Most popular baby names of 1917

In 1917, the most popular names for US babies were John for boys (51,852 babies, 5.6% of boys) and Mary for girls (64,280 babies, 5.9% of girls). The rest of the top five were William, James, Robert and Joseph for boys and Helen, Dorothy, Margaret and Ruth for girls. SSA recorded 4,602 different boy names and 5,310 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1917
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	John	51,852	–
2	William	42,422	–
3	James	37,338	–
4	Robert	35,220	–
5	Joseph	24,761	–
6	George	24,196	▲ 1
7	Charles	24,143	▼ 1
8	Edward	17,501	–
9	Frank	15,768	–
10	Thomas	12,611	–
11	Walter	12,582	–
12	Harold	11,194	▲ 1
13	Paul	11,156	▼ 1
14	Richard	10,914	▲ 1
15	Henry	10,696	▼ 1
16	Raymond	9,956	–
17	Arthur	9,282	▲ 1
18	Albert	9,157	▼ 1
19	Harry	8,856	–
20	Donald	8,729	–
21	Ralph	7,391	–
22	Jack	6,874	▲ 4
23	Louis	6,771	▼ 1
24	Carl	6,699	▼ 1
25	Clarence	6,587	▼ 1
26	Howard	6,410	▼ 1
27	Kenneth	6,141	–
28	David	6,099	–
29	Fred	5,986	–
30	Francis	5,801	▲ 1
31	Willie	5,751	▼ 1
32	Earl	5,632	–
33	Roy	5,586	–
34	Stanley	5,186	–
35	Joe	5,142	–
36	Lawrence	5,094	▲ 2
37	Ernest	5,055	▼ 1
38	Anthony	5,027	▼ 1
39	Eugene	4,873	–
40	Herbert	4,745	–
41	Leonard	4,694	▲ 1
42	Samuel	4,490	▼ 1
43	Alfred	4,424	–
44	Michael	4,288	–
45	Elmer	3,812	–
46	Norman	3,788	▲ 2
47	Leo	3,779	–
48	Andrew	3,752	▼ 2
49	Bernard	3,711	–
50	Peter	3,464	–
51	Frederick	3,455	▲ 1
52	Russell	3,436	▼ 1
53	Lloyd	3,417	▲ 5
54	Daniel	3,360	▲ 1
55	Edwin	3,346	▼ 2
56	Chester	3,338	▼ 2
57	Melvin	3,155	–
58	Herman	2,974	▼ 2
59	Clifford	2,969	▲ 2
60	Leroy	2,951	▲ 3
61	Lester	2,854	▼ 2
62	Floyd	2,820	▼ 2
63	Theodore	2,809	▲ 2
64	Clyde	2,719	▼ 2
65	Vincent	2,636	▲ 2
66	Philip	2,544	▲ 4
67	Charlie	2,536	▲ 1
68	Marvin	2,517	▼ 2
69	Gerald	2,486	▲ 7
70	Lewis	2,477	▲ 1
71	Vernon	2,463	▲ 4
72	Sam	2,455	▲ 2
73	Woodrow	2,428	▼ 9
74	Ray	2,426	▼ 1
75	Milton	2,394	▼ 3
76	Benjamin	2,386	▲ 3
77	Martin	2,336	▲ 4
78	Victor	2,207	–
79	Jesse	2,200	▼ 2
80	Willard	2,188	▼ 11
81	Alvin	2,142	▲ 1
82	Leon	2,102	▲ 3
83	Cecil	2,101	▼ 3
84	Gordon	2,019	▲ 6
85	Lee	2,004	▼ 2
86	Glenn	1,997	▼ 2
87	Oscar	1,961	▼ 1
88	Edgar	1,920	–
89	Stephen	1,892	▼ 2
90	Harvey	1,808	▲ 2
91	Arnold	1,781	▼ 2
92	Wilbur	1,749	▲ 2
93	Warren	1,743	▲ 9
94	Everett	1,734	▼ 3
95	Sidney	1,727	–
96	Wayne	1,715	▲ 2
97	Alexander	1,664	▲ 2
98	Claude	1,625	▼ 5
99	Morris	1,624	▼ 2
100	Allen	1,592	▲ 1

