Names from the 1880s are weirdly everywhere right now. You’ve probably noticed it at the playground or on your Instagram feed. Babies aren't being named Jason or Jennifer anymore; they are being named Silas, Minnie, and Arthur. It’s a full-blown obsession.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) actually started tracking this stuff in 1880, which is why that decade is the "ground zero" for American naming data. If you look at the records, the top of the charts back then were dominated by John and Mary. Boring? Maybe. But look a little deeper and you find a treasure trove of grit, elegance, and some honestly bizarre choices that reflect a world caught between the frontier and the industrial revolution.
People think our ancestors were stiff and formal. They weren't. Not always. While the Victorian era definitely had its "proper" side, the 1880s were also a time of massive migration and rapid change, and the names people picked reflected that chaos.
The 100-year rule is actually real
Ever wonder why your grandma’s name sounded "old" when you were a kid but now it sounds "vintage" and "cool"? There is a legitimate sociological phenomenon called the 100-year rule. Basically, it takes about a century for a name to shed its "nursing home" associations and start feeling fresh again.
Names from the 1880s hit that sweet spot perfectly.
When a name is popular for your parents' generation, it feels dated. Think "Linda" or "Gary." When it’s your grandparents' generation, it feels "elderly." But once it hits your great-great-grandparents? It becomes legendary. It carries a sense of heritage without the baggage of someone you actually knew who smelled like mothballs.
Take the name Cora. In 1880, it was the 15th most popular girl’s name in America. By the 1970s, it was practically non-existent. Now? It’s back in the top 100. It’s short, punchy, and ends in a vowel, which is exactly what modern parents want. We are literally raiding the 1880 census for branding material.
The boys of the Gilded Age
For boys in the 1880s, the list was heavy on the classics. John, William, James, and George held the top spots for years. It was a matter of tradition. You named your son after his father, his grandfather, or the King of England (even if we’d already kicked them out).
But the "middle" of the 1880 list is where things get interesting.
💡 You might also like: 1 divided by 3/4: Why This Simple Fraction Still Trips Everyone Up
Oscar was huge. It was a name that felt sturdy. Then you had Clarence and Ernest. Honestly, Clarence has had a rougher time coming back than Ernest has, mostly because "Ernest" fits into that current trend of "virtue" names.
We see a lot of Theodore today. In the 1880s, Theodore was a solid top 40 name. It peaked later with Roosevelt, but its roots are firmly in that Victorian soil. Modern parents love "Theo" as a nickname. It’s the versatility that sells it. You can be a Theodore who is a Supreme Court Justice or a Theo who plays bass in an indie band. The 1880s provided names that could do both.
What’s fascinating is the decline of "nickname names" for boys. In the 1880s, you’d see Willie or Freddie listed as the actual birth name on a census. Today, we tend to give the full "formal" name—Frederick or William—and then use the nickname. Back then, they just went for it. If you were a Willie, you were a Willie.
Girls' names: Beyond Mary and Elizabeth
If you think every girl in the 1880s was named Mary, you’re... actually mostly right. Mary was the undisputed queen. In 1880 alone, over 7,000 babies were named Mary out of a much smaller population than we have today. It was the default.
But look at the rest of the top ten:
- Mary
- Anna
- Elizabeth
- Margaret
- Minnie
- Emma
- Martha
- Alice
- Nellie
- Annie
Minnie! Can you imagine? Minnie was the 5th most popular name in the country. It wasn't just for mice. It was a sophisticated, popular choice. Today, Minnie feels almost too "Disney," but in 1880, it was the height of fashion.
Then you have Emma. Emma is the ultimate survivor. It was huge in the 1880s, it died out in the mid-20th century, and then Friends happened. Rachel Green named her baby Emma, and the 1880s trend was reborn for a new generation. It has stayed at the top of the charts for nearly two decades now.
There’s also Alice. Alice is a "literary" name that hasn't lost its shine. It feels smart. It feels like Alice in Wonderland (published in 1865, so it was still very much in the cultural zeitgeist of the 80s).
