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HelpAnalysis of the #1 Names in America from 1880 to Now: Male Names
A long time ago, I compiled the top names of each gender into two threads to sort of analyze the trend(s), and see what people thought of the "#1 Names." I don't know where that thread went, so I'm re-compiling the information, including the most recent data from 2011. These are the #1 Male Names:
John: 1880 to 1923
That's over 40 years in the top spot - room for a lot of John-Srs. and John-Jrs. When John wasn't in the #1 spot, it was #2 from 1924-1928, and then from 1963-1965. It didn't leave the Top 5 until 1973, and didn't officially leave the Top 10 until 1992. Today it is at #27, the lowest popularity it has experienced since the commencement of the SSA's census on birth names. John was the most popular male name for members of both the "Lost Generation" and the "Greatest Generation."
Robert: 1924 to 1939; 1953
Robert flirted with the Top 10 in the first couple years of the census, then stayed in after 1882. It officially broke the Top 5 in 1906, and after falling from the top spot in 1940 it stayed at the #2 spot thru 1952. After enjoying one more, isolated year at #1, it fell to #3 in 1954 and experienced a gradual decline. It officially left the Top 5 in 1972, and the Top 10 in 1990, just two years before John would also leave. While it currently hold the spot at #61, its lowest position since the start of the census, Robert has the distinction of being the most popular male name throughout the greater part of the Great Depression - in other words, it is one of *the* most popular male names of the "Silent Generation."
James: 1940 to 1952
While it didn't reach #1 until 1940, James had consistently been in the Top 5 since the start of the census; and it didn't leave the Top 5 until 1981. Today it is at #17, which is *not* the lowest spot that it has ever held (that would be #19 in 2010). This means that, since the start of the census, James has never left the Top 20 Male Names in America. James was at its most popular during the end of the Silent Generation thru the Baby Boomers. It is the steadiest and most consistently popular male name in the history of the SSA's survey.
Michael: 1954 to 1959; 1961-1998
In the 1800s, Michael was a moderately popular name - within the Top 100, but nowhere near the popularity it would soon hold. However, in 1938 it officially entered the Top 25, and in 1943 the Top 10, and it only went uphill from there. In fact, it left the Top 5 only this year - who knows if it will reenter? Michael was a strong Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Gen Y name.
David: 1960
It fell out of the Top 20 in 1884, though it never fell lower than #33 (in 1903). It reentered the Top 20 in 1928, and entered the Top 10 in 1936, and the Top 5 officially in 1950. Although it only experienced one year of being #1 (with the Baby Boomers), it didn't leave the Top 5 until 1992. Today it is at #18, its lowest spot since 1928, although it is still in the Top 20.
Jacob: 1999 to Present Day
Jacob is something of an oddball. As the Latin form of James, it experienced moderate popularity in the late 1800s, until it officially fell out of the Top 100 in 1906. It would remain within the Top 500, with its lowest spot in 1962 at #367, until 1974, when it finally re-cracked the Top 100. From there, the incline of popularity grew steadily steeper, until it cracked the Top 10 in 1993, and surged to #1 in 1999. It has stayed there ever since, and - due mainly to the Twilight phenomenon - I don't see it falling anytime soon. So far, Jacob is the quintessential Gen Z name, given its current popularity.
So, that's the group. Since the start of the SSA's census / survey, only 6 male names have enjoyed the #1 spot, often spanning generations. They don't seem to like to share. (Well, 5 of them don't; the other only had one year at #1.) :-)
John: 1880 to 1923
That's over 40 years in the top spot - room for a lot of John-Srs. and John-Jrs. When John wasn't in the #1 spot, it was #2 from 1924-1928, and then from 1963-1965. It didn't leave the Top 5 until 1973, and didn't officially leave the Top 10 until 1992. Today it is at #27, the lowest popularity it has experienced since the commencement of the SSA's census on birth names. John was the most popular male name for members of both the "Lost Generation" and the "Greatest Generation."
Robert: 1924 to 1939; 1953
Robert flirted with the Top 10 in the first couple years of the census, then stayed in after 1882. It officially broke the Top 5 in 1906, and after falling from the top spot in 1940 it stayed at the #2 spot thru 1952. After enjoying one more, isolated year at #1, it fell to #3 in 1954 and experienced a gradual decline. It officially left the Top 5 in 1972, and the Top 10 in 1990, just two years before John would also leave. While it currently hold the spot at #61, its lowest position since the start of the census, Robert has the distinction of being the most popular male name throughout the greater part of the Great Depression - in other words, it is one of *the* most popular male names of the "Silent Generation."
