What was the most popular girls' name in each decade?
Mary was the top girls' name for eight straight decades, given to about 7% of girls in the 1880s. Since then the top name has had a shrinking share: Lisa in the 1960s, Jennifer, Jessica, Emily, Emma, and Olivia so far in the 2020s, at about 1% of girls. The bars show each top name's share of girls born in the decade, so decades compare fairly; the 2020s cover 2020 to 2025. Social Security leaves out any name given to fewer than 5 babies in a year.
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Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Decade and top name | Percent of girls born in the decade given the name |
|---|---|
| 1880s: Mary | 6.98 |
| 1890s: Mary | 5.9 |
| 1900s: Mary | 5.52 |
| 1910s: Mary | 5.87 |
| 1920s: Mary | 5.87 |
| 1930s: Mary | 5.37 |
| 1940s: Mary | 4.42 |
| 1950s: Mary | 3.25 |
| 1960s: Lisa | 2.72 |
| 1970s: Jennifer | 3.76 |
| 1980s: Jessica | 2.73 |
| 1990s: Jessica | 1.68 |
| 2000s: Emily | 1.21 |
| 2010s: Emma | 1.11 |
| 2020–25: Olivia | 0.99 |