The roaring twenties brought us the romance of the Great Gatsby, flappers, and the beginning of art deco. Today I’ve compiled a list of roaring 20’s baby names for both boys and girls.
What comes your mind when you think of the 1920’s. Some might call to mind speakeasies, women’s suffrage, and art deco. I personally loved both the art deco era which began in the mid 1920’s. Of course, the show Downton Abbey, revived a love for the 1920’s. Honestly, I loved the elegance of that era, although I probably favor Edwardian a tad more.
I personally am not a huge fan of modern names, just my personal preference. I find that vintage names are more charming and elegant. Regardless, I decided to put together a list of names from the twenties from both America and the UK. Some names were popular in both countries, while others were favored in either country.
Older Names Are Making a Come Back
Classic names like William, Charles, and Jack I think will always be stylish and regal. But over the last few years older names have been resurfacing on birth certificates. Classic names like Owen, Olivia, Caleb, Charlotte, Scarlett, and other names have resurfaced. Also recently biblical names which had not really been popular since the 1800’s and turn of the 20th century like Elijah, Josiah, and Micah have all experienced a resurgence over the last 20 years. Vintage names are timeless. That’s why I think you love these roaring 20’s baby names.
Celebrity Names
Before I share the most popular names of the 1920’s, I thought it would be interesting to share some of the most popular celebrities in the 1920’s and their names. The twenties brought with the invention of silent film and so the dawn of Hollywood made stars out of ordinary people. Let’s take a look at some well known people in the 20s.
- Coco Chanel, fashion designer, owner of Chanel
- Jack Dempsey, boxer
- Jospehine Baker, dancer
- Charles Lindbergh, aviator
- Gloria Swanson, film star
- Greta Garbo, actress
- Georgia O’Keefe, artist
- George Bernard Shaw, writer
- F. Scott Fitzgerald, writer
- Al Jolson, Jazz singer
- Albert Einstein, scientist
- Scott Joplin, musician
- Charlie Chaplin, film star
- Louis Armstrong, jazz musician
- Henry Ford, automobile manufacturer
- John Rockafeller, oil tycoon
- Duke Ellington , musician
- Ernest Hemingway, writer
- Pablo Picasso, artist
- Al Capone, gangster
- Salvador Dali, artist
- Daniel Guggenheim, mining mogul
- Bessie Smith, blues singer
- Louise Brooks, entertainer
- William Morris
- William Randolph Hearst, newspaper publisher
- Charles Schwab, steel magnate
- Andrew Carnagie, steel magnate
Now let’s take a look at some of the most popular names of the decade.
The Top Five
So what were the most popular names of the decade in each respective country. Well in the United States, the top five boy names were: Robert, John, James, William, and Charles. The top five girl names in the US were Mary, Dorothy, Helen, Betty, and Margaret.
Boy Names
- Robert
- John
- James
- Percy
- Phineas
- Forrest
- Quentin
- Winston
- Williams
- Charles
- George
- Joseph
- Richard
- Edward
- Donald
- Thomas
- Frank
- Harold
- Paul
- Raymond
- Walter
- Jack
- Henry
- David
- Albert
- Harry
- Eugene
- Howard
- Carl
- Louis
- Clarence
- Earl
- Francis
- Lawrence
- Ernest
- Alfred
- Patrick
- Desmond
- Christopher
- Alexander
- Graham
- Terence
- Allan
- Martin
- Dennis (and Denis)
- Anthony
- Daniel
- Samuel
- Gerald
- Bernard
- Sydney
- Ivan
- Stephen
- Trevor
Girl Names
- Edith
- Dorothy
- Helen
- Mary
- Catherine
- Kathleen
- Virginia
- Ruth
- Margaret
- Gwendoline
- Freda
- Jane
- Rosemary
- Betty
- Doris
- Mildred
- Opal
- Grace
- Mavis
- Elsie
- Daisy
- Lucy
- Janet
- Norah
- Agnes
- Daphne
- Pauline
- Bridget
- Vera
- Dinah
- Winifred
- Nellie
- Rosalie
- Ivy
- Maxine
- Frances
- Anna
- Marie
- Constance
- Lillian
- May
- Evelyn
- Alice
- Jean
- Shirley
- Barbara
- Irene
- Marjorie
- Florence
- Lois
- Martha
- Rose
- Louise
- Ruby
- Eleanor
- Gladys
- Patricia
- Josephine
- Edna
- Gloria
- Ethel
- Phyllis
- June
- Hazel
- Bernice
- Rita
- Lorraine
- Marion
Looking for More Baby Names
Before you leave, be sure to visit some of my other blog posts like, Biblical Baby Girl Names, Biblical Baby Boy Names, Strong Baby Boy Names and Preppy Baby Names.