Birth year roster

Top names in 1926

The 100 most common names on 1926 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Mary and Robert led the 1926 baby-name charts, the top names among Greatest Generation births. Mary was the #1 girls’ name for 76 years in all (between 1880 and 1961); Robert was the #1 boys’ name for 17 years in all (between 1924 and 1953). Of the 200 names below, 127 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1920s decade

Girls

#1Mary Endangered67,832
#2Dorothy Endangered36,618
#3Betty Endangered32,964
#4Helen Endangered26,886
#5Margaret Endangered23,072
#6Ruth Endangered20,225
#7Doris Endangered16,295
#8Virginia Endangered16,161
#9Mildred Endangered13,547
#10Frances Endangered13,355
#11Elizabeth Stable12,837
#12Jean Endangered12,168
#13Evelyn Stable11,780
#14Shirley Endangered11,762
#15Anna Declining11,698
#16Barbara Endangered11,079
#17Alice Stable10,956
#18Marie Endangered10,629
#19Lois Endangered9,816
#20Gloria Endangered9,198
#21Irene Endangered9,169
#22Marjorie Endangered8,640
#23Patricia Endangered8,586
#24Martha Endangered8,556
#25Rose Stable8,509
#26Florence Endangered8,178
#27Louise Endangered7,979
#28Lillian Declining7,661
#29Norma Endangered7,528
#30Ruby Stable7,476
#31Catherine Endangered7,469
#32Eleanor Rising7,305
#33Phyllis Endangered6,921
#34Annie Rising6,877
#35Gladys Endangered6,634
#36Thelma Endangered6,585
#37Josephine Rising6,410
#38Edna Endangered6,396
#39Pauline Endangered6,357
#40June Rising6,077
#41Ethel Endangered5,856
#42Edith Endangered5,786
#43Lucille Stable5,760
#44Joyce Endangered5,704
#45Bernice Endangered5,443
#46Grace Declining5,427
#47Marion Endangered5,353
#48Hazel Rising5,303
#49Dolores Endangered5,218
#50Rita Endangered5,015
#51Joan Endangered4,995
#52Juanita Endangered4,981
#53Lorraine Endangered4,891
#54Geraldine Endangered4,812
#55Ann Endangered4,779
#56Jane Stable4,641
#57Nancy Endangered4,566
#58Beatrice Endangered4,518
#59Emma Declining4,480
#60Audrey Declining4,477
#61Clara Stable4,464
#62Esther Stable4,453
#63Sarah Endangered4,424
#64Theresa Endangered4,407
#65Marilyn Endangered4,370
#66Wanda Endangered4,125
#67Wilma Endangered4,054
#68Elaine Rising4,004
#69Elsie Rising3,910
#70Marian Endangered3,859
#71Gertrude Endangered3,852
#72Katherine Declining3,834
#73Willie Endangered3,817
#74Beverly Endangered3,775
#75Julia Stable3,688
#76Bertha Endangered3,583
#77Agnes Endangered3,533
#78Charlotte Stable3,512
#79Eva Declining3,494
#80Vivian Stable3,430
#81Laura Endangered3,373
#82Ida Endangered3,285
#83Kathleen Endangered3,277
#84Vera Stable3,152
#85Maxine Rising3,150
#86Anne Endangered3,109
#87Kathryn Endangered3,094
#88Jeanne Endangered3,063
#89Bessie Endangered3,054
#90Donna Endangered3,008
#91Alma Rising2,990
#92Eileen Stable2,928
#93Jessie Endangered2,921
#94Violet Rising2,903
#95Rosemary Rising2,900
#96Pearl Endangered2,899
#97Viola Endangered2,876
#98Ella Declining2,852
#99Lillie Stable2,845
#100Ellen Endangered2,768

Boys

#1Robert Endangered61,130
#2John Past peak56,108
#3James Stable53,196
#4William Declining51,922
#5Charles Stable29,521
#6George Stable25,910
#7Richard Endangered25,143
#8Joseph Declining23,756
#9Donald Endangered20,912
#10Edward Endangered19,375
#11Thomas Stable16,592
#12Frank Endangered14,493
#13Paul Endangered13,653
#14Harold Endangered13,310
#15Raymond Endangered12,809
#16Jack Stable12,195
#17Walter Stable11,774
#18Kenneth Endangered10,342
#19Henry Stable9,994
#20Arthur Rising9,465
#21Albert Endangered9,146
#22David Past peak9,041
#23Eugene Endangered9,016
#24Ralph Endangered8,455
#25Harry Endangered8,216
#26Carl Endangered6,939
#27Howard Endangered6,836
#28Willie Endangered6,820
#29Clarence Endangered6,537
#30Louis Stable6,513
#31Fred Endangered6,447
#32Earl Endangered6,441
#33Joe Endangered6,338
#34Roy Endangered6,224
#35Francis Stable5,789
#36Lawrence Endangered5,582
#37Ernest Endangered5,436
#38Leonard Endangered5,402
#39Norman Endangered5,282
#40Billy Endangered5,180
#41Gerald Endangered5,123
#42Anthony Declining5,058
#43Stanley Endangered4,966
#44Herbert Endangered4,939
#45Alfred Endangered4,726
#46Daniel Declining4,516
#47Melvin Endangered4,194
#48Samuel Stable4,180
#49Bernard Endangered4,172
#50Marvin Endangered4,111
#51Leroy Endangered3,808
#52Russell Stable3,793
#53Floyd Endangered3,623
#54Leo Rising3,552
#55Edwin Stable3,491
#56Michael Past peak3,485
#57Ray Endangered3,409
#58Peter Stable3,358
#59Andrew Declining3,344
#60Lloyd Endangered3,278
#61Elmer Endangered3,233
#62Clifford Endangered3,190
#63Theodore Rising3,129
#64Frederick Stable3,120
#65Calvin Stable3,014
#66Vernon Endangered2,953
#67Clyde Stable2,873
#68Wayne Endangered2,811
#69Herman Endangered2,798
#70Philip Endangered2,708
#71Warren Rising2,701
#72Alvin Declining2,693
#73Leon Rising2,647
#74Bill Endangered2,643
#75Glenn Endangered2,635
#76Gordon Endangered2,629
#77Vincent Stable2,543
#78Lester Endangered2,539
#79Chester Endangered2,534
#80Martin Stable2,493
#81Charlie Rising2,446
#82Lewis Rising2,444
#83Milton Endangered2,418
#84Dale Endangered2,398
#85Lee Endangered2,313
#86Cecil Endangered2,305
#87Jesse Stable2,298
#88Ronald Endangered2,283
#89Roger Endangered2,260
#90Harvey Rising2,128
#91Gene Endangered2,083
#92Sam Stable2,033
#93Allen Endangered2,021
#94Victor Declining2,016
#95Wallace Endangered2,012
#96Don Endangered1,966
#97Jerry Endangered1,934
#98Benjamin Declining1,898
#99Arnold Endangered1,882
#100Willard Endangered1,810