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Names dying out in America

by Spokeo
by Spokeo
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The popularity of a name depends on a variety of factors, with popular culture playing a big part in if a name is in fashion, or on its way out. 

With that in mind, we analyzed baby name records of first names from the Social Security Administration (SSA) from 1919 when records began to 2021 to uncover the most popular names in the U.S. and those that are dying out.

In addition to this, our data analysts reviewed Spokeo’s 378M internal data records by year of birth from 1920 to 2001 to discover the rarest names of people aged 18+ in America.

Key Findings

  • The name Mildred is dying out according to baby name data from SSA from 1919 to 2021
  • Ralph is the male name most at risk of extinction
  • Four of the top 10 names dying out by decade belong to members of the British Royal family according to internal Spokeo data from 1920 to 2001
  • James is the most popular name in America based on baby name data from SSA from 1919 to 2021. Could the name have had a helping hand from 007?
  • Mary is the most popular name for girls since record began according to SSA
  • La La Land actress Emma Stone may have caused a spike in the name Emma in 2018 and led to a 203.38% increase in the name’s popularity from 1919 – 2021

Overview

After analyzing baby name data from SSA from 1919 to 2021 we were able to determine the names that have continued to be popular and those that are slowly dying out. 

The study looked into the below factors:

  • Names dying out
  • Popular names
  • Number of times the names featured in top 100 and top 1000 lists
  • Number of times the name was registered

By reviewing our internal name data from 1920 to 2001 using year of birth and grouping names by decade we could identify the names that remain popular and those that are in decline. 2021 was chosen as the end date where Spokeo is for those aged 18+.

Using these two datasets we could then accurately give a glimpse into the popularity of names across America.

The names dying out in America

We analyzed baby name data from SSA from 1919 to 2021 to establish which names are on the brink of extinction. 

By looking at the number of times a name was used in 1919, compared to 2021 we could calculate the percentage difference. 

Out of the top 100 names in 1919, only 6 have seen an increase in popularity in 2021. Below are the remaining 94 names that are dying out in order of most to least likely to become unused.

Click here to see the names most likely to die out

     

  1. Mildred
  2. Betty
  3. Doris
  4. Gladys
  5. Edna
  6. Ethel
  7. Ralph
  8. Thelma
  9. Marjorie
  10. Pauline
  11. Willie
  12. Clarence
  13. Jean
  14. Fred
  15. Gertrude
  16. Lois
  17. Earl
  18. Bernice
  19. Ernest
  20. Marion
  21. Herbert
  22. Ann
  23. Agnes
  24. Bertha
  25. Rita
  26. Ida
  27. Harold
  28. Dorothy
  29. Helen
  30. Mary
  31. Howard
  32. Virginia
  33. Carl
  34. Florence
  35. Harry
  36. Marie
  37. Frank
  38. Irene
  39. Martha
  40. Donald
  41. Eugene
  42. Albert
  43. Louise
  44. Frances
  45. Joe
  46. Alfred
  47. Stanley
  48. Ruth
  49. Edith
  50. Margaret
  51. Roy
  52. Raymond
  53. Pearl
  54. Beatrice
  55. Lawrence
  56. Edward
  57. Walter
  58. Robert
  59. George
  60. Francis
  61. Catherine
  62. Paul
  63. Richard
  64. Lucille
  65. John
  66. Annie
  67. Kenneth
  68. Anna
  69. Louis
  70. Charles
  71. Arthur
  72. Jane
  73. Rose
  74. Elsie
  75. William
  76. Esther
  77. James
  78. Alice
  79. Joseph
  80. Katherine
  81. Josephine
  82. Ruby
  83. Lillian
  84. Elizabeth
  85. Julia
  86. Thomas
  87. Clara
  88. Sarah
  89. Eva
  90. Evelyn
  91. Grace
  92. Hazel
  93. Leonard
  94. Eleanor

Click here to see the names most likely to die out

     