Top 100 girl names, 1917
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	64,280	–
2	Helen	34,251	–
3	Dorothy	28,852	–
4	Margaret	25,560	–
5	Ruth	23,568	–
6	Mildred	16,256	–
7	Anna	15,160	–
8	Elizabeth	15,131	–
9	Frances	14,363	–
10	Virginia	14,261	–
11	Evelyn	12,532	–
12	Marie	11,813	–
13	Alice	10,990	–
14	Florence	10,538	–
15	Lillian	9,843	▲ 1
16	Rose	9,783	▼ 1
17	Irene	9,163	–
18	Catherine	8,689	▲ 2
19	Louise	8,584	▼ 1
20	Edna	8,422	▼ 1
21	Josephine	8,326	–
22	Martha	8,261	▲ 2
23	Gladys	8,075	▼ 1
24	Ethel	7,865	▲ 1
25	Doris	7,819	▲ 7
26	Eleanor	7,669	▲ 1
27	Ruby	7,662	▼ 4
28	Edith	7,532	–
29	Lucille	7,529	▲ 1
30	Grace	7,373	▼ 4
31	Hazel	7,285	–
32	Thelma	7,245	▼ 3
33	Pauline	6,896	–
34	Betty	6,639	▲ 10
35	Annie	6,404	▲ 1
36	Marjorie	6,399	▲ 1
37	Gertrude	6,300	▼ 2
38	Esther	6,281	▼ 4
39	Beatrice	5,839	▼ 1
40	Jean	5,692	▲ 5
41	Clara	5,626	▼ 2
42	Bernice	5,546	–
43	Lois	5,485	–
44	Ann	5,455	▼ 4
45	Marion	5,371	▲ 2
46	Emma	5,121	▼ 5
47	Julia	5,078	▼ 1
48	Agnes	5,066	▲ 2
49	Katherine	4,956	▲ 2
50	Elsie	4,939	▼ 2
51	Bertha	4,881	▼ 2
52	Sarah	4,766	–
53	Anne	4,603	–
54	Eva	4,286	▲ 1
55	Jane	4,258	▲ 7
56	Ida	4,247	▼ 2
57	Pearl	4,232	–
58	Myrtle	4,046	–
59	Viola	4,040	–
60	Kathryn	3,984	–
61	Bessie	3,927	▼ 5
62	Stella	3,872	▲ 1
63	Rita	3,870	▲ 4
64	Nellie	3,808	▼ 3
65	Laura	3,807	▼ 1
66	Vera	3,714	–
67	Barbara	3,535	▲ 7
68	Mabel	3,499	▼ 3
69	Sylvia	3,469	–
70	Jessie	3,465	▼ 2
71	Alma	3,407	▼ 1
72	Willie	3,381	▲ 1
73	June	3,370	▲ 13
74	Marian	3,267	▼ 2
75	Minnie	3,262	▼ 4
76	Charlotte	3,229	▲ 4
77	Genevieve	3,192	▼ 1
78	Marguerite	3,161	–
79	Vivian	3,119	▼ 2
80	Leona	3,115	▼ 5
81	Jennie	3,109	▼ 2
82	Wilma	3,071	–
83	Ella	3,054	▼ 2
84	Violet	3,026	▼ 1
85	Lena	3,004	–
86	Lillie	2,931	▲ 2
87	Juanita	2,929	▲ 3
88	Lucy	2,929	▼ 4
89	Geraldine	2,897	▲ 5
90	Ellen	2,855	▼ 3
91	Blanche	2,836	▼ 2
92	Phyllis	2,696	▲ 3
93	Maxine	2,647	▲ 3
94	Mattie	2,572	▼ 1
95	Opal	2,541	▼ 4
96	Mae	2,507	▼ 4
97	Theresa	2,490	▲ 1
98	Nancy	2,411	▲ 4
99	Velma	2,411	–
100	Sophie	2,382	▲ 1

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1917. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.