What’s in a name? Well, if you’re a soon-to-be parent, quite a lot! Not only is there a first name to consider, there’s a middle name, too.

Here’s what to expect when expecting: a newfound opinionated obsession with names. Suddenly you and your partner are swapping tales of childhood bullies and bad dates to explain why you absolutely cannot call your future child “Miguel” or “Claire.” (Remember Marshall and Lily’s exhausting baby-naming scene from How I Met Your Mother?) You postulate possible initial combos, realizing you can’t name your potential daughter Monica Olivia or else her monogram will be “M.O.O.” You might make the mistake of sharing your baby name list with a bossy in-law who insists you have to choose a family name instead. Or worse, you find out a friend “stole” your longtime baby name you specifically reserved years and years ago, à la Charlotte York in the baby shower episode of Sex and the City.

There’s much to consider when naming your child. One wrong letter and your progeny will spend the rest of their life correcting baristas. (“It’s ‘Ashli,’ not ‘Ashley!'”) Some parents even change their minds after meeting their baby, as exemplified by Kylie Jenner and her former baby name of “Wolf.” The pressure’s on. Do you want your baby to be in good company? Or maybe you want to know what trending monikers to avoid? It’s so much to consider! There are even name consultants you can hire to navigate these uncharted (and unnamed) waters.

We’ve combed through the top ten most popular baby names over the last 100+ years in US history. These are names that will always be found on gift shop keychains and coffee mugs. Feel free to toggle through the official Social Security Administration site and see for yourself the ebbs and flows of “Mary”, “John,” and “Michael.” The data goes back to the 1880s, so you might even recognize your great-great grandfather’s name in there. Here are the names that defined decades and even generations.

1880s

Boy: John, William, James, George, Charles, Frank, Joseph, Henry, Robert, Thomas

Girl: Mary, Anna, Emma, Elizabeth, Margaret, Minnie, Ida, Bertha, Clara, Alice

If you were to read through this list of the most popular names, you might think you’re prattling names off of a 2023 Kindergarten roll call sheet. But actually, these are the most popular baby names from the decade that brought the Statue of Liberty to the United States. Parents spread the happy news of their bundle of joy named Margaret or Frank on their newfangled telephone—freshly invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

1890s

Boy: John, William, James, George, Charles, Joseph, Frank, Robert, Edward, Henry

Girl: Mary, Anna, Margaret, Helen, Elizabeth, Ruth, Florence, Ethel, Emma, Marie

These names are starting to look familiar, don’t you think? One way to tell when old-fashioned names are making a comeback is when you notice your favorite dresses share these pseudonyms. We’re thinking specifically of the L. Wells Florence Dress, Alexia María Margaret Dress, and Eddy Helen Tiered Maxi Dress.

1900s

Boy: John, William, James, George, Charles, Robert, Joseph, Frank, Edward, Thomas

Girl: Mary, Helen, Margaret, Anna, Ruth, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Marie, Florence, Mildred

The turn of the century brought “Dorothy” into the mix. No doubt this trending name rose to popularity from the success of L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900). In fact, “Dorothy will stay on the top ten list from this decade through the 1930s. Surprisingly, the 1939 film adaptation didn’t solidify “Dorothy” for the next decade.

1910s

Boy: John, William, James, Robert, Joseph, George, Charles, Edward, Frank, Thomas

Girl: Mary, Helen, Dorothy, Margaret, Ruth, Mildred, Anna, Elizabeth, Frances, Virginia

In the 1910s, “Frances” and “Virginia” joined the leaderboard. While “Robert” shied away from the top ten list in the 1900s, he was back in time for the creation of Boy Scouts in 1910 and the development of the movie industry.

1920s

Boy: Robert, John, James, William, Charles, George, Joseph, Richard, Edward, Donald

Girl: Mary, Dorothy, Helen, Betty, Margaret, Ruth, Virginia, Doris, Mildred, Frances

“Betty” joined the ranks in this decade, and as a result, we got Betty White, born in 1922. Considering that Betty first appeared on the top ten list in the 1920s, it’s more than appropriate that “Betty” made a comeback in the 2020s as the title of a Taylor Swift song and Blake Lively’s non-alcoholic Betty Booze beverages.

1930s

Boy: Robert, James, John, William, Richard, Charles, Donald, George, Thomas, Joseph

Girl: Mary, Betty, Barbara, Shirley, Patricia, Dorothy, Joan, Margaret, Nancy, Helen

It’s remarkable how consistent the boys’ top ten names are over the years. In the 1930s, we saw the influence of classic Hollywood stars like Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, and Nancy Carroll on girls’ names.

1940s

Boy: James, Robert, John, William, Richard, David, Charles, Thomas, Michael, Ronald

Girl: Mary, Linda, Barbara, Patricia, Carol, Sandra, Nancy, Sharon, Judith, Susan

Lovely Lindas like Linda McCartney were born in this decade and toppled the charts. Interesting to note that “Donald” left the leaderboard in favor of the uncannily similar “Ronald.” Perhaps this shows the influence of then-actor Ronald Reagan?

1950s

Boy: James, Michael, Robert, John, David, William, Richard, Thomas, Mark, Charles

Girl: Mary, Linda, Patricia, Susan, Deborah, Barbara, Debra, Karen, Nancy, Donna

“Mark” made his mark in the 1950s and shook up the top ten boys’ names in the country, and Michael made his first foray—keep an eye on “Michael,” he sticks around for years. Now here’s a crazy statistic. If you were an American girl born in 1953, there was a greater than one in ten chance that your name was either Linda, Patricia, Debra, or Deborah. Meanwhile, for mommas who love Mamma Mia, naming your daughter Donna would be very retro of you.