  1. Mildred
  2. Betty
  3. Doris
  4. Gladys
  5. Edna
  6. Ethel
  7. Ralph
  8. Thelma
  9. Marjorie
  10. Pauline
  11. Willie
  12. Clarence
  13. Jean
  14. Fred
  15. Gertrude
  16. Lois
  17. Earl
  18. Bernice
  19. Ernest
  20. Marion
  21. Herbert
  22. Ann
  23. Agnes
  24. Bertha
  25. Rita
  26. Ida
  27. Harold
  28. Dorothy
  29. Helen
  30. Mary
  31. Howard
  32. Virginia
  33. Carl
  34. Florence
  35. Harry
  36. Marie
  37. Frank
  38. Irene
  39. Martha
  40. Donald
  41. Eugene
  42. Albert
  43. Louise
  44. Frances
  45. Joe
  46. Alfred
  47. Stanley
  48. Ruth
  49. Edith
  50. Margaret
  51. Roy
  52. Raymond
  53. Pearl
  54. Beatrice
  55. Lawrence
  56. Edward
  57. Walter
  58. Robert
  59. George
  60. Francis
  61. Catherine
  62. Paul
  63. Richard
  64. Lucille
  65. John
  66. Annie
  67. Kenneth
  68. Anna
  69. Louis
  70. Charles
  71. Arthur
  72. Jane
  73. Rose
  74. Elsie
  75. William
  76. Esther
  77. James
  78. Alice
  79. Joseph
  80. Katherine
  81. Josephine
  82. Ruby
  83. Lillian
  84. Elizabeth
  85. Julia
  86. Thomas
  87. Clara
  88. Sarah
  89. Eva
  90. Evelyn
  91. Grace
  92. Hazel
  93. Leonard
  94. Eleanor
Top 94 overall dying names
Rank Name Number registered in 1919 Number registered in 2021 Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021 Date not featured in top 100 Notable event
1 Mildred 17,300 0 -100.00% 1946 Nothing to note.
2 Betty 10,106 0 -100.00% 1963 The Feminine Mystique book was published by Betty Friedan and was controversial.
3 Doris 9,434 0 -100.00% 1955 Nothing to note.
4 Gladys 8,717 0 -100.00% 1938 Nothing to note.
5 Edna 8,404 0 -100.00% 1943 Nothing to note.
6 Ethel 7,809 0 -100.00% 1940 Nothing to note.
7 Ralph 7,709 0 -100.00% 1964 Nothing to note.
8 Thelma 7,558 0 -100.00% 1940 Nothing to note.
9 Marjorie 7,335 0 -100.00% 1946 Nothing to note.
10 Pauline 6,973 0 -100.00% 1939 Nothing to note.
11 Willie 6,942 0 -100.00% 1969 Nothing to note.
12 Clarence 6,825 0 -100.00% 1952 Nothing to note.
13 Jean 6,799 0 -100.00% 1965 Nothing to note.
14 Fred 6,092 0 -100.00% 1958 Nothing to note.
15 Gertrude 6,014 0 -100.00% 1931 Nothing to note.
16 Lois 5,976 0 -100.00% 1954 Anti-war film Submarine Attack starring Lois Maxwell is released.
17 Earl 5,975 0 -100.00% 1955 Nothing to note.
18 Bernice 5,793 0 -100.00% 1937 Lester Brocklehurt and partner Bernice Felton carry out a six-week crime spree.
19 Ernest 5,296 0 -100.00% 1957 Nothing to note.
20 Marion 5,158 0 -100.00% 1937 Nothing to note.
21 Herbert 4,960 0 -100.00% 1947 Former US President Herbert Hoover was appointed chairman of the Executive Departments by President Truman.
22 Ann 4,924 0 -100.00% 1975 Socialite, showgirl, model, and radio actress Ann Woodward died.
23 Agnes 4,901 0 -100.00% 1930 Mary Agnes Moroney went missing aged 2.
24 Bertha 4,754 0 -100.00% 1931 Actress and singer Bertha Lewis died.
25 Rita 4,515 0 -100.00% 1961 Nothing to note.
26 Ida 4,163 0 -100.00% 1932 MFV IDA was destroyed by fire.
27 Harold 12,021 230 -98.09% 1967 UK Prime Minister Harold Wilson devalues the pound.
28 Dorothy 31,734 643 -97.97% 1962 Nothing to note.
29 Helen 33,706 701 -97.92% 1959 Nothing to note.
30 Mary 65,837 2,080 -96.84% 2009 Lady Mary sinks, claiming the lives of 6 crew.
31 Howard 6,844 239 -96.51% 1959 Nothing to note.
32 Virginia 15,636 559 -96.42% 1960 Nothing to note.
33 Carl 6,474 241 -96.28% 1980 Carl Icahn gains reputation as a "corporate raider" after profiting from the hostile takeover and asset stripping of Trans World Airlines.
34 Florence 10,482 399 -96.19% 1941 Nothing to note.
35 Harry 8,990 356 -96.04% 1958 Nothing to note.
36 Marie 12,009 495 -95.88% 1958 Nothing to note.
37 Frank 15,702 688 -95.62% 1989 Nothing to note.
38 Irene 9,712 435 -95.52% 1951 Nothing to note.
39 Martha 8,321 389 -95.33% 1966 Nothing to note.
40 Donald 9,904 466 -95.29% 1991 Donald Trump documentary Trump: What's The Deal? airs. PEOPLE article outed Donald Trump as his own fake PR guy.
41 Eugene 5,892 278 -95.28% 1958 Nothing to note.
42 Albert 9,607 497 -94.83% 1968 Nothing to note.
43 Louise 8,812 458 -94.80% 1949 Nothing to note.
44 Frances 15,107 793 -94.75% 1956 Nothing to note.
45 Joe 5,709 304 -94.68% 1973 Nothing to note.
46 Alfred 4,615 253 -94.52% 1952 Nothing to note.
47 Stanley 5,238 309 -94.10% 1960 Nothing to note.
48 Ruth 24,563 1,553 -93.68% 1962 Morality thriller Life For Ruth is released to mixed reviews.
49 Edith 7,767 633 -91.85% 1941 Nothing to note.
50 Margaret 26,238 2,232 -91.49% 1990 UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher resigned after losing the support from her parliamentary party and a challenge was launched to her leadership.
51 Roy 5,970 518 -91.32% 1969 Nothing to note.
52 Raymond 11,383 988 -91.32% 1992 Nothing to note.
53 Pearl 4,273 377 -91.18% 1927 Nothing to note.
54 Beatrice 5,856 535 -90.86% 1935 Nothing to note.
55 Lawrence 5,205 481 -90.76% 1975 Nothing to note.
56 Edward 18,536 1,739 -90.62% 1998 Nothing to note.
57 Walter 12,880 1,274 -90.11% 1973 Nothing to note.
58 Robert 41,026 4,402 -89.27% n/a featured in 2021
59 George 25,171 2,774 -88.98% 1993 Nothing to note.
60 Francis 5,726 633 -88.95% 1956 Nothing to note.
61 Catherine 8,335 998 -88.03% 2002 Nothing to note.
62 Paul 11,305 1,370 -87.88% 2001 Nothing to note.
63 Richard 12,441 1,767 -85.80% 2007 Actor Richard Gere becomes involved in legal action after an incident involving Shilpa Shetty at an Aids awareness event.
64 Lucille 7,856 1,133 -85.58% 1938 Nothing to note.
65 John 53,526 8,130 -84.81% n/a featured in 2021
66 Annie 7,146 1,295 -81.88% 1949 Nothing to note.
67 Kenneth 6,796 1,365 -79.91% 2002 Nothing to note.
68 Anna 14,498 3,044 -79.00% n/a featured in 2021
69 Louis 6,661 1,404 -78.92% 1960 Nothing to note.
70 Charles 25,192 5,952 -76.37% n/a featured in 2021
71 Arthur 9,540 2,453 -74.29% 1970 Nothing to note.
72 Jane 4,526 1,164 -74.28% 1966 Nothing to note.
73 Rose 9,195 2,377 -74.15% 1961 Nothing to note.
74 Elsie 4,995 1,335 -73.27% 1964 Nothing to note.
75 William 43,970 12,088 -72.51% n/a featured in 2021
76 Esther 6,248 1,819 -70.89% 1936 Nothing to note.
77 James 42,392 12,367 -70.83% n/a featured in 2021
78 Alice 11,141 3,494 -68.64% n/a featured in 2021
79 Joseph 24,265 8,067 -66.75% n/a featured in 2021
80 Katherine 4,846 1,802 -62.81% 2017 Nothing to note.
81 Josephine 8,104 3,364 -58.49% n/a featured in 2021
82 Ruby 8,334 3,562 -57.26% n/a featured in 2021
83 Lillian 9,516 4,302 -54.79% 2021 Nothing to note.
84 Elizabeth 15,287 7,190 -52.97% n/a featured in 2021
85 Julia 4,950 2,418 -51.15% n/a featured in 2021
86 Thomas 13,434 6,642 -50.56% n/a featured in 2021
87 Clara 5,404 2,675 -50.50% 2020 Nothing to note.
88 Sarah 5,022 2,825 -43.75% n/a featured in 2021
89 Eva 4,484 2,812 -37.29% n/a featured in 2021
90 Evelyn 13,321 9,434 -29.18% n/a featured in 2021
91 Grace 7,195 5,486 -23.75% n/a featured in 2021
92 Hazel 7,430 5,967 -19.69% n/a featured in 2021
93 Leonard 5,010 4,081 -18.54% n/a featured in 2021
94 Eleanor 7,611 7,059 -7.25% n/a featured in 2021

The name that is most at risk of dying out in America is Mildred, which was popular in 1919 with 17,300 babies given the name, but data from SSA showing the name didn’t feature on the top 100 or top 1,000 names in the U.S in 2021. That’s a 100% decrease since records began in 1919. SSA shows that the name was last registered in 1984 with the number of births with the name Mildred being 150. Research doesn’t uncover a standout reason for the name’s initial decline in 1946.