James: 1940 to 1952
While it didn't reach #1 until 1940, James had consistently been in the Top 5 since the start of the census; and it didn't leave the Top 5 until 1981. Today it is at #17, which is *not* the lowest spot that it has ever held (that would be #19 in 2010). This means that, since the start of the census, James has never left the Top 20 Male Names in America. James was at its most popular during the end of the Silent Generation thru the Baby Boomers. It is the steadiest and most consistently popular male name in the history of the SSA's survey.
Michael: 1954 to 1959; 1961-1998
In the 1800s, Michael was a moderately popular name - within the Top 100, but nowhere near the popularity it would soon hold. However, in 1938 it officially entered the Top 25, and in 1943 the Top 10, and it only went uphill from there. In fact, it left the Top 5 only this year - who knows if it will reenter? Michael was a strong Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Gen Y name.
David: 1960
It fell out of the Top 20 in 1884, though it never fell lower than #33 (in 1903). It reentered the Top 20 in 1928, and entered the Top 10 in 1936, and the Top 5 officially in 1950. Although it only experienced one year of being #1 (with the Baby Boomers), it didn't leave the Top 5 until 1992. Today it is at #18, its lowest spot since 1928, although it is still in the Top 20.
Jacob: 1999 to Present Day
Jacob is something of an oddball. As the Latin form of James, it experienced moderate popularity in the late 1800s, until it officially fell out of the Top 100 in 1906. It would remain within the Top 500, with its lowest spot in 1962 at #367, until 1974, when it finally re-cracked the Top 100. From there, the incline of popularity grew steadily steeper, until it cracked the Top 10 in 1993, and surged to #1 in 1999. It has stayed there ever since, and - due mainly to the Twilight phenomenon - I don't see it falling anytime soon. So far, Jacob is the quintessential Gen Z name, given its current popularity.
So, that's the group. Since the start of the SSA's census / survey, only 6 male names have enjoyed the #1 spot, often spanning generations. They don't seem to like to share. (Well, 5 of them don't; the other only had one year at #1.) :-)
This message was edited 6/8/2012, 5:27 PM
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Cool! I noticed that all of the #1 names in the US for boys are classics with a long history of usage, and I wonder whether that might change this year for the first time. I could really see Mason as the top name for 2012.
I think they will all lose popularity. Especially John and Robert. The only one I still see in the top 25 in 10 years is James and I think it will be near the bottom of it.
I noticed that people turn away from the classics that have been in the top 100 since 1880.
Mary - #1 for decades, in the top 100 since 1880. Left the top 100 for the first time in 2009.
Laura - in the top 100 since 1880. Shortly left the top 100 in the late 30s and early 40s. Now at #273, the lowest it has ever placed.
Anna - lost much of its popularity over the past 7 years.
John - lowest it has ever been
Robert - see James
Michael - lowest it has been since 1948
I know many other classics are being used more often such as Eleanor and Violet or Elijah. But the really common classics that basically have been in the top 100 since 1880 (except for maybe a few years). Seem to be falling out of favor, especially John and Mary. I guess most people now think they're too generic.
Oh and Jacob is definitely not number 1 because of the Twilight phenomenom. Also I don't think Twilight had any influence on Jacob staying number one for so long. Boys names usually stay at the top spot for quite some time. It was #1 before Twilight was released. Plus many 'Twilight names' have lost much of their popularity since the last book came out which I heard was awful. Esme, Edward, Bella, Isabella, Cullen - all went down in 2011. The only ones that are still rising are Rosalie and Alice but I think it's because they are not strongly associated with Twilight. The Twilight reference seems to be more likely to turn people off a name at the moment.
I just read some articles about Twilight names, because I love Embry and heard it was used in the series. I have never read the books.
I never really got the appeal of Jacob. Of Jake, yes. But I thought people would rather use Jake by itself just as they use Jack. Guess I was wrong.
I think they will all lose popularity. Especially John and Robert. The only one I still see in the top 25 in 10 years is James and I think it will be near the bottom of it.
I noticed that people turn away from the classics that have been in the top 100 since 1880.
Mary - #1 for decades, in the top 100 since 1880. Left the top 100 for the first time in 2009.
Laura - in the top 100 since 1880. Shortly left the top 100 in the late 30s and early 40s. Now at #273, the lowest it has ever placed.
Anna - lost much of its popularity over the past 7 years.
John - lowest it has ever been
Robert - see James
Michael - lowest it has been since 1948
I know many other classics are being used more often such as Eleanor and Violet or Elijah. But the really common classics that basically have been in the top 100 since 1880 (except for maybe a few years). Seem to be falling out of favor, especially John and Mary. I guess most people now think they're too generic.
