The post These 10 Baby Names Have Stayed in America’s Top 100 for More Than a Century first appeared on Crafting Your Home.
A baby name can be everywhere one year and nearly forgotten the next. But some names have a different kind of staying power. They appear on birth announcements, family trees and nursery walls across generations, proving that a classic name can survive changing tastes.
A century ago, American parents were choosing names like James, William, John and Elizabeth. Today, some of those same choices are still familiar to new parents, while others have become reminders of earlier generations. The Social Security Administration’s baby-name records from 1926 through 2025 reveal which names have remained part of the American naming conversation over the past century.
The list also shows an important difference: a name can be one of the most-used names over a century without staying in the annual Top 100 every single year. The SSA’s 100-year rankings measure cumulative use from 1926 to 2025, while year-by-year rankings are needed to prove an uninterrupted Top 100 streak.
James: The century’s most-used boys’ name
When it comes to long-term popularity, James stands out. According to SSA’s 1926–2025 cumulative rankings, James is the No. 1 boys’ name across the full 100-year period, with 4,505,076 recorded uses.
The name also shows how a classic can remain relevant. James ranked No. 3 for boys in 1926 and was still No. 6 in 2025. That gives it a rare combination: a name with deep historical roots that is also familiar to families welcoming babies today.
William never left the conversation
William is another example of a traditional name that has kept its place through changing generations.
In 1926, William ranked No. 4 among boys. Nearly a century later, it remained a Top 10 choice, ranking No. 9 in 2025. Across the 1926–2025 period, SSA places William at No. 6 among boys’ names, with 3,358,163 recorded uses.
For families looking for a name with a long connection to American history, William represents the kind of choice that has remained recognizable from one generation to the next.
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The classic names that shaped the century
Some names may no longer dominate today’s charts, but their influence across the last 100 years is clear.
John ranks No. 3 among boys’ names in SSA’s 1926–2025 cumulative table, making it one of the defining names of the century. Joseph ranks No. 8, while Thomas ranks No. 9, showing the lasting presence of traditional boys’ names.
Elizabeth also remains one of the strongest girls’ names across the century, ranking No. 5 among girls’ names in the cumulative 1926–2025 table.
These names reflect a style that has appeared again and again in American families: familiar, established choices that can belong equally to grandparents, parents and newborns.
The names that defined 1926
The most popular names of 1926 reflected the naming style of the time. Mary was the leading girls’ name that year, with 51,300 uses in SSA’s 1926 data. Robert led the boys’ list with 47,000 uses.
Other top choices from that era included Dorothy, Betty, Helen, Margaret and Ruth for girls, along with John, William, James, Charles and George for boys.
Some of these names continued through later generations, while others became closely tied to the people born during the 1920s. Looking back at the rankings shows how names can move in and out of fashion while still remaining part of family history.
Related: The 10 Most Popular Baby Names of 1926 — the Year Today’s Centenarians Were Born
Evelyn shows the power of a comeback
Not every lasting name follows the same path. Evelyn is a reminder that popularity can return.
In 1926, Evelyn ranked No. 13 among girls’ names. By 2025, it had climbed back to No. 8. While its cumulative 1926–2025 ranking is No. 63 among girls’ names, its story is less about constant dominance and more about revival.
Evelyn represents a trend many families recognize: names that once felt old-fashioned can find a new audience decades later.
Today’s favorites are building their own history
The newest generation of popular names includes both longtime classics and newer favorites. In 2025, the boys’ Top 10 included Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry, James, Elijah, Mateo, William and Lucas.
The girls’ Top 10 included Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia, Mia, Isabella, Evelyn, Sofia and Eliana.
Names such as Sophia and Evelyn show how older choices can return to the spotlight, while names like Liam and Olivia represent the current preferences of American parents.
A century of baby-name data tells a simple story: trends change, but some names keep finding their way back. Whether passed down through a family or newly discovered by parents today, classic names continue to connect generations.
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