In 2nd place is the name Betty which 10,106 babies were given in 1919, but like Mildred failed to appear on SSA’s list of the top 100 or 1,000 names in 2021. It was last used in 1996 when 217 babies were registered with the name. The first decline in the name was in 1963 when the name failed to appear in the top 100 names. This may have been influenced by the release of the book ‘The Feminine Mystique’ by Betty Friedan which was very controversial at the time.

When we look at the impact that popular culture, politics and the news has had on the popularity of names we can see a clear correlation with negative events and the decline of certain names. For example, the decline of the name Bernice in 1937, when it failed to appear in the top 100 names. This could have been impacted by the six-week crime spree that Sunday school teacher Lester Brocklehurt and partner Bernice Felton went on that year that ended with dozens of armed robberies and three murders.

Similarly we see a decline in use of the name Herbert in 1947 when the name failed to make it in the top 100 names. Perhaps this was a direct result of events that year that saw former US President Herbert Hoover appointed chairman of the Executive Departments by President Truman. Both scholars and the American public at the time blamed him for the Great Depression and criticized his efforts to solve the crisis.

Read on below to find out more about the endangered baby names in America.

Top 10 names dying out in America
Rank Name Gender Number registered in 1919 Number registered in 2021 Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021
1 Mildred Female 17,300 0 -100.00%
2 Betty Female 10,106 0 -100.00%
3 Doris Female 9,434 0 -100.00%
4 Gladys Female 8,717 0 -100.00%
5 Edna Female 8,404 0 -100.00%
6 Ethel Female 7,809 0 -100.00%
7 Ralph Male 7,709 0 -100.00%
8 Thelma Female 7,558 0 -100.00%
9 Marjorie Female 7,335 0 -100.00%
10 Pauline Female 6,973 0 -100.00%

Male names dying out in America

Comparing the frequency of the male names in the top 100 names from 1919 to those in 2021 identified those that have experienced a decline in popularity, with some not featuring in the top 100 or top 1,000 names in 2021 according to data from SSA.

Ralph, which was popular in its day with 7,709 boys registered with the name in 1919, failed to feature in 2021 resulting in a 100% decrease. The name Ralph was last registered in 2018 for 219 babies.

In 2nd place is Willie, with 6,942 babies given the name in 1919, but none in 2021. However, 215 babies were given the name in 2020 according to SSA data.

The list below could provide inspiration for soon-to-be parents looking to give their child a vintage name.

Top 10 male names dying out in America
Rank Name Number registered in 1919 Number registered in 2021 Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021
1 Ralph 7,709 0 -100.00%
2 Willie 6,942 0 -100.00%
3 Clarence 6,825 0 -100.00%
4 Fred 6,092 0 -100.00%
5 Earl 5,975 0 -100.00%
6 Ernest 5,296 0 -100.00%
7 Herbert 4,960 0 -100.00%
8 Harold 12,021 230 -98.09%
9 Howard 6,844 239 -96.51%
10 Carl 6,474 241 -96.28%

Female names dying out in America

By comparing the top 100 names in 1919 to 2021 we could identify those falling out of favor. Nine of the top ten names dying out were female.

As shown in the main table of names dying out in America, Mildred took the top spot at the name in America that is dying out followed by Betty. Doris, Gladys and Edna followed in 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively.

The list below is perfect for those looking to give their child a unique name while also helping bring it back from extinction.

Top 10 female names dying out in America
Rank Name Number registered in 1919 Number registered in 2021 Percentage decrease 1919 to 2021
1 Mildred 17,300 0 -100.00%
2 Betty 10,106 0 -100.00%
3 Doris 9,434 0 -100.00%
4 Gladys 8,717 0 -100.00%
5 Edna 8,404 0 -100.00%
6 Ethel 7,809 0 -100.00%
7 Thelma 7,558 0 -100.00%
8 Marjorie 7,335 0 -100.00%
9 Pauline 6,973 0 -100.00%
10 Jean 6,799 0 -100.00%

Names decreasing in popularity over the decades

To gain more of an understanding of how the popularity of names has changed over the decades, the study analyzed over 378M internal year of birth data records at Spokeo to discover which names had fallen out of favor over time.

Looking at name data from the year of birth from internal records from the 1920s to the 2000s helped to identify the names at risk of dying out.

Taking the number of instances of a name in 1920 compared to those in 2001 highlighted the overall percentage change which helped us rank the top 100 names dying out.

Top 10 names dying out
Rank Gender Name Percentage decrease 1920 to 2001
1 Female Helen 99.99%
2 Male George 99.99%
3 Female Elizabeth 99.99%
4 Female Dorothy 99.99%
5 Female Mildred 99.99%
6 Female Margaret 99.99%
7 Female Doris 99.98%
8 Female Anna 99.98%
9 Male William 99.98%
10 Female Jean 99.98%

Male names dying out over the decades

When looking into male names that have died out since 1920 to 2001 the analysis found that five of the top 10 names, George, William, Harry, Charles and Edward, belong to members of the British Royal family.

The name that appears to be at risk of dying out the most is George, with internal data showing that only 19 people that were born in 2001 with that name. That’s a 99.9955% decrease since 1920 when 241,325 people were given that name that decade.

Below are the top 10 male names that have died out over the decades. All have a significant decrease from the 1990 to the 2001.

Male names dying out over the decades
Rank Name Percentage decrease 1920 to 2001
1 George -100.00%
2 William -99.99%
3 Harry -99.99%
4 James -99.99%
5 Kenneth -99.99%
6 John -99.98%
7 Charles -99.98%
8 Francis -99.98%
9 Eugene -99.98%
10 Edward -99.98%

Female names dying out over the decades

Similar to the list of male names that are dying out, data from Spokeo’s internal data shows that three of the top 10 female names at risk of extinction, Elizabeth, Margaret and Catherine, are current or past members of the British Royal family.

