Baby Girl Names 1906 & 2006
Comparing Popular American Girl's Names Over 100 Years
How did the names of 100 years ago compare with the names of today? Here's an analysis of American baby girl names in 1906 and 2006.
Curious about how baby names have changed over the last 100 years in the United States? To a large degree, boy's names haven't changed all that much. However, baby girl name trends come and go more quickly, and there's a big difference between the names parents were choosing then and now. Take a glimpse at the top 20 baby girl names from 1906 and compare these to the most popular names in 2006-- and you'll see quite a significant difference. However, name trends can be cyclical, so you might be surprised to see some overlap between the lists.
1906 Top 20 Baby Girl Names
- Mary
- Helen
- Margaret
- Anna
- Ruth
- Dorothy
- Elizabeth
- Alice
- Mildred
- Florence
- Marie
- Ethel
- Lillian
- Frances
- Edna
- Gladys
- Rose
- Annie
- Grace
- Irene
2006 Top 20 Baby Girl Names
- Emily
- Emma
- Madison
- Isabella
- Ava
- Abigail
- Olivia
- Hannah
- Sophia
- Samantha
- Elizabeth
- Ashley
- Mia
- Alexis
- Sarah
- Natalie
- Grace
- Chloe
- Alyssa
- Brianna
At first glance, these lists look strikingly different. Only two names are common between the two lists; Elizabeth (#7 in 1906 and #11 in 2006) and Grace (#19 in 1906 and #17 in 2006).
However, many old-fashioned names are making a comeback, so there are several names that almost made both lists. Anna was #4 in 1906 and #23 in 2006. Lillian was #13 in 1906 and #38 in 2006-- and climbing. Emma, all the rage at #2 in 2006, was #28 in 1906 (although Emily, the most popular name in 1906, was down at #105). Sarah was #15 in 2006 and #44 in 1906. Mary, the #1 in name in 1906, is no longer trendy, but the name is far too enduring to ever go completely out of style. It ranked at #84 in 2006. Other names that were in the top 50 both in 1906 and 2006 were Katherine and Julia, and the 1906 favorites Eva, Evelyn, and especially Ella are rising quickly on the modern charts.
Of course, some old-fashioned names are so far out that it seems likely they're not coming back. Names that were on the top 20 list in 1906 that are not even on the top 1000 list in 2006 are Mildred, Florence, Ethel, Edna, and Gladys. To the modern ear, these names sound so outdated that it's hard to imagine a cute little baby girl named Mildred or Gladys. Other thoroughly outdated names that were in the top 50 in 1906 were Bessie, Gertrude, Bertha, Myrtle, Thelma, Edith, Mabel, Ida, and Agnes.
One interesting name phenomenon is Dorothy, which was very trendy for much of the early twentieth century. Dorothy was similar to names like Jennifer, Ashley, and Brianna in the late twentieth century-- chic and stylish, but possibly not very enduring. Today, it's all the way down at #858, and one wonders if Jennifer and Ashley will be similarly out of style in 2106.
Despite the Wizard of Oz connotations, Dorothy doesn't sound as dreadful in the modern age as does Mildred or Edna, so maybe it will make a comeback. Other pretty 1906 favorites that sound contemporary enough to make a comeback: Helen, Margaret, Annie, Marie, Rose, Irene, and especially Frances, which would blend right in with contemporary favorites like Ava and Abigail. Rose has already made a comeback of sorts-- as a hot middle name. Other pretty names from the top 50 in 1906 that are possibly ripe for a comeback: Viola, Beatrice, Ruby, Pearl, Esther, Lucille, and Clara.
Of course, some of the most popular names of today would certainly have sounded bizarre back in 1906. Names on the top 20 list of 2006 that weren't even on the top 1000 list for girls in 1906 are Madison, Samantha, Ashley, Mia, Alexis, Alyssa, and Brianna. Actually, Ashley and Madison were on the list-- for boys, although down near the bottom. Other popular 2006 girl's names that weren't even on the top 1000 chart in 1906: Jennifer, Megan, Michelle, Lauren, Taylor, Kayla, Kaitlin, Kaylee, Riley, Bailey, Hailey, Nicole, Danielle, Nevaeh, Destiny, Morgan, and Jordan.
Some names have evolved over the years. Alice, at #8 in 1906, was all the way down at #383 in 2006. However, the name has updated itself over the years, and today Alyssa and Allison are both in the top 50, with Alicia not too far behind. Annie and Anne aren't nearly as popular as they were in 1906, but Anna has made a contemporary comeback. Lauren was rarely used in 1906, but Laura was popular-- and today Laura's less common and Lauren's #24 (with Laurie and Lori filling the Baby Boom years in the middle).
What people name their children says a good deal about history and the sociology of culture. A glimpse at the names of the past gives us interesting insight into how the fashions and cultures have evolved in America over the past century.
