The post The 10 Most Popular Baby Names of 1926 — the Year Today’s Centenarians Were Born first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
The Americans celebrating their 100th birthdays in 2026 were born into a world where a small group of familiar names dominated the baby charts. A century ago, Mary and Robert were the names parents chose most often, creating a snapshot of a naming era built around traditional favorites.
The Social Security Administration’s historical baby-name data show that its 1926 records include 2,375,622 U.S.-born Social Security card applicants, 1,145,447 boys and 1,230,175 girls. Among those records, Mary ranked No. 1 for girls with 51,300 uses, while Robert ranked No. 1 for boys with 47,000 uses.
For families looking through old photo albums, family trees or handwritten records, these names offer a glimpse into the generation that will reach the centennial milestone in 2026.
The names that shaped a generation
The top names of 1926 were filled with choices that feel instantly recognizable.
For girls, the most popular names were:
- Mary — 51,300
- Dorothy — 25,400
- Betty — 22,100
- Helen — 21,300
- Margaret — 19,700
- Ruth — 17,200
- Doris — 16,500
- Virginia — 16,200
- Mildred — 15,500
- Frances — 15,100
For boys, the leading names were:
- Robert — 47,000
- John — 45,600
- William — 41,400
- James — 39,700
- Charles — 28,300
- George — 24,800
- Richard — 24,100
- Joseph — 22,700
- Donald — 21,200
- Edward — 20,000
The names reflect a period when traditional choices were shared by many families across the country.
The stories behind the names
Mary stood apart as the defining girls’ name of 1926. With 51,300 uses in the Social Security Administration’s data, it represented about 4.17% of girls recorded that year, roughly one out of every 24 girls. Its popularity made Mary one of the clearest symbols of the naming style of the era.
Robert held the top position among boys, appearing 47,000 times in the 1926 records. It was part of a strong group of traditional boys’ names that included John, William and James, all of which ranked near the top of the list.
Other girls’ names from the list tell their own stories. Dorothy, Betty, Helen, Margaret and Ruth were all among the country’s most popular choices, while names such as Virginia, Mildred and Frances now often bring to mind an earlier generation.
The boys’ chart followed a similar pattern. William, James, Charles and George were all major choices in 1926. Some of these names have remained familiar over the decades, while others, including Donald, are now more strongly connected with the generation that grew up in the early 20th century.
One in 24 girls was Mary
The numbers show just how concentrated naming was in 1926.
Mary alone accounted for about 4.2% of girls in the SSA’s 1926 data. Robert represented about 4.1% of boys, meaning both names appeared about once for every 24 children in their respective groups.
The top 10 boys’ names had an especially large reach. Together, Robert, John, William, James, and the other leading choices accounted for 314,800 uses, or about 27.5% of boys in the SSA data. The top 10 girls’ names totaled 220,300 uses, or about 17.9% of girls.
That difference shows how strongly a smaller group of familiar names shaped boys’ naming in 1926, while girls’ names, although still traditional, were somewhat more spread across the rankings.
Related: The Most Popular Baby Name in Every State, According to Social Security Data
A century later, the favorites look very different
Today’s most popular names reflect a much broader naming landscape.
For babies born in 2025, the Social Security Administration listed Liam as the No. 1 boys’ name and Olivia as the No. 1 girls’ name. Those names are modern favorites, but their century-long totals look very different from names that have appeared consistently across generations. Liam ranks No. 85 and Olivia No. 41 on SSA’s cumulative list covering births from 1926 through 2025.
Some names from 1926, however, have remained strong.
James, which ranked No. 4 in 1926, was still a top-10 boys’ name in 2025. William, No. 3 in 1926, also remained in the modern top 10. Among girls, Evelyn shows how an older name can return to popularity, moving from No. 13 in 1926 to a top-10 position in 2025.
Other names from the 1926 list have become nostalgic favorites. Mildred, Doris, Virginia, Frances and Donald remain recognizable names, but they are no longer among today’s nationally dominant choices.
Names that connect generations
Baby names often become family landmarks. A name written on a birth certificate, stitched into a keepsake or passed down through relatives can connect generations.
For someone born in 1926 and celebrating a 100th birthday in 2026, their name may reflect a time when a few familiar choices carried enormous popularity. A Mary born that year shared a name with thousands of other girls. A Robert born that year belonged to a generation where classic boys’ names were everywhere.
The 1926 chart also shows how naming trends change over time. Some names remain steady for generations, while others fade and later return in new forms.
The story of these names is ultimately a story about family traditions and changing tastes. In 1926, America was filled with Marys, Roberts, Johns and Dorothys. A century later, Olivia and Liam lead a very different list.
For families celebrating a centenarian this year, the old name charts offer a chance to look back: Which 1926 name appears in your family tree, and which one would you bring back?
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