Helen took the top spot at the female name on its way out, with only five people born in 2001 having this name. That’s a 99.9964% decrease from the 252,390 people who were born in 1920 named Helen.

Female names dying out over the decades
Rank Name Percentage decrease 1920 to 2001
1 Helen -100.00%
2 Elizabeth -99.99%
3 Dorothy -99.99%
4 Mildred -99.99%
5 Margaret -99.99%
6 Doris -99.99%
7 Anna -99.99%
8 Jean -99.99%
9 Louise -99.99%
10 Catherine -99.99%

An analysis of baby names on SSA from 1919 to 2021 uncovered the most popular names in America.

Taking the names featured in the top 100 lists from SSA from 1919 to 2021 we were able to calculate names that were used the most. Below is the list of the top 100 most popular names in America.

Click here to view the 100 most popular names in America

     

  1. James
  2. John
  3. Robert
  4. Michael
  5. William
  6. David
  7. Mary
  8. Richard
  9. Joseph
  10. Thomas
  11. Charles
  12. Christopher
  13. Daniel
  14. Matthew
  15. Patricia
  16. Elizabeth
  17. Anthony
  18. Jennifer
  19. Linda
  20. Barbara
  21. Donald
  22. Mark
  23. Andrew
  24. Paul
  25. Steven
  26. Joshua
  27. Kenneth
  28. Kevin
  29. Brian
  30. George
  31. Susan
  32. Edward
  33. Ronald
  34. Timothy
  35. Jason
  36. Jessica
  37. Sarah
  38. Ryan
  39. Lisa
  40. Jeffrey
  41. Karen
  42. Nancy
  43. Betty
  44. Jacob
  45. Margaret
  46. Gary
  47. Eric
  48. Dorothy
  49. Sandra
  50. Ashley
  51. Kimberly
  52. Nicholas
  53. Jonathan
  54. Donna
  55. Stephen
  56. Michelle
  57. Emily
  58. Carol
  59. Larry
  60. Justin
  61. Brandon
  62. Samuel
  63. Scott
  64. Amanda
  65. Melissa
  66. Deborah
  67. Rebecca
  68. Sharon
  69. Benjamin
  70. Laura
  71. Frank
  72. Stephanie
  73. Gregory
  74. Kathleen
  75. Cynthia
  76. Raymond
  77. Shirley
  78. Alexander
  79. Anna
  80. Helen
  81. Patrick
  82. Jack
  83. Amy
  84. Angela
  85. Tyler
  86. Katherine
  87. Samantha
  88. Pamela
  89. Nicole
  90. Dennis
  91. Jerry
  92. Emma
  93. Aaron
  94. Brenda
  95. Debra
  96. Adam
  97. Catherine
  98. Zachary
  99. Ruth
  100. Nathan

Click here to view the 100 most popular names in America

     

  1. James
  2. John
  3. Robert
  4. Michael
  5. William
  6. David
  7. Mary
  8. Richard
  9. Joseph
  10. Thomas
  11. Charles
  12. Christopher
  13. Daniel
  14. Matthew
  15. Patricia
  16. Elizabeth
  17. Anthony
  18. Jennifer
  19. Linda
  20. Barbara
  21. Donald
  22. Mark
  23. Andrew
  24. Paul
  25. Steven
  26. Joshua
  27. Kenneth
  28. Kevin
  29. Brian
  30. George
  31. Susan
  32. Edward
  33. Ronald
  34. Timothy
  35. Jason
  36. Jessica
  37. Sarah
  38. Ryan
  39. Lisa
  40. Jeffrey
  41. Karen
  42. Nancy
  43. Betty
  44. Jacob
  45. Margaret
  46. Gary
  47. Eric
  48. Dorothy
  49. Sandra
  50. Ashley
  51. Kimberly
  52. Nicholas
  53. Jonathan
  54. Donna
  55. Stephen
  56. Michelle
  57. Emily
  58. Carol
  59. Larry
  60. Justin
  61. Brandon
  62. Samuel
  63. Scott
  64. Amanda
  65. Melissa
  66. Deborah
  67. Rebecca
  68. Sharon
  69. Benjamin
  70. Laura
  71. Frank
  72. Stephanie
  73. Gregory
  74. Kathleen
  75. Cynthia
  76. Raymond
  77. Shirley
  78. Alexander
  79. Anna
  80. Helen
  81. Patrick
  82. Jack
  83. Amy
  84. Angela
  85. Tyler
  86. Katherine
  87. Samantha
  88. Pamela
  89. Nicole
  90. Dennis
  91. Jerry
  92. Emma
  93. Aaron
  94. Brenda
  95. Debra
  96. Adam
  97. Catherine
  98. Zachary
  99. Ruth
  100. Nathan

James is the most popular name with research showing that the name According to SSA data the name James was registered nearly 5 million times, 4,803,085 to be exact, between 1919 and 2021. John and Robert followed in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

Top 10 most popular names in America
Rank Gender Name Total times name registered 1919-2021
1 Male James 4,803,085
2 Male John 4,572,516
3 Male Robert 4,549,864
4 Male Michael 4,353,042
5 Male William 3,670,650
6 Male David 3,586,241
7 Female Mary 3,302,314
8 Male Richard 2,441,273
9 Male Joseph 2,393,895
10 Male Thomas 2,186,960

The most popular male names in America

To drill into the most popular names by gender from 1919 to 2021 data from SSA was segmented further.

James was shown to be the most popular male name in America, followed by John, Robert and Michael.

Top 10 most popular male names in America
Rank Name Total times name registered 1919-2021
1 James 4,803,085
2 John 4,572,516
3 Robert 4,549,864
4 Michael 4,353,042
5 William 3,670,650
6 David 3,586,241
7 Richard 2,441,273
8 Joseph 2,393,895
9 Thomas 2,186,960
10 Charles 2,143,578

The most popular female names across America

Mary took the top spot for the most popular female name in America due to 3,302,314 babies being registered with the name between 1919 and 2021.

In 2nd place and with over half the number of registrations as Helen, is Patricia followed by Elizabeth.

