Nameberry
Top Boy Names of the Century
The most popular boys' names of the past 100 years in the US were calculated by the Social Security Administration. These are the 100 top boy names of the century based on the number of baby boys given each name over 100 years.
While there is much crossover with any list of classic boy names, there are some divergences too. The list is skewed toward the eras with the most births, the Baby Boom of the 1950s and early 60s and the Baby Boomlet of the 1980s and early 90s. Popular names from those eras such as Gary and Larry, Joshua and Brandon claim a place on this list though they might not be truly timeless.
But it can make sense to judge popularity not just on this year but on all the years -- how likely your son is to meet another male with his name of any age. This is an excellent yardstick.
The most popular boys' names of the past 100 years in the US were calculated by the Social Security Administration. These are the 100 top boy names of the century based on the number of baby boys given each name over 100 years.
While there is much crossover with any list of classic boy names, there are some divergences too. The list is skewed toward the eras with the most births, the Baby Boom of the 1950s and early 60s and the Baby Boomlet of the 1980s and early 90s. Popular names from those eras such as Gary and Larry, Joshua and Brandon claim a place on this list though they might not be truly timeless.
But it can make sense to judge popularity not just on this year but on all the years -- how likely your son is to meet another male with his name of any age. This is an excellent yardstick.