Why the 1880s? Why not the 1920s?
The 1920s names—like Dorothy, Mildred, and Herbert—still feel a bit too "recent" for some. They haven't quite finished their 100-year cycle in the same way. Names from the 1880s feel more "elemental."
They come from a time before radio, before television, before the world was truly connected. There is a perceived "purity" to them.
Parents today are often looking for names that feel "grounded." We live in a digital, ephemeral world. Naming a kid Silas (ranked #95 in 1880) or Hazel (#25 in 1880) feels like anchoring them to something real. It’s nature-adjacent. It’s rustic. It’s the "Cottagecore" aesthetic applied to human beings.
The weird stuff we forgot
Not everything from the 1880s was a winner. Some names stayed in the 19th century for a reason.
Let’s talk about Homer. It was a top 100 name in the 1880s. Unless you are a massive fan of Greek epics or The Simpsons, it’s a hard sell in 2026. Then there’s Ebenezer. Or Lemuel. These names carry a heavy, religious weight that most modern parents shy away from.
And for girls? Bertha. Bertha was the 11th most popular name in 1880. Eleventh! It was considered beautiful and strong. It means "bright" or "glorious." But due to various cultural shifts (and perhaps the "Big Bertha" siege gun of WWI), the name has been effectively retired. It’s a linguistic fossil.
Same goes for Gertrude. Though, honestly, with the way "vintage" is trending, don't be surprised if you meet a little "Gertie" at the park soon. People are getting adventurous.
How to use 1880s naming data for your own kid
If you’re looking at these old lists because you’re actually expecting, you have to be careful. You want "vintage," not "costume."
A name like Clara (#14 in 1880) is a safe bet. It’s classic, easy to spell, and sounds lovely. A name like Lulu (#36 in 1880) is more of a risk. It’s cute for a toddler, but does it work for a 45-year-old neurosurgeon? (Actually, yes, it probably does, because by the time that kid is 45, half their colleagues will be named "Luna" or "Arlo.")
Here is how you actually find the gems:
- Look at the "second tier": Don't just look at the top 10. Look at the names ranked 50-150. These are names like Mabel, Felix, Olive, and Jasper. They were popular enough to be recognized but not so popular that they felt "common."
- Check the surnames: In the 1880s, it was common to use family surnames as first names. This is where we get names like Brooks, Reed, and Sullivan. This trend is massive right now.
- Consider the "Old Man" names: Names like Arthur, Walter, and Harvey are currently in the middle of their comeback. They sound sturdy.
- Avoid the "filler" middle names: In the 1880s, middle names were often used to honor a specific relative or a mother's maiden name. Don't feel like you have to stick to "Rose" or "Grace." Go for something with more syllables if the first name is short.
The gender-bending of the 1880s
Interestingly, the 1880s were more flexible with gendered names than we might think. Florence was a boy’s name once. So was Marion. August was almost exclusively male then, but it’s very popular for girls now.
We see the reverse happening too. Charlie was a top name for boys in 1880, but now it’s one of the most popular "gender-neutral" choices for girls.
The 1880s provide a blueprint for names that have "bones." They’ve survived world wars, depressions, and the invention of the internet. When you pick a name from this era, you’re picking something that has already proven it can last.
Actionable steps for your search
If you're serious about digging into this, don't just trust a "top 10" blog post. Go to the source. The SSA website allows you to search by specific year.
- Go to the SSA Popular Names by Year page. 2. Plug in 1880, 1885, and 1889. You’ll see how names shifted even within that single decade.
- Cross-reference with your family tree. Finding an 1880s name that actually belonged to your great-great-uncle makes the name ten times more meaningful.
- Say it out loud—a lot. These names can be heavy. "Archibald" sounds cool on paper, but are you ready to yell it across a crowded grocery store?
Names from the 1880s aren't just a trend; they are a reclamation of history. We’re tired of "unique" spellings and made-up sounds. We want something that feels like it has a story. And the 1880s? That decade has stories to spare.