Top 10 most popular female names in America
Rank Name Total times name registered 1919-2021
1 Mary 3,302,314
2 Patricia 1,524,852
3 Elizabeth 1,458,912
4 Jennifer 1,417,906
5 Linda 1,389,169
6 Barbara 1,362,764
7 Susan 1,056,218
8 Jessica 1,009,988
9 Sarah 972,815
10 Lisa 931,520

Spokeo’s data team looked at the number of names per decade using internal data on year of birth data. This helped to identify the names used the most over the years, to provide an overall total from 1920s all the way through to the 2000s.

John was shown to be the most popular name overall, with a total of 5,626,337 boys given the name from 1920 to 2001. James came in 2nd place with 5,618,812 and Robert with 5,519,665.

Top 10 popular names over the decades
Rank Gender Name Total times name registered 1920-2001
1 Male John 5,626,337
2 Male James 5,618,812
3 Male Robert 5,519,665
4 Male Michael 5,140,978
5 Male David 4,308,549
6 Male William 4,014,065
7 Female Mary 3,854,105
8 Male Richard 3,021,150
9 Male Thomas 2,518,554
10 Male Joseph 2,497,246

Male names popular over the decades

As noted in the above table John was shown to be the most popular male name throughout the years, totaling 5,62,337 babies with the name from 1920 to 2001.

John (5,618,812) and Robert (5,519,665) followed closely in 2nd and 3rd place. Michael and David make up the remaining top five most popular male names.

Popular male names over the decades
Rank Name Total times name registered 1920-2001
1 John 5,626,337
2 James 5,618,812
3 Robert 5,519,665
4 Michael 5,140,978
5 David 4,308,549
6 William 4,014,065
7 Richard 3,021,150
8 Thomas 2,518,554
9 Joseph 2,497,246
10 Charles 2,423,651

Popular female names over 1920s to 2000s

Mary was shown to be the most popular female name from 1920 to 2001 resulting in 3,854,105 babies being given the name. Maria followed in 2nd place with 2,186,218 girls given the name.

Patricia, Linda and Jennifer followed in 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively.

Popular female names over the decades
Rank Name Total times name registered 1920-2001
1 Mary 3,854,105
2 Maria 2,186,218
3 Patricia 2,049,471
4 Linda 1,918,872
5 Jennifer 1,794,511
6 Barbara 1,783,048
7 Elizabeth 1,641,380
8 Susan 1,527,515
9 Lisa 1,351,323
10 Karen 1,302,766

Outside influence on popularity of names

Everything from the news and politics to popular culture and literature can have a positive or negative impact on how we view a name. 

Here are the most popular 100 names from 1919 to 2021 and the pop culture events that influenced them.

