The Most Popular Names in America Since 1880

It’s not clear where exactly the name comes from, but one theory is that it is a combination of the Celtic words for bear (“argos”), man (“viros”), and king (“rigos”). It may also be derived from the Roman family name Artorius.

Harry is the Medieval English form of Henry. Nowadays it is used as a diminutive form of both Henry and Harold.

Kenneth is the Anglicized form of the Gaelic words “cinaed” and “cionaed,” which mean born of fire and handsome. The name has been well-known in Scotland since the reign of the 9th century Scottish king Kenneth mac Alpin.

Andrew is the English form of the Greek name Andreas, which comes from “andreios,” meaning manly, masculine. This name became very popular in the Middle Ages. Saint Andrew is regarded as the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Greece and Romania.

Matthew is the English form of Matthaios, the Greek form of the Hebrew name Mattityahu. It means “gift of Yahweh,” referring to the Hebrew God. The English have been using the name since the Middle Ages.

This is the English version of the Roman last name Antonius, which has an Etruscan origin. The name gained popularity in the Christian world because of Saint Anthony the Great, who founded monasticism. Anthony has also been wrongly associated with the Greek word “anthos” for flower.

Walter comes from a Germanic name meaning “ruler of the army.” It is the combination of “wald” (rule) and “hari” (army). The Normans brought it to England, replacing Wealdhere.

Henry is the English name for the French Henri, which comes from the German Heinrich. The name is ultimately derived from the Old High German “haganrih,” meaning ruler of an enclosure. The name was introduced by the Normans in England.

Donald comes from the Gaelic name Domhnall, meaning “ruler of the world.” It is composed of the old Celtic elements “dumno” for world and “val” for rule. It was a very popular name in Scotland, before spreading to other nearby English-speaking countries.

The name is derived from the Greek name Christophoros, which means “bearing Christ.” It is a combination of “Christos” and “phero,” meaning to bear or carry.

The name is derived from the Roman family name Paulus, which means small or humble in Latin.

Daniel is a form of the Hebrew “dāni’ēl,” which means “God is my judge.”

Frank comes from the Old French Franc and the Germanic Frank, referring to a person of the Germanic tribes that founded the Frankish Empire, which included what is now France, Germany, and Italy. Frank is used as a version of Francis, meaning a Frenchman, a freeman, and Franklin, meaning a freeman.

Edward means “rich guard.” The name comes from the Old English elements “ead” for wealth or fortune and “weard” for guard. Edward is one of the few Old English names used throughout Europe, even though the spelling varies.

Richard means “brave power.” The names comes from the Germanic elements “ric” (power, rule) and “hard” (brave, hardy). It was introduced in England by the Normans. Richard is the name of three English monarchs.

Thomas is the Greek form of the Aramaic name Ta’oma’, meaning twin.

George is the English version of the Greek name Georgios which originates from the Greek word “georgos,” meaning farmer.

David is a version of the Hebrew name Dawid, which comes from “dod,” meaning beloved or uncle.

Joseph comes from the Hebrew “yōsēf,” meaning “may He add” or “God shall add.”

Michael comes from the Hebrew name Mikha’el, which mean “who is like God?,” implying that no one is like God.

Charles is the English version of the Germanic name Karl, which comes from a word meaning man. Another possible origin is that Charles is derived from the common Germanic name element “hari,” which means army or warrior.

Robert is a version of the Germanic name Hrodebert, meaning “bright fame.” It comes from “hrod” (fame) and “beraht” (bright). In Britain, Robert replaced the Old English name of Hreodbeorht.

This is a version of the Germanic name Willahelm, which combines “wil” (will, desire) and “helm” (helmet, protection).

James is derived from the Latin name Iacomus which comes from Iakobos, which is the New Testament Greek form of the Hebrew name Ya’aqov (or Jacob). The name was most common in Scotland until the 17th century, when the Scottish king James VI inherited the English throne, popularizing the name even more.

John is derived from the Latin Johannes, which comes from the Greek Iōannes, which itself is derived from the Hebrew Yehanan, a short version of Yehohanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” The name originally owes its popularity to two characters from the Bible — John the Baptist and the apostle John.

