Names that Peaked in 1908
Across 3 pages
of 3
About this list
The names
William
German
"resolute protection"
William is one of the most enduring of classic names for boys. It's also among the most popular boys' names, as American parents see it as being ideally conservative yet contemporary, and hands-down…
John
Hebrew
"God is gracious"
John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to…
Margaret
Greek
"pearl"
Margaret is derived from the French Marguerite, which in turn came from Margarita, the Latin form of the Greek Margarites. Margarites was based on the Old Persian word margārīta , meaning "pearl."…
Mary
Hebrew or Egyptian
"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"
Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew…
George
Greek
"farmer"
Iconoclasts though we may be, we like Fred, we like Frank, and we like George, which was among the Top 10 from 1830 to 1950, when the number of little Georges started to decline. Solid, strong, royal…
Helen
Greek
"torch; shining light"
Helen is a name that has connoted beauty since ancient times – Helen of Troy was the the mythological "face that launched a thousand ships," over whom the ten-year Trojan War was fought. The name…
Theodora
Femeninization of Theodore, Greek
"gift of God"
Theodora is one of the most revival-worthy of the charmingly old-fashioned Victorian valentine names, softly evocative but still substantial, as is the reversed-syllable Dorothea. The name Theodora…
Osie
Osie is a masculine name with multiple origins. It can be a diminutive of names like Oswald (Old English for 'divine power'), Oscar (Old Norse for 'God's spear'), or Hosea (Hebrew for 'salvation').…
Hadley
English
"heathery field"
Hemingway readers will recognize this as the name of Papa's first wife (and, eventually, actress Mariel's grandmother). But in Victorian times, Hadley and Hedley were actually more popular for boys.
Robley
Robley is a masculine name of English origin, derived from an Old English surname that combined elements meaning "fame" and "clearing in the woods." Historically used as a family name, it…
Edrie
Short form of Edris, Welsh; Arabic
"lord; studious"
Edris was used occasionally for baby girl 100 years ago, but one can't help but wonder whether those girls might really have been named Edie but with bad handwriting. Edrie is cute, though, and…
Milburn
Milburn is a masculine name of English origin, derived from geographical surnames meaning 'mill stream' or 'mill by the stream,' combining the Old English elements 'mylen' (mill) and 'burna' (stream…
Artis
Celtic
"bear"
Some sources say Artis is a form of Arthur, and it certainly has the same root and meaning of bear. But Artis is a name in its own right with a 60-year history on the US Top 1000, from about 1900…
Veta
Veta is a feminine name with multiple cultural origins. In Slavic languages, it can be a diminutive of names containing 'vet,' meaning 'light' or 'council.' In Spanish contexts, it may derive from…
Violette
French
"purple"
Now that Violet is becoming more popular, parents are starting to explore same-but-different options such as the French Violette, which would properly be pronounced with a long e sound in the first…
Eunice
Greek
"good victory"
Eunice is a New Testament name of the mother of Timothy, long associated with one of the Kennedy sisters, the founder of the Special Olympics. As high as Number 106 in the early 1900s, it lasted on…
Hollis
English
"near the holly bushes"
Hollis is a rugged, gentle and quietly used name, given to over 200 boys and 150 girls each year in the US. In 2023, it became one of the newest entries to the US Top 1000, where it fits in with the…
Arnetta
Arnetta is a feminine name with Germanic roots, likely derived from the masculine name Arnold or Arno, which means "eagle power" or "strong as an eagle." The suffix "-etta" adds a diminutive,…
Eula
Diminutive of Eulalia
Eula is a slightly sweeter and more compact version of Eulalia. Currently, neither name is given to more than a handful of girls each year. Eula was fairly popular in the US during the early…
Johnie
Johnie is a masculine name that functions as a variation of Johnny, which itself is a diminutive form of John. Derived from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning 'God is gracious,' this spelling variant offers…