The impact of popular culture on the popularity of names in America
Year Top male name Number registered Notable event Number registered Top female name Notable event
1919 John 53,526 Nothing to note. Mary 65,837 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
Daddy-Long-Legs starring Mary Pickford is released.
1920 John 56,914 John Steel releases The Love Nest song. Mary 70,982 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Pickford stars in Pollyanna.
1921 John 58,214 General John Regan is released. Mary 73,985 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Three Musketeers starring Mary MacLaren is released.
1922 John 57,281 Nothing to note. Mary 72,177 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Princess Mary married Viscount Lascelles.
1923 John 57,469 Nothing to note. Mary 71,635 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary of the Movies is released.
1924 Robert 60,801 Robert M. La Follette nominated for President. Mary 73,535 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
1925 Robert 60,897 Nothing to note. Mary 70,587 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
1926 Robert 61,129 Nothing to note. Mary 67,835 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Lovey Mary is released.
1927 Robert 61,673 Nothing to note. Mary 70,639 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V.
1928 Robert 60,701 Nothing to note. Mary 66,873 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple.
1929 Robert 59,802 Nothing to note. Mary 63,512 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Coquette featuring Mary Pickford is released.
1930 Robert 62,151 Nothing to note. Mary 64,151 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple. The Runaway Bride starring Mary Astor as Mary Gray is released.
1931 Robert 60,520 Nothing to note. Mary 60,295 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple. Alfred Hitchcock's movie Mary is released.
1932 Robert 59,265 Robert Campbell TV series aired. Mary 59,883 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple. Alias Mary Smith movie is released.
1933 Robert 54,224 Nothing to note. Mary 55,517 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple. Midnight Mary is released. Mary Stevens, M.D. is released.
1934 Robert 55,834 Nothing to note. Mary 56,934 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Shirley Temple wore white Mary Janes in the movie Baby Takes a Bow. Mary Poppins book is published.
1935 Robert 56,523 The 39 Steps starring Robert Donat is released. Mary 55,071 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple.
1936 Robert 58,499 Camille starring Robert Taylor is released. Mary 54,373 Queen Mary of Teck reigns in the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and as Empress of India as the wife of King-Emperor George V. Mary Jane shoes became a fashion staple. Mary of Scotland is released.
1937 Robert 61,842 Nothing to note. Mary 55,643 Mary Jane shoes have become a fashion staple.
1938 Robert 62,269 Nothing to note. Mary 56,214 Mary Jane shoes have become a fashion staple.
1939 Robert 59,654 Nothing to note. Mary 54,905 Mary Jane shoes have become a fashion staple.
1940 James 62,475 The Return of Frank James is released. Mary 56,212 Nothing to note.
1941 James 66,743 Nothing to note. Mary 58,043 The Trial of Mary Dugan is released.
1942 James 77,175 Jesse James, Jr. is released. Mary 63,254 Nothing to note.
1943 James 80,275 Nothing to note. Mary 66,178 Nothing to note.
1944 James 76,956 Nothing to note. Mary 62,469 Nothing to note.
1945 James 74,456 Nothing to note. Mary 59,282 The Bells of St. Mary's is released.
1946 James 87,440 It's a Wonderful Life starring James Stewart released. Mary 67,471 Nothing to note.
1947 James 94,762 Nothing to note. Linda 99,693 Linda, Be Good is released.
1948 James 88,595 Adventures of Frank and Jesse James is released. Linda 96,212 Nothing to note.
1949 James 86,858 I Shot Jesse James released. Linda 91,019 Nothing to note.
1950 James 86,229 The Return of Jesse James is released. Linda 80,431 Nothing to note.
1951 James 87,253 Nothing to note. Linda 73,977 Nothing to note.
1952 James 87,065 Face to Face starring James Mason released. Linda 67,081 Jane Russell stars as Linda Rollins in The Las Vegas Story.
1953 Robert 86,250 Nothing to note. Mary 64,389 Nothing to note.
1954 Michael 88,570 Jesse James vs. the Daltons released. Mary 68,018 Marian year.
1955 Michael 88,353 Nothing to note. Mary 63,175 All For Mary is released.
1956 Michael 90,715 Michael Strogoff is released. Mary 61,747 Mary Murphy stars as Evelyn Stewart in Finger of Guilt. Mary's Boy Child Christmas song is released.
1957 Michael 92,723 Nothing to note. Mary 61,104 Fender release the Mary Kaye Stratocaster.
1958 Michael 90,574 Nothing to note. Mary 55,852 Charles and Mary is released.
1959 Michael 85,238 Nothing to note. Mary 54,485 Blankenship Brothers release song Mary.
1960 David 85,926 David and Goliath is released. Mary 51,476 Just Mary TV series airs. Mary Quant designs have become a fashion staple.
1961 Michael 86,919 The Highwaymen release Michael. Mary 47,682 Mary Had a Little... is released. Mary Quant designs have become a fashion staple.
1962 Michael 85,037 Nothing to note. Lisa 46,074 Lisa is released.
1963 Michael 83,778 Nothing to note. Lisa 56,036 Andy Warhol created the colored Mona Lisa.
1964 Michael 82,636 Zulu starring Michael Caine is released. Lisa 54,269 Nothing to note.
1965 Michael 81,012 Nothing to note. Lisa 60,271 Three Hats for Lisa is released.
1966 Michael 79,990 Michael Caine stars in Gambit. Michael Caine stars in Alfie. Lisa 56,918 Nothing to note.
1967 Michael 82,433 Nothing to note. Lisa 52,434 Who's Lisa? is released.
1968 Michael 81,984 Nothing to note. Lisa 49,537 Elvis and Priscilla Presley welcome their daughter Lisa Marie Presley.
1969 Michael 85,191 Michael Caine stars in The Italian Job. Lisa 45,027 Nothing to note.
1970 Michael 85,288 The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson released their Third Album. The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson released the Jackson 5 Christmas Album. The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson released on ABC. Jennifer 46,153 The movie Jennifer is released.
1971 Michael 77,594 Get Carter starring Michael Caine released. Jennifer 56,779 Jennifer in my mind is released.
1972 Michael 71,395 When Michael Calls is released. Jennifer 63,603 Jennifer album released by Jennifer Warnes.
1973 Michael 67,843 Nothing to note. Jennifer 62,447 Nothing to note.
1974 Michael 67,575 Nothing to note. Jennifer 63,112 Jennifer is released.
1975 Michael 68,448 Michael Jackson releases Forever. Jennifer 58,187 Say Goodbye to Jennifer is released.
1976 Michael 66,940 The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson release The Jacksons. Jennifer 59,473 Jennifer released 'Do It For Me'. Misty starring Jennifer Jordan is released.
1977 Michael 67,606 Nothing to note. Jennifer 58,966 Nothing to note.
1978 Michael 67,158 The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson released Destiny. Jennifer 56,320 Jennifer is released.
1979 Michael 67,741 Michael Jackson releases Off The Wall. Jennifer 56,719 Jennifer: A Woman's Story is released.
1980 Michael 68,702 The Island starring Michael Caine is released. Jennifer 58,381 Nothing to note.
1981 Michael 68,782 Nothing to note. Jennifer 57,048 Nothing to note.
1982 Michael 68,248 Michael Jackson releases Thriller. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jennifer 57,119 The Secrets of Jennifer is released.
1983 Michael 68,013 Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jennifer 54,349 Jennifer Slept Here TV series airs. Flashdance starring Jennider Beals is released. Eurythmics release song Jennifer.
1984 Michael 67,746 Michael Jordan signs with the Bulls. The Jackson 5 featuring Michael Jackson released Victory. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jennifer 50,561 Jennifer Slept Here TV series airs.
1985 Michael 64,921 Michael J. Fox stars in Back to the Future. Michael J. Fox stars in Teen Wolf. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jessica 48,347 Cocoon starring Jessica Tandy is released.
1986 Michael 64,226 Michael Jackson releases Bad. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jessica 52,682 Nothing to note.
1987 Michael 63,654 George Micheal releases Faith. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jessica 55,997 Nothing to note.
1988 Michael 64,151 George Michael releases Ladies & Gentlemen. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jessica 51,549 Nothing to note.
1989 Michael 65,401 Michael Jackson is awarded lifetime achievement awards at the 1990 AMAs. Michael J. Fox stars in Back to the Future Part II. Family Ties airs featuring Michael J. Fox. Jessica 47,890 Jessica doll is released. Driving Miss Daisy starring Jessica Tandy is released.
1990 Michael 65,306 George Michael releases Listen Without Prejudice. Michael J. Fox stars in Back to the Future Part III. Jessica 46,481 Jessica Tandy Wins Best Actress: 1990 Oscars.
1991 Michael 60,796 Michael Schumacher makes his Formula One debut. Michael Jackson releases Dangerous. Ashley 43,481 Ashley Olsen stars in Full House.
1992 Michael 54,400 Michael Jordan featured in the Olympic team at the 1992 Olympics. Ashley 38,457 Ashley Olsen stars in Full House.
1993 Michael 49,562 George Michael performs at The Concert of Hope. Jessica 34,990 Sarah Jessica Parker stars in Hocus Pocus. Losing Isiah starring Jessica Lange is released.
1994 Michael 44,472 Michael Schumacher wins the first of his seven World Championship titles. Jessica 32,120 Blue Sky starring Jessica Lange is released.
1995 Michael 41,402 Micahel Jackson releases HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. Jessica 27,938 A Streetcar Named Desire starring Jessica Lange is released. Rob Roy starring Jessica Lange is released.
1996 Michael 38,366 George Michael releases Older. Michael Owen signs for Liverpool. Michael Schumacher signs with Ferrari. Emily 25,151 Emily Watson stars in Breaking the Waves.
1997 Michael 37,550 George Michael releases Unplugged. Emily 25,735 Picture book Emily is released.
1998 Michael 36,617 Nothing to note. Emily 26,185 Emily of New Moon airs.
1999 Jacob 35,367 Nothing to note. Emily 26,539 Emily of New Moon airs.
2000 Jacob 34,489 Nothing to note. Emily 25,957 Emily of New Moon airs.
2001 Jacob 32,560 Nothing to note. Emily 25,058 Emily The Strange book is released. Emily of New Moon airs.
2002 Jacob 30,580 Jacob: The Movie is released. Emily 24,468 Emily book is released. Emily of New Moon airs.
2003 Jacob 29,645 Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emily 25,691 Emily Blunt stars in the Henry VIII TV series. Emily of New Moon airs.
2004 Jacob 27,890 Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emily 25,039 Emily Blunt stars in My Summer of Love.
2005 Jacob 25,838 Stephanie Meyer releases the Twilight book featuring the character Jacob Black. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emily 23,948 Emily Blunt stars in Empire TV series.
2006 Jacob 24,852 Stephanie Meyer releases Twilight: New Moon book featuring the character Jacob Black. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emily 21,409 Emily Blunt stars in The Devil Wears Prada.
2007 Jacob 24,296 Stephanie Meyer releases Twilight: Eclipse book featuring the character Jacob Black. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emily 19,358 Emily Blunt stars in Charlie Wilson's War.
2008 Jacob 22,607 Stephanie Meyer releases Twilight:Breaking Dawn book featuring the character Jacob Black. Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in Twilight. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Emma 18,821 Nothing to note.
2009 Jacob 21,188 Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Isabella 22,312 3 x Isabella short movies released.
2010 Jacob 22,139 Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Isabella 22,925 Isabella short movie is released.
2011 Jacob 20,381 Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Sophia 21,855 One Tree Hill TV series featuring Sophia Bush airs.
2012 Jacob 19,091 Taylor Lautner stars as Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2. Jacob Two-Two TV series airs. Sophia 22,322 One Tree Hill TV series featuring Sophia Bush airs.
2013 Noah 18,269 Trevor Noah star on the Daily Show. Sophia 21,236 Nothing to note.
2014 Noah 19,324 The movie Noah is released. Trevor Noah star on the Daily Show. Emma 20,949 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featuring Emma Stone is released. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2015 Noah 19,654 Trevor Noah star on the Daily Show. Emma 20,468 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2016 Noah 19,164 Trevor Noah releases Born a Crime book. Trevor Noah star on the Daily Show. Emma 19,531 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2017 Liam 18,838 Liam Gallagher releases As You Were album. Emma 19,847 La La Land featuring Emma Stone is released. Emma Stone is named the world's highest-paid actress by Forbes. Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2018 Liam 19,940 Liam Gallagher performs live at the Brit Awards 2018. Emma 18,786 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2019 Liam 20,578 Liam Payne releases LP1 album. Liam Gallagher releases Why Me? Why Not album. Olivia 18,534 Olivia Wilde's movie Booksmart is released.
2020 Liam 19,777 Liam Hemsworth stars in Arkansas. Olivia 17,641 Olivia Munn stars in Love, Wedding, Repeat.
2021 Liam 20,272 Liam Neeson stars in The Ice Road Olivia 17,728 Olivia Rodrigo releases Sour album.