Oh and Jacob is definitely not number 1 because of the Twilight phenomenom. Also I don't think Twilight had any influence on Jacob staying number one for so long. Boys names usually stay at the top spot for quite some time. It was #1 before Twilight was released. Plus many 'Twilight names' have lost much of their popularity since the last book came out which I heard was awful. Esme, Edward, Bella, Isabella, Cullen - all went down in 2011. The only ones that are still rising are Rosalie and Alice but I think it's because they are not strongly associated with Twilight. The Twilight reference seems to be more likely to turn people off a name at the moment.
I just read some articles about Twilight names, because I love Embry and heard it was used in the series. I have never read the books.
I never really got the appeal of Jacob. Of Jake, yes. But I thought people would rather use Jake by itself just as they use Jack. Guess I was wrong.
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I actually agree about Mason.
I made brief mention of a theory I had about the changeability of the nature(s) of the "Always On" Generation (post-millennial births), and how that impacted the inconsistency of female names at #1; and I think that could soon have an effect on the male names as well. You look at this short list of longstanding "classic" names, and then - where the heck did *Mason* come from?!?! :-)
It is interesting, though, that Twilight has had a detrimental effect on the names associated with it. I've never read any of the books or seen the movies, but I had assumed the effect to be the opposite.
I made brief mention of a theory I had about the changeability of the nature(s) of the "Always On" Generation (post-millennial births), and how that impacted the inconsistency of female names at #1; and I think that could soon have an effect on the male names as well. You look at this short list of longstanding "classic" names, and then - where the heck did *Mason* come from?!?! :-)
It is interesting, though, that Twilight has had a detrimental effect on the names associated with it. I've never read any of the books or seen the movies, but I had assumed the effect to be the opposite.
This message was edited 6/8/2012, 6:52 PM
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John is my brother's name. He was named after his father, meaning that my mother obviously didn't pluck John out of thin air simply because she liked it, but still, she used to say, "You know why I like John? It's a good, simple, strong boy's name." And I'd be thinking, (but didn't dare say, mind you), "Yes, but what a snoozefest!" Nothing inherently wrong with the name itself, but it's so boring.
I've never liked Robert. Because I don't like the "bert" ending, which is made plain by the fact that I do like the nickname Rob. But not Bob.
I've always liked James, but I've known too many of them.
I hate hate hate hate both David and Michael, and I think that one of (but only one of) the reasons is that they were everywhere in my generation. Which your statistics bear out, since I was born in 1960. My best childhood friend had two younger brothers, and their names were---you guessed it---David and Michael.
Jacob---I've never understood why this became so popular. It's okay, but it's not that great.
I've never liked Robert. Because I don't like the "bert" ending, which is made plain by the fact that I do like the nickname Rob. But not Bob.
I've always liked James, but I've known too many of them.
I hate hate hate hate both David and Michael, and I think that one of (but only one of) the reasons is that they were everywhere in my generation. Which your statistics bear out, since I was born in 1960. My best childhood friend had two younger brothers, and their names were---you guessed it---David and Michael.
Jacob---I've never understood why this became so popular. It's okay, but it's not that great.
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I agree! I also think John is terribly boring, even though it's not a bad name at all. Same with Mary. I don't even mind them, I just think it's funny when people think they're stylish for coming up with them. A family friend named her daughter Mary recently and thought she was being very stylish and daring which I just found odd. Nothing wrong with Mary at all but you're not stylish for using the most popular girls name of all time that is just barely out of the top 100 and still in the top 30 in some states.
Again, they're decent names, just way overused. I don't like the -bert ending either nor do I like Bob or Bobby but I kind of like the full name and the nickname Rob. I love James. I don't mind David and Michael. They sound nice but they're overused. I just can't stand Dave and Mike.
Never understood Jacob either. I guess Jake is attractive. But Jacob? Nope. I guess it's the same as with Abigail. People want a Jake and an Abby so they use Jacob and Abigail. I actually don't know anyone with these names who was ever called by their full name.
Again, they're decent names, just way overused. I don't like the -bert ending either nor do I like Bob or Bobby but I kind of like the full name and the nickname Rob. I love James. I don't mind David and Michael. They sound nice but they're overused. I just can't stand Dave and Mike.
Never understood Jacob either. I guess Jake is attractive. But Jacob? Nope. I guess it's the same as with Abigail. People want a Jake and an Abby so they use Jacob and Abigail. I actually don't know anyone with these names who was ever called by their full name.
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