Names that Peaked in 1919
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…
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…
Vera
Russian
"faith"
Vera was the height of fashion in 1910, then was for a long time difficult to picture embroidered on a baby blanket. Now, though, it has come back into style along with other old-fashioned simple…
Edward
English
"wealthy guardian"
Unlike perennials William, John and James, Edward is a classic that moves in and out of fashion. This royal Anglo-Saxon standard has benefited in recent years from the popularity of the hot hero of…
Lucille
French variation of Latin Lucilla
"light"
Lucille is a name that had long been overpowered by its link to Lucille Ball, with an image of tangerine-colored hair, big, round eyes, and a tendency to stage daffy and desperate stunts. But with…
Raymond
German
"wise protector"
Now that the show has gone into reruns, does anybody still love Raymond? Though it's been long dormant, some parents, including Jack Nicholson, are finding its cool name component, largely through…
Edwin
English
"wealthy friend"
Some might be surprised to learn that Edwin has been a consistent presence on the popular names list since statistics have become available. The most famous Edwin in history was a seventh century…
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…
Irene
Greek
"peace"
Serene Irene, the name of the Greek goddess of peace and one of the most familiar Greek goddess names , was hugely popular in ancient Rome and again in the United States a hundred years ago. One of…
Sybil
Greek
"seer, prophetess"
The image of the lovely Lady Sybil, tragic youngest daughter of the Crawley family on Downton Abbey is likely to go a long way towards reviving this almost forgotten name, off the list since 1966 and…
Everette
Variation of Everett
Unisex variant of Everett, influenced by famous bearers like entrepreneur Everette Taylor and country musician Leon Everette. While Everett is overwhelmingly male, Everette is used for two boys for…
Elvera
Elvera is a feminine name with Romance language origins, likely deriving from variants of names like Elvira or Vera. The name has Spanish and Italian connections, possibly meaning 'truth' or 'true…
Margurite
Margurite is a feminine name that represents a variation of Margaret, ultimately derived from the Greek 'margarites' meaning 'pearl.' This particular spelling shows French influence, though it…
Sibyl
Greek
"seer, oracle"
The original but less common spelling of Sybil, this name comes from Greek and Roman mythology, in which the sibyls were female prophets. A name that has dipped in and out of style since the Middle…
Dimple
An adorable nickname for a smiley baby, but not suggested as a legal name.
Vernice
Variation of Verna, Latin
"springtime"
Part Verna, part Bernice, Vernice saw use as a girls' name during the heyday of both those names. Both entered the Top 200 in the 1880s, where Verna lasted until 1940 and Bernice a decade longer.…
Haruko
Japanese
"born in spring"
A traditional possibility for a Japanese or Japanese-American child born in April or May.
Evelyne
Variation of Evelyn, English from French and German,"desired; or water, island"
"desired; or water, island"
Evelyn is becoming so popular that many variations are sure to become more widely used too. But in this case, the third E doesn't add anything and only confuses pronunciation: Is it Eveline?
Chester
Latin
"fortress, walled town,"
Chester is a comfortable, little-used teddy-bear of a name that suddenly sounds both quirky and cuddly. Chester was a Top 100 name in the US from the 1880s to 1929, gradually fading till it finally…
