Most Popular Baby Names Of The 1920s

The top 100 girls’ and boys’ names across 1920–1929. Explore their meanings, histories, and popularity today.

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Anne Grace in the Anna family; eagle in the Frisian masculine name	472#619	Up 7 rank positions in five years	1959
Phyllis Foliage	7#12,869	Down 6,846 rank positions in five years	1947
Theodore Gift of God	13,355#4	Up 19 rank positions in five years	2025
Martin Of Mars	1,009#335	Down 42 rank positions in five years	1963
Audrey Noble strength	2,919#86	Down 26 rank positions in five years	2015
Clarence From the town of Clare	117#1,500	Down 173 rank positions in five years	1921
Hazel Hazel tree; light brown colour	6,318#21	Up 10 rank positions in five years	1918
Ernest Serious, earnest; older Germanic vigor or strife	213#1,040	Down 31 rank positions in five years	1921
Stanley Stone clearing	278#863	Down 128 rank positions in five years	1954
Clara Clear; bright; famous	3,601#63	Up 40 rank positions in five years	1918
Edna Pleasure, delight; also an English form of Eithne	72#2,463	Down 378 rank positions in five years	1918
Leonard Brave lion	438#637	Down 2 rank positions in five years	1921
Francis Frenchman	769#420	Up 62 rank positions in five years	1918
Earl Nobleman, warrior; from the title earl	63#2,236	Down 161 rank positions in five years	1921
Eva Life, living, through Eve	2,154#134	Down 41 rank positions in five years	1918
Rita Pearl in the Margaret family; also a South Asian name	174#1,287	Down 53 rank positions in five years	1949
Wanda Possibly a Wend; Polish legendary name	20#6,095	Up 519 rank positions in five years	1957
Ethel Noble	34#4,210	Up 721 rank positions in five years	1918
Dale Valley	129#1,410	Down 54 rank positions in five years	1958
Norma Possibly rule or pattern; also a feminine form of Norman	95#2,012	Up 360 rank positions in five years	1931
Ellen Possibly torch or moon (Helen); also an Eleonora familiar form	230#1,062	Down 253 rank positions in five years	1951
Marjorie Pearl, through Margery	246#1,019	Up 117 rank positions in five years	1921
Allen Uncertain; possibly little rock or noble, through Alan	507#578	Down 115 rank positions in five years	1951
Esther Possibly star in Persian or a derivative of Ishtar	2,277#119	Up 29 rank positions in five years	1918
Edith Wealth or fortune + battle	595#499	Down 27 rank positions in five years	1918
Gladys Possibly country; alternatively a Welsh form of Claudia	49#3,224	Down 931 rank positions in five years	1920
Frederick Peaceful ruler	728#435	Up 49 rank positions in five years	1951
Elaine Possibly torch or moon, through Helen	1,007#305	Up 214 rank positions in five years	1947
Leo Lion	8,173#19	Up 17 rank positions in five years	2022
Marvin Famous friend (Old English); Welsh Merfyn meaning uncertain	385#699	Down 92 rank positions in five years	1928
Norman Northman	169#1,200	Down 72 rank positions in five years	1928
Glenn Valley	124#1,443	Down 42 rank positions in five years	1962
Edwin Wealth or fortune + friend	798#398	Down 54 rank positions in five years	1922
Melvin Bad settlement, through Melville	243#959	Down 207 rank positions in five years	1928
Alfred Elf + counsel	293#840	Up 59 rank positions in five years	1928
Lee Clearing, meadow; also a familiar form of Leo or Leroy	366#727	Up 42 rank positions in five years	1951
Lucille Light, through Lucilla	1,314#239	Up 35 rank positions in five years	1920
Herbert Army + bright	49#2,656	Down 353 rank positions in five years	1928
Vivian Alive in the Latin family; also Irish and literary routes	3,362#72	Up 29 rank positions in five years	1920
Pauline Small, through Paul	56#2,986	Up 69 rank positions in five years	1918
Thelma Meaning uncertain; popularized by Corelli’s novel	29#4,744	Up 121 rank positions in five years	1921
Calvin Bald	2,710#132	Up 12 rank positions in five years	1924
Oscar Possibly deer friend or god spear	1,620#223	Down 9 rank positions in five years	2006
Dolores Sorrows	68#2,567	Up 369 rank positions in five years	1930
Geraldine Power of the spear, through Gerald	73#2,447	Down 495 rank positions in five years	1930
Lorraine Kingdom of Lothar	238#1,044	Up 350 rank positions in five years	1928
Bertha Bright	30#4,568	Up 91 rank positions in five years	1918
Juanita Yahweh is gracious, through John	61#2,794	Down 433 rank positions in five years	1924
June The month of June, associated with Juno	1,978#150	Up 32 rank positions in five years	1925
Ray Counsel and protection, through Raymond; also beam of light	319#792	Down 67 rank positions in five years	1957

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Year by year in the 1920s

1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929

This list includes the top 100 girls’ and boys’ names by total use across 1920–1929. Table birth counts and ranks show 2025, and rank movement covers the latest five years. Search, filters, and sorting stay within this decade’s name list.

Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.