Social Security Administration records of U.S. births in the 1920s. That period holds 11,952,336 girls across 9,963 distinct names and 11,019,113 boys across 8,140 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Mary, Dorothy, Helen; for boys: Robert, John, James. Names are picked in proportion to how often they were given, and last names come from the 2000 U.S. Census, so the mix looks like real American full names.
More options — middle names, no repeats, realism, seed
1 gives real frequencies. 0 makes every name equally likely.
What the data says
- About 1 in 4 girls born in the 1920s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 22.7% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 352 equally common names out of 9,963 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 5.8 letters.
- About 1 in 3 boys born in the 1920s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 32.5% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 238 equally common names out of 8,140 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 5.7 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Jeannine, from 43 births in 1910 to 1919 to 1,749 in 1920 to 1929.
- Biggest fall for girls: Sadye, from 315 births in 1910 to 1919 to 101 in 1920 to 1929.
- Fastest riser for boys: Bobby, from 411 births in 1910 to 1919 to 13,880 in 1920 to 1929.
- Biggest fall for boys: Pershing, from 461 births in 1910 to 1919 to 68 in 1920 to 1929.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 701,755 | 5.87% |
| 2 | Dorothy | 368,875 | 3.09% |
| 3 | Helen | 290,404 | 2.43% |
| 4 | Betty | 283,096 | 2.37% |
| 5 | Margaret | 245,011 | 2.05% |
| 6 | Ruth | 218,520 | 1.83% |
| 7 | Virginia | 169,554 | 1.42% |
| 8 | Doris | 151,193 | 1.26% |
| 9 | Mildred | 147,155 | 1.23% |
| 10 | Frances | 140,391 | 1.17% |
| 11 | Elizabeth | 139,672 | 1.17% |
| 12 | Evelyn | 124,166 | 1.04% |
| 13 | Anna | 123,895 | 1.04% |
| 14 | Marie | 110,564 | 0.93% |
| 15 | Alice | 110,526 | 0.92% |
| 16 | Jean | 105,999 | 0.89% |
| 17 | Shirley | 98,602 | 0.82% |
| 18 | Barbara | 97,210 | 0.81% |
| 19 | Irene | 92,836 | 0.78% |
| 20 | Marjorie | 91,221 | 0.76% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 576,374 | 5.23% |
| 2 | John | 564,052 | 5.12% |
| 3 | James | 515,301 | 4.68% |
| 4 | William | 512,402 | 4.65% |
| 5 | Charles | 298,031 | 2.70% |
| 6 | George | 261,945 | 2.38% |
| 7 | Joseph | 243,809 | 2.21% |
| 8 | Richard | 222,599 | 2.02% |
| 9 | Edward | 197,348 | 1.79% |
| 10 | Donald | 191,816 | 1.74% |
| 11 | Thomas | 161,107 | 1.46% |
| 12 | Frank | 151,830 | 1.38% |
| 13 | Harold | 133,585 | 1.21% |
| 14 | Paul | 132,384 | 1.20% |
| 15 | Raymond | 124,212 | 1.13% |
| 16 | Walter | 119,809 | 1.09% |
| 17 | Jack | 115,983 | 1.05% |
| 18 | Henry | 104,552 | 0.95% |
| 19 | Kenneth | 99,490 | 0.90% |
| 20 | Arthur | 97,112 | 0.88% |
Girls: 1910 to 1919 → 1920 to 1929
Rising fastest
- Jeannine 43 → 1,749
- Marilyn 1,306 → 34,202
- Gloria 2,818 → 62,859
- Leatrice 136 → 2,286
- Charmaine 31 → 470
Falling fastest
- Sadye 315 → 101
- Lilyan 849 → 321
- Belle 2,901 → 1,545
- Minna 411 → 226
- Linnea 360 → 198
Boys: 1910 to 1919 → 1920 to 1929
Rising fastest
- Bobby 411 → 13,880
- Jackie 153 → 2,986
- Billy 3,016 → 42,096
- Hoover 51 → 578
- Dwaine 38 → 384
Falling fastest
- Pershing 461 → 68
- Woodrow 18,355 → 4,542
- Moe 327 → 136
- Eino 441 → 213
- Woodroe 381 → 185
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1920s?
Mary. 701,755 girls received it, 5.87% of all recorded girls born in the 1920s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1920s?
Robert. 576,374 boys received it, 5.23% of all recorded boys born in the 1920s.
How concentrated are names in the 1920s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 22.7% of births; among boys 32.5%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1910 to 1919?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1920 to 1929, the biggest gains were for girls, Jeannine (43 births in 1910 to 1919, 1,749 in 1920 to 1929); for boys, Bobby (411 births in 1910 to 1919, 13,880 in 1920 to 1929).
How long is the average first name in the 1920s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 5.8 letters for girls, 5.7 letters for boys.