1960s

Boy: Michael, David, John, James, Robert, Mark, William, Richard, Thomas, Jeffrey

Girl: Lisa, Mary, Susan, Karen, Kimberly, Patricia, Linda, Donna, Michelle, Cynthia

Hello, Lisa! The name became enduringly popular once Elvis and Priscilla Presley named their daughter “Lisa Marie” in 1968.

1970s

Boy: Michael, Christopher, Jason, David, James, John, Robert, Brian, William, Matthew

Girl: Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Michelle, Kimberly, Lisa, Angela, Heather, Stephanie, Nicole

This decade ushered in a new cavalcade of girl names. Say hello to the many Jennifers, Amys, Melissas, Michelles, Kimberlys, Angelas, Heathers, Stephanies, and Nicoles you likely already know. Christopher appears on the top ten board and becomes a mainstay for boys for the next few decades. Perhaps parents were under the influence of yacht rock legend Christopher Cross’s easy-listening musical stylings?

1980s

Boy: Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua, David, James, Daniel, Robert, John, Joseph

Girl: Jessica, Jennifer, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah, Stephanie, Melissa, Nicole, Elizabeth, Heather

The MTV offspring generation welcomes new popular names like “Jessica” and “Jennifer.” Why were these names suddenly trending? Maybe because of Angela Lansbury’s character “Jessica Fletcher” in Murder, She Wrote. Meanwhile, the name “Jennifer” was so outrageously used, that it’s been called “the Jennifer epidemic.” It is also worth pointing out, the 1989 cult classic deeply dark-humored film Heathers coincided with the precipitous drop in Heather’s popularity. Could it be time to reclaim the name?

1990s

Boy: Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua, Jacob, Nicholas, Andrew, Daniel, Tyler, Joseph

Girl: Jessica, Ashley, Emily, Sarah, Samantha, Amanda, Brittany, Elizabeth, Taylor, Megan

The unisex “Taylor” topped the charts for girls in the 1990s, which tracks given Taylor Swift, famously born in 1989. The boys’ list has several newcomers like “Jacob,” “Andrew,” and “Tyler,” too.

2000s

Boy: Jacob, Michael, Joshua, Matthew, Daniel, Christopher, Andrew, Ethan, Joseph, William

Girl: Emily, Madison, Emma, Olivia, Hannah, Abigail, Isabella, Samantha, Elizabeth, Ashley

These are names that would fit into any Disney Channel TV show line-up. It’s also worth noting that “Emma” made its first appearance on a top ten list since the 1880s. It just goes to show everything comes back into fashion. As for the boys’ list, there’s a newcomer. Could “Ethan” be a result of Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt character in the Mission Impossible franchise? Or perhaps we’re conflating him with Ethan Hawke. We imagine many parents were still thinking of the 1995 Before Sunrise romance film and then likely watching the 2004 sequel Before Sunset.

2010s

Boy: Jacob, Noah, Mason, William, Liam, Ethan, Michael, Alexander, Daniel, Jayden

Girl: Emma, Sophia, Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Emily, Mia, Abigail, Madison, Elizabeth

A 2011 New York Times article titled “You Will Meet Many Jaydens and Isabellas” accurately predicted the names’ popularity for the rest of the decade.

2020s

Considering that we are just a few years into this decade, the results are still incubating, but they are underway! Here are a few of the more popular ones from 2020 to today.

Boy: Liam, Noah, Oliver, Elijah, James, William, Benjamin, Lucas, Henry, Alexander

Girl: Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Ava, Amelia, Sophia, Isabella, Mia, Evelyn, Harper

The New York Times speculates on the baby name trends they can already foresee for the decade, and the results are fascinating. So far, parents gravitate towards vintage-inspired names like Pearl, Clyde, Lionel, Wallace, and Willa. You can even see this name trend reflected in today’s media. (Succession, for example, boasts a cast of characters with strong, old-fashioned names like Roman, Siobhahn, and Logan.)

Naming kids after celebrities is always in fashion. We’ll be meeting a few Keanus, Adeles, Gretas, and Saoirses in the future. TV and movies will always influence baby name lists, and this phenomenon is tangible with names like “Arya” and “Kylo.” (Undoubtedly good news for Star Wars fans.) Similarly, there’s been a wave of kiddos named after mythological entities like the Norse-inspired Freya and Magnus or the Greek god Apollo. Imagine a tyke named Zeus ruling the playground. We prophesize big things for a little one with a name so commanding!

Gender-neutral names are increasing. And not just the usual suspects like “Taylor” or “Morgan.” Parents are getting more creative than that. Think “Oakley,” “Royal,” and other almost surname-like unisex options. There’s even a reclaiming of some names like “Ezra” and “James,” which is what Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds named their daughter.

The New York Times also predicts how to stay ahead of the curve. “If you really want a name that’s going to stay out of the limelight, avoid names that start with A or L, contain the letters Q, X, V or Z, or end in S, N, O or R,” they advise. And if it turns out that you end up naming your baby the same name a Kardashian chooses, well, c’est la vie.

Congratulations on the newest member of your family. Regardless of the name you decide—whether it’s graced top ten lists or not—welcome your little one with blankets or onesies that proudly display their new monogram. Our Children’s Monogram Shop can help!