Rose is a variation of a Germanic name, which was the combination of “hrod,” which means fame, and “heid,” which means kind, sort, type. The Normans introduced Rose to England as Roese and Rohese. However, when the name became popular in the 19th century, people were probably thinking of the flower.

The name comes from the English pronunciation of the Latin “gratia,” which means favor or thanks. Grace was one of the virtue names favored by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Florence comes from the Latin name Florentius for a man or Florentia for a woman. The names were originally derived from the word “florens,” which means prosperous or flourishing. Florence can also, of course, be a reference to the famous city in Italy.

This is the English version of the of the Greek name Aikaterinē, which is derived from “katharos,” meaning pure, and unsullied.

Martha is derived from the Aramaic “mārthā,” meaning lady or mistress. Martha is also the feminine form of “mar” meaning master.

Marie is the French version of Mary. It comes from the Hebrew Miryām, the meaning of which is unclear. Some say it is “sea of bitterness or sorrow,” while others believe it means “rebellion,” “wished-for child,” and “mistress or lady of the sea.”

Susan is the English form of Susannah. It is derived from the Hebrew Soshana, a version of “shōshannāh,” meaning a lily or a rose.

Frances if the female name for Francis. There was no difference until the 17th century. Frances can also be a form of Franceis, the name for a frank, or someone from the Frankish Empire.

Laura comes from the Latin “laurus,” an evergreen shrub or tree whose leaves were woven into wreaths by the ancient Greeks to crown winners of competitions.

The origins of Nancy can be traced to a pet form of Nan, which was originally a version of Ann, meaning gracious or full of grace.

Alice comes from the Old French name Aalis, a short form of Adelais, which itself is short for the Germanic name Adalheidis. Alice became popular in France and England in the 12th century.

Emma is a short form of the Germanic names that began with “ermen,” meaning whole or universal. It was introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, and became a popular name in England after the Norman conquest.

Betty is a nickname or short form of Elizabeth, which means “God is my oath.”

Linda comes from the Spanish “linda,” which means beautiful and pretty. It is also a short form of Germanic complex names that start with “lind,” meaning tender, soft, or weak.

Jennifer is a derivation of Guinevere, which is from the Welsh “gwenhwyfar,” meaning “fair lady.” Until the 20th century, Jennifer was largely a regional name. It is now among the most popular names in the English-speaking world.

Sarah comes from the Hebrew “sārāh,” which mean princess, lady, or noblewoman. In England, the name became more popular in the 16th century.

The origin of Ruth is not clear. The most popular theory is that the name was derived from the Hebrew “rÅ«th,” a possible shorter version of “rē’Å«th,” meaning companion and friend.

This is the female version of Patricius or Patrick. The word appears in Latin documents in medieval England, but it probably wasn’t used as an actual name until the 18th century in Scotland.

Barbara is the English form of the Greek word “barbaros,” which means foreign. The name became popular during the Middle Ages, but significantly dropped in popularity in England during the Protestant Reformation. It was revived in the 19th century.

Dorothy is a form of the Greek Dōrothea, which itself is a combination of “dōron,” meaning gift, and “theos,” meaning God. So Dorothy means “gift of God.”

Anna is a Latinate form of the French Anne, which is similar of the Hebrew Hannah, meaning gracious or full of grace.

Helen is the English form of the Greek “helene,” meaning torch. The name may also be related to the Greek word “selene,” meaning moon.

Margaret comes from the Greek MargarÄ«tēs, which itself is derived from “maragon,” meaning a pearl.

Elizabeth is originally from the Hebrew “elÄ«sheba’,” meaning “God is my oath.” The name was a lot more popular in Eastern Europe than the rest of the world until the reign of Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century.

Mary is the English from of Maria, which is the Latin name of the Greek Mariam and Maria, both of which are derived from the Hebrew Miryam. What the name means exactly is unclear. One theory is “sea of bitterness,” “rebelliousness,” and “wished for child.” According to another theory, Mary has an Egyptian origin, derived from “mry” (beloved) or “mr” (love).