Baby names by decade, 1880s to 2020s
The most given names of the 1950s were Mary and James; in the 2020s so far they are Olivia and Liam. Each decade’s page lists its most given names and the names most typical of it.
Decades: SSA national file, published May 8, 2026, births summed per decade (the 2020s cover 2020-2025). SSA’s notes on the data.
Every decade at a glance
| Decade | Girls’ #1 | Boys’ #1 | Most typical girls’ name | Most typical boys’ name | Alive, estimated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | Olivia | Liam | Oaklynn | Atlas | 20 million |
| 2010s | Emma | Noah | Khloe | Bentley | 36 million |
| 2000s | Emily | Jacob | Trinity | Jalen | 37.9 million |
| 1990s | Jessica | Michael | Kelsey | Cody | 36.5 million |
| 1980s | Jessica | Michael | Krystle | Dustin | 33.9 million |
| 1970s | Jennifer | Michael | Tamika | Chad | 29.3 million |
| 1960s | Lisa | Michael | Tammy | Doug | 31.6 million |
| 1950s | Mary | James | Deborah | Rick | 28.4 million |
| 1940s | Mary | James | Judith | Larry | 14.8 million |
| 1930s | Mary | Robert | Dolores | Dick | 3.72 million |
| 1920s | Mary | Robert | Imogene | Junior | 319,000 |
| 1910s | Mary | John | Gertrude | Woodrow | 2,190 |
| 1900s | Mary | John | Mabel | Clarence | none |
| 1890s | Mary | John | Maude | Harry | none |
| 1880s | Mary | John | Maude | Harry | none |
Typical: a name’s share of the decade’s births over its share across 1880-2025; alive: SSA’s cohort life tables.