Special Report
The Most Popular Names In America Since 1880
February 26, 2021 11:10 am
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5. Anna
> Avg. share of babies named Anna, 1880-2019 0.92%
> Total no. of babies named Anna, 1880-2019: 896,736
> Most popular decade: 1880 when 38,159 babies were named Anna, or 2.91% of all baby girls
> Pictured: Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Anna Wintour
Anna is a Latinate form of the French Anne, which is similar to the Hebrew Hannah, meaning gracious or full of grace.
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4. Helen
> Avg. share of babies named Helen, 1880-2019 0.93%
> Total no. of babies named Helen, 1880-2019: 1,019,804
> Most popular decade: 1910 when 248,155 babies were named Helen, or 3.04% of all baby girls
> Pictured: Actor Helen Mirren
Helen is the English form of the Greek “helene,” meaning torch. The name may also be related to the Greek word “selene,” meaning moon.
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3. Margaret
> Avg. share of babies named Margaret, 1880-2019 1.03%
> Total no. of babies named Margaret, 1880-2019: 1,251,234
> Most popular decade: 1910 when 189,233 babies were named Margaret, or 2.32% of all baby girls
> Pictured: Author Margaret Atwood
Margaret comes from the Greek Margarítēs, which itself is derived from “maragon,” meaning a pearl.
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2. Elizabeth
> Avg. share of babies named Elizabeth, 1880-2019 1.09%
> Total no. of babies named Elizabeth, 1880-2019: 1,646,385
> Most popular decade: 1980 when 25,006 babies were named Elizabeth, or 1.90% of all baby girls
> Pictured: Queen of the United Kingdom and 15 other Commonwealth realms Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth is originally from the Hebrew ““elÄ«sheba‘,” meaning “God is my oath.” The name was a lot more popular in Eastern Europe than the rest of the world until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.
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1. Mary
> Avg. share of babies named Mary, 1880-2019 3.38%
> Total no. of babies named Mary, 1880-2019: 4,128,052
> Most popular decade: 1920 when 701,760 babies were named Mary, or 5.87% of all baby girls
> Pictured: Singer, actor Mary J. Blige
Mary is the English form of Maria, which is the Latin name of the Greek Mariam and Maria, both of which are derived from the Hebrew Miryam. What the name means exactly is unclear — either “sea of bitterness,” “rebelliousness,” or “wished for child.”
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