Birth year

Born in 1908? Here's your year in charts

In 1908, the top baby names were Mary and John and a newborn could expect to live 51.1 years.

Top baby names of 1908

Girls

  1. 1. Mary 18,665 babies, 5.6% of girls
  2. 2. Helen 8,439 babies, 2.5% of girls
  3. 3. Margaret 6,976 babies, 2.1% of girls
  4. 4. Ruth 6,180 babies, 1.8% of girls
  5. 5. Anna 5,860 babies, 1.8% of girls

Boys

  1. 1. John 9,343 babies, 6.1% of boys
  2. 2. William 7,529 babies, 4.9% of boys
  3. 3. James 7,012 babies, 4.5% of boys
  4. 4. George 4,584 babies, 3.0% of boys
  5. 5. Robert 4,219 babies, 2.7% of boys

From Social Security card applications for babies born in the U.S.; names given to fewer than 5 babies are left out. Pick a name to see how many babies got it every year since 1880.

1908 then vs. now

  • Life expectancy at birth

    See the chart

    51.1 years in 1908, compared with 78.7 years in 2018

    How long a baby born that year could expect to live, at that year's death rates.

Prices are in dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation. A figure is left out when its chart doesn't cover 1908.

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