Data from SSA shows that James is the most popular name in America. In fact, its most popular year was 1952 and the name continued to remain in the top 10 male names in the U.S until 1993, before coming back into the top 10 in 2014 where it has remained since.

So what could be the cause? Well coincidentally there have been a flurry of James Bond movies within that time frame, with the 1993 to 2013 dip from the top aligning with when Pierce Brosnan played the titular role and Daniel Craig his first three performances as the spy. Perhaps Spectre’s release in 2015 helped bring people back around to the name?

The impact of James Bond movies on the popularity of the name James
Year Rank Number of James registered James Bond movie release
1919 3 42,392 No release
1920 4 47,908 No release
1921 4 49,750 No release
1922 4 49,803 No release
1923 4 50,465 No release
1924 4 52,942 No release
1925 4 52,681 No release
1926 3 53,200 No release
1927 3 53,675 No release
1928 3 52,757 No release
1929 2 52,126 No release
1930 2 53,955 No release
1931 2 51,222 No release
1932 2 51,920 No release
1933 2 51,113 No release
1934 2 54,265 No release
1935 2 55,000 No release
1936 2 54,692 No release
1937 2 56,554 No release
1938 2 59,100 No release
1939 2 59,635 No release
1940 1 62,475 No release
1941 1 66,743 No release
1942 1 77,175 No release
1943 1 80,275 No release
1944 1 76,956 No release
1945 1 74,456 No release
1946 1 87,440 No release
1947 1 94,762 No release
1948 1 88,595 No release
1949 1 86,858 No release
1950 1 86,229 No release
1951 1 87,253 No release
1952 1 87,065 No release
1953 2 86,079 No release
1954 3 86,314 No release
1955 3 84,181 No release
1956 2 84,913 No release
1957 2 84,301 No release
1958 3 78,736 No release
1959 3 78,618 No release
1960 3 76,822 No release
1961 4 75,932 No release
1962 4 72,555 Dr. No
1963 4 71,317 From Russia with Love
1964 4 73,033 Goldfinger
1965 4 67,692 Thunderball
1966 3 65,171 No release
1967 3 61,693 You Only Live Twice, Casino Royale*
1968 4 60,680 No release
1969 3 59,907 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
1970 2 61,756 No release
1971 2 54,618 Diamonds Are Forever
1972 3 47,075 No release
1973 4 42,871 Live and Let Die
1974 5 41,350 The Man with the Golden Gun
1975 4 39,585 No release
1976 5 38,310 No release
1977 5 40,051 The Spy Who Loved Me
1978 5 39,913 No release
1979 5 39,371 Moonraker
1980 5 39,330 No release
1981 7 38,314 For Your Eyes Only
1982 6 38,879 No release
1983 6 36,353 Octopussy, Never Say Never Again*
1984 7 35,870 No release
1985 7 35,864 A View To A Kill
1986 7 34,047 No release
1987 8 32,660 The Living Daylights
1988 9 32,521 No release
1989 9 32,710 License to Kill
1990 8 32,361 No release
1991 7 30,512 No release
1992 9 28,507 No release
1993 14 26,252 No release
1994 14 24,772 No release
1995 17 22,730 GoldenEye
1996 17 21,162 No release
1997 17 20,404 Tomorrow Never Dies
1998 18 19,687 No release
1999 19 18,553 The World Is Not Enough
2000 18 17,989 No release
2001 19 17,073 No release
2002 18 16,966 Die Another Day
2003 18 16,895 No release
2004 17 16,467 No release
2005 17 16,138 No release
2006 16 16,247 Casino Royale
2007 15 15,966 No release
2008 17 15,182 Quantum of Solace
2009 18 14,215 No release
2010 19 13,888 No release
2011 17 13,260 No release
2012 14 13,442 Skyfall
2013 13 13,582 No release
2014 9 14,447 No release
2015 7 14,850 Spectre
2016 5 14,892 No release
2017 4 14,337 No release
2018 4 13,613 No release
2019 6 13,157 No release
2020 6 12,343 No release
2021 5 12,367 No Time to Die

So what could have caused the boost in popularity for the name? Data from SSA shows that the name Emma was most popular in 2018 when the number of babies given the name was 18,786, which equates to 1.012% of total female births that year.

