30 Of The Most Popular Baby Boy And Girl Names In The United States 100 Years Ago

Clarence is one of those English names that was actually based on where you live. The name comes from the place Clare, which means "bright" or "clear." Patricia has roots in Latin and Spanish and means "regal" or "noble" in both.

Famous Clarence: Blues singer Clarence Carter

Thanks to a certain royal pair, Louis is well on its way to making a comeback. Around 68,000 babies were named Louis in 1920, and the name is both English and German in origin. In German, it means "famous in war."

Eleanor is a fun name that was popularized again following the release of the Beatles song "Eleanor Rigby." In 1920, around 75,000 babies were named Eleanor. The name means "shining light."

Famous Louis: Prince Louis

Willie is the kind of name that can work on its own or as a shortened version of a name like William or Wilhelm. The name itself means "resolute."

Ruby, of course, means "jewel" or "precious jewel." There were 76,733 babies named Ruby in 1920!

Famous Ruby: Model and actor Ruby Rose

Carl is a pretty funny name because it means "being a man," which I find endlessly entertaining! But the name has a lot of famous forebears, including astronomer Carl Sagan and singer-songwriter Carl Perkins. Catherine finds its roots in Anglo-Saxon languages, meaning "innocent," and in French, meaning "pure or clear."

Famous Catherine: Kate Middleton

I especially love that these two names are ranked together because they also sound like the names of a couple that makes sense. You can hear it, right? "Did you check on Howard and Louise today?" And so on.

Anyway! In 1920, around 70,000 babies were named Howard. The name has English origins and means "defender." Louise, on the other hand, clocked in 82,895 babies and means "famous in war" (just like its male counterpart, Louis).

Famous Howard: Radio host Howard Stern

Ralph has English, Scandinavian, and even American origins! In English, the name means "red wolf," which makes it a cute choice for outdoorsy families who are looking for a name with traditional roots. Lillian is another version of Lily and means "pure."

Famous Ralph: Fashion designer Ralph Lauren

The pairing of these two names is another that I really love, because they're both two of my favorites. Eugene means "well-born," and Rose is obviously after the flower itself. In 1920, around 85,000 babies were given the name Eugene, and around 85,000 baby girls received the name Rose. Cute!

Famous Rose: Activist and actor Rose McGowan

Harry has a lot of roots in English and means "house protector." The name can also mean "army commander." It also means "home ruler" in German, so the general gist here is that Harry will keep you safe.

In Aramaic, Martha means simply "lady." There was a famous Martha in the Bible who was obsessed with housework, so it's pretty funny that we have a famous Martha of our own who is a domestic goddess.

Famous Martha: Martha Stewart

David is a Jewish name, and in Hebrew it means "beloved" or "friend." In the Torah, David is also the hero who famously slays Goliath.

Lois also has biblical roots, and the name also hails from French and German. In German, the name means "feminine famous warrior."

Famous David: Actor David Tennant

Albert is a name that has roots in English and German, and it means "noble" or "bright." Considering that one of the most famous Alberts was also pretty bright, I think that's appropriate!

I know no one really asked me, but I love the name Florence and its shortened version, Flo. In English, the name means "flowering."

Famous Albert: Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein

In 1920, there were 97,118 baby boys born who were named Arthur and 91,222 baby girls who were named Marjorie. Arthur finds its roots in English and Celtic languages, and the title character in the King Arthur legend famously bore the name. Arthur means noble and courageous.

Marjorie is a fun little name that comes from Margaret, which means "pearl." The name traces its passage into English from French and before that from Latin.

Famous Arthur: Poet Arthur Rimbaud

Kenneth is a fun name that has Celtic, English, and Scottish roots. It can mean different things, including "handsome," "good-looking," and "royal obligation." Irene, on the other hand, means "peace" in Greek, Spanish, and English. There were 92,835 baby girls born in 1920 who received that name.

Famous Kenneth: Country singer Kenny Rogers

Henry is a cousin of the name Harry, which has already made its appearance on this list. Henry means "rules the home," which is a pretty patriarchal meaning for a baby name, but what can we do?

Barbara hails from the Greek word barbaros, which means "foreigner" or "strange traveler from a foreign land."

Famous Barbara: Singer Barbra Streisand

Jack and Shirley is another name pairing that I think goes so well together, kind of like apple pie and vanilla ice cream. Back in the Middle Ages, the name Jack was so popular in England that it also came to mean simply "man" or "boy," but it also means "God is gracious." Huh!

Shirley also has English roots and can mean "bright wood" or "bright meadow."

Famous Shirley: Child actress Shirley Temple

Walter has German roots and means "rules the people" in the language. Which is kind of a lot for a baby name, but it works. For some reason, I have always been fond of the shortened version, Walt. Maybe it has something to do with a famous pair of mouse ears?

Jean, pronounced like the piece of clothing you may or may not wear, means "God is gracious" in English.

Famous Walter: Anchorman Walter Cronkite