edwardian names Archives - My Beautiful Mess

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.