The 100 Most Popular Baby Names From 1922

While names like Luna and Oliver rule the charts these days (for both new babies and new pets), 1922 looked a little different.

According to data from BabyNames.it, plenty of parents chose timeless classics for their infants that year: John took the top spot for boys, followed by Robert, William, James, and Charles. For girls, Mary was number one; Elizabeth, Anna, and Marie all finished within the top 15. If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed over the last century, it’s the popularity of female names that start with E—Elizabeth, Evelyn, Emma, and Eleanor made 1922’s top 50 and 2021’s top 50.

Though you won’t find Ella, Emily, Elena, or Everly on the former list, you will find Edna, Ethel, Edith, Esther, and many more monikers that we’d now consider “old lady names,” from Mildred to Gertrude. Similarly, male names like Earl, Albert, and Eugene—which we now associate with older men—were deemed perfect for bouncing baby boys.

Some entries reflect naming trends from the past. Virginia, for example, follows the fad of naming babies after states. And Ruby illustrates 20th-century parents’ affinity for choosing jewels or other words that embodied opulence. Others could turn up in Generation Alpha more than you’d expect. Betty, Frank, and Ralph were still popular into the 1950s—an era from which today’s Millennial parents are borrowing names.

See 1922’s top 50 girls’ and top 50 boys’ names below, and find out what just missed the cut-off here.

The 100 Most Popular Baby Names From 1922

Most Popular Baby Girl Names From 1922

Most Popular Baby Boy Names From 1922