Multiple on screen adaptations of the Jane Austen novel of the same name were aired or in the works in 2017, before the 2018 spike. Also in 2017 the star of the multi-award-winning movie La La Land, Emma Stone was catapulted into fame further due to its record-breaking seven awards from seven nominations at the 74th Golden Globes and five BAFTA wins from eleven nominations.

In fact Emma Stone was named the world’s highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2017. Perhaps the toe-tapping musical is to thank for the rise in Emmas the following year when 2018’s babies started to arrive in the world.To get a better understanding we analyzed the culture events featuring Ranker’s top Emmas.

The impact of popular culture on the popularity of the name Emma
Year Rank Number of Emma registered Emma-related event
1919 45 5,087 Nothing to note
1920 46 5,238 Nothing to note
1921 52 5,072 Nothing to note
1922 50 5,013 Nothing to note
1923 53 4,977 Nothing to note
1924 57 4,897 Nothing to note
1925 57 4,714 Nothing to note
1926 59 4,481 Nothing to note
1927 65 4,326 Nothing to note
1928 67 4,017 Nothing to note
1929 69 3,803 Nothing to note
1930 73 3,555 Nothing to note
1931 76 3,308 Nothing to note
1932 76 3,329 Nothing to note
1933 75 3,151 Nothing to note
1934 85 2,940 Nothing to note
1935 89 2,800 Nothing to note
1936 85 2,833 Nothing to note
1937 89 2,750 Nothing to note
1938 96 2,669 Nothing to note
1939 89 2,684 Nothing to note
1940 94 2,607 Nothing to note
1941 99 2,545 Nothing to note
1942 108 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1943 113 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1944 118 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1945 122 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1946 131 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1947 141 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1948 138 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1949 147 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1950 154 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1951 174 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1952 179 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1953 195 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1954 202 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1955 211 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1956 226 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1957 243 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1958 266 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1959 270 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1960 296 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1961 307 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1962 332 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1963 352 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1964 343 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1965 359 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1966 364 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1967 385 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1968 427 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1969 426 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1970 422 Not featured in top 100 names Love Story released with Emma as the main character.
1971 442 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1972 428 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1973 447 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1974 408 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1975 422 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1976 463 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1977 423 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1978 447 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1979 429 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1980 416 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1981 413 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1982 409 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1983 397 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1984 342 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1985 263 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1986 210 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1987 175 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1988 160 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1989 149 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1990 130 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1991 123 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1992 104 Not featured in top 100 names Nothing to note
1993 80 4,108 Nothing to note
1994 74 4,765 Spice Girls girl band is formed featuring Emma Bunton.
1995 67 5,048 Sense and Sensibility starring Emma Thompson is released.
1996 53 6,145 A TV movie of Emma was released. Emma movie is released. Spice album released featuring Emma Bunton.
1997 36 7,748 Spiceworld album released featuring Emma Bunton. Spice World movie featuring Emma Bunton released.
1998 22 10,448 Nothing to note
1999 17 11,743 Nothing to note
2000 17 12,559 Forever album released featuring Emma Bunton.
2001 13 13,322 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone featuring Emma Watson is released. Emma Bunton releases the album A Girl Like Me album.
2002 4 16,550 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets featuring Emma Watson and Love Actually starring Emma Thompson is released. The One Where Rachel Has A Baby, Part 2 episode of Friends airs where Rachel Green names her baby Emma.
2003 2 22,711 Nothing to note
2004 2 21,614 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban featuring Emma Watson and Emma Thompson. Emma Bunton releases the Free Me album.
2005 2 20,349 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire featuring Emma Watson is released.
2006 2 19,124 Emma Bunton releases Life in Mono album.
2007 3 18,377 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix featuring Emma Watson. Emma Thompson is released. Superbad featuring Emma Stone is released.
2008 1 18,821 Nothing to note
2009 2 17,906 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince featuring Emma Watson is released. Emma TV series is released.
2010 3 17,354 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 featuring Emma Watson. Easy A featuring Emma Stone is released.
2011 3 18,811 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 featuring Emma Watson and Emma Thompson is released. Crazy, Stupid, Love featuring Emma Stone is released. The Help featuring Emma Stone is released.
2012 2 20,960 The Spice Girls featuring Emma Bunton perform at the Summer 2021 Olympics closing ceremony.
2013 2 20,954 American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2014 1 20,949 The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featuring Emma Stone is released. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2015 1 20,468 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2016 1 19,531 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2017 1 19,847 La La Land featuring Emma Stone is released. Emma Stone is named the world's highest-paid actress by Forbes. Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2018 1 18,786 Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2019 2 17,176 Spice World - 2019 Tour featuring Emma Bunton. Emma Bunton releases the My Happy Place album. Scream Queens TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs. American Horror Story TV series featuring Emma Roberts airs.
2020 2 15,656 Series 5 of The Crown airs featuring Emma Corri. Emma movie is released.
2021 2 15,433 Cruella featuring Emma Stone is released. Short movie Emma is released.

Below are the top six names that have seen the biggest increase in popularity from 1919 to 2021.

Names with the largest increase in popularity from 1919 to 2021
Rank Gender Name Number in 1919 Number in 2021 Percentage increase 1919 to 2021
1 Female Emma 5,087 15,433 203.38%
2 Male Samuel 4,472 8,501 90.09%
3 Male Anthony 4,737 6,741 42.31%
4 Male David 6,717 7,843 16.76%
5 Male Jack 8,263 9,504 15.02%
6 Male Henry 10,613 11,307 6.54%

Methodology

Name data from 1919 to 2021 was taken from SSA using a list of the most popular 100 baby names for each year.

Names that featured in the top 100 names list in 1919 but didn’t feature in the top 100 list in 2021 were searched for on SSA in the top 1,000 list to provide accurate data on their popularity in 2021.

Spokeo’s data analysts reviewed over 378M, 378,747,894 to be exact, internal data records from 1920 to 2001 using year of birth information to determine the number of different names per year and decade to help calculate increases and decreases in the popularity of names in America.

Popular names were identified by analyzing the number of total names from the first date investigated to the last one and calculating the overall percentage change total.

SSA data was taken from 1919 when record began, to 2021. Spokeo data was taken from year of birth data 1920 to 2001. The date 2001 was chosen as the end date as Spokeo is for those aged 18+. Data was pulled in November 2022.

Sources