Random Mode Keyboard shortcut: Command/Ctrl + Shift + R
thumbnail

U.S. Baby Boy Names by Decade

For each year, guess the most popular names for baby boys born in the United States.
Click here for the female version
Quiz by Quizmaster
Rate:
Last updated: May 8, 2021
You have not attempted this quiz yet.
First submittedJuly 25, 2012
Times taken386,994
Average score47.8%
Rating4.55
10:00
Enter name here:
0
 / 69 guessed
The quiz is paused. You have remaining.
Scoring
You scored / = %
This beats or equals % of test takers also scored 100%
The average score is
Your high score is
Your fastest time is
Keep scrolling down for answers and more stats ...
2020
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950
1940
1930
Liam
Jacob
Jacob
Michael
Michael
Michael
David
James
James
Robert
Noah
Ethan
Michael
Christopher
Christopher
James
Michael
Robert
Robert
James
Oliver
Michael
Matthew
Matthew
Jason
David
James
John
John
John
Elijah
Jayden
Joshua
Joshua
David
John
John
Michael
William
William
William
William
Christopher
Daniel
James
Robert
Robert
David
Richard
Richard
James
Alexander
Nicholas
David
Matthew
Christopher
Mark
William
Charles
Charles
Benjamin
Noah
Andrew
Andrew
Joshua
William
William
Richard
David
Donald
Lucas
Daniel
Joseph
James
John
Brian
Richard
Thomas
Thomas
George
Henry
Aiden
Daniel
Justin
Robert
Mark
Thomas
Charles
Donald
Joseph
Alexander
Anthony
Tyler
Joseph
Joseph
Richard
Steven
Gary
Ronald
Edward
Mason
Joshua
William
Ryan
Daniel
Jeffrey
Timothy
Larry
George
Thomas
Michael
Mason
Brandon
John
Brian
Scott
Joseph
Ronald
Joseph
Paul
Ethan
Christopher
Ryan
Robert
Justin
Jason
Charles
Joseph
Larry
Frank
Daniel
Andrew
John
Nicholas
William
Kevin
Jeffrey
Donald
Jerry
Jack
Jacob
David
Zachary
Anthony
Ryan
Steven
Kevin
Kenneth
Kenneth
David
Logan
Matthew
David
William
Eric
Joseph
Kenneth
Steven
Edward
Raymond
Jackson
Logan
Anthony
Jonathan
Nicholas
Thomas
Daniel
Dennis
Paul
Kenneth
Levi
Elijah
James
Kyle
Jeremy
Eric
Paul
Paul
Michael
Harold
Sebastian
James
Justin
Brandon
Andrew
Daniel
Donald
Stephen
Gary
Walter
Mateo
Joseph
Alexander
Jacob
Timothy
Timothy
Brian
George
Frank
Billy
+8
Level 78
Mar 29, 2015
2020: Pee-tah, Kermit, Frappuccino, Instagram.
+6
Level 61
Mar 30, 2015
perhaps Logan is already a variation of Log-In
+3
Level 55
Nov 18, 2015
Oh God please no.
+4
Level 12
Aug 1, 2017
2050: Pepe,YOLO, Memelord,Lenny
+2
Level 61
Oct 3, 2018
YEET
+3
Level 66
Dec 24, 2019
What is weird about lenny? It doesnt seem to fit in your line up. Especially not with people allready naming their kid paycheck and hitler..
+4
Level 66
Feb 26, 2022
You don't know who Lenny is??? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡° )
+6
Level 69
Sep 29, 2022
Absolute boomer-est comment I've ever seen
+1
Level 51
Feb 15, 2024
ikr
+1
Level 14
Mar 30, 2015
should have gotten more of these
+2
Level 20
Mar 31, 2015
Why is Bob accepted for Robert?
+1
Level 20
Mar 31, 2015
And Jack accepted for John?
+3
Level 82
Apr 10, 2015
Because these are common nicknames for those names
+3
Level 74
Aug 28, 2017
As is Liam for William
+4
Level 82
Apr 5, 2018
I can't speak for the younger generation, but I know when I was growing up nobody in the United States named William was called Liam. They would have been called Bill or Will or Willy or Billy or just William. I don't think most Americans would think of Liam as a nickname for William, but instead as a separate distinct name. I could be wrong. More recently than when I was a child, starting approximately around 2006 or 2007, there seemed to be this trend in the US amongst young people to start giving themselves unusual nicknames based on some other random and arbitrary portion of their name. e.g. instead of Christopher becoming Chris... it would be "Topher." Instead of Brittany become "Brit" it would be.. "Tanny." etc. I started hearing lots of odd ones around that time. Run in to the same thing in the Philippines. They like odd names over here.
+4
Level 20
Jun 30, 2018
Liam is the Irish form of William.
+4
Level 75
Oct 2, 2020
I knew a man named Frederick who, at different times in his life, went by Fred, Eric, and Rick.
+2
Level 87
May 9, 2021
I think these previous-year commenters would be amused by the name that turned up as #1 in 2020 after not appearing anywhere else in the list.
+2
Level 54
Jun 21, 2021
Liam has been used as a nickname for William for centuries, but please use your revised history instead of facts to make yourself feel better.
+1
Level 24
Apr 4, 2019
Every Bob I know, their name is Robert.
+6
Level 41
Oct 19, 2015
Jayden, Aiden, Elijah, oh god what's next, Gaylord?
+3
Level 66
Dec 24, 2019
Gaylord is an existing name (for those that didnt know) and one that was still given frequently up untill the 50s, after that usage declined (because of the shift of the meaning of the word gay (which originally meant happy, jolly), besides the normal decline that occurs like with Mildred or something)
+1
Level 43
Apr 3, 2023
I think of the gumball character :P
+2
Level 63
Jan 22, 2016
Some mentioned using fictional characters from books, friends names or musicians. I also try actors.
+2
Level 51
Mar 13, 2017
And, unsurprisingly, it helps to run through the disciples.
+3
Level 85
Nov 9, 2023
You say that but I tried Judas and got nothing.
+3
Level 45
Feb 29, 2016
I'm surprised there are no Hispanic names in 2010, or do those count as the English equivalents?
+5
Level 62
Dec 21, 2016
The information probably comes from the social security website, which only counts legal citizens. They keep a list of the top names for each year
+13
Level 28
Feb 2, 2017
^ not sure if you meant for this to be a joke xD
+1
Level 76
Feb 14, 2017
What is quite stunning for me are the huge differences from decade to decade, both here and in the other similar quizzes for the UK etc. Do parents just choose random names? I guess this may sound like a silly question, but in my country it is a tradition to name children after their grandparents, so I am wondering if people do anything similar in any other country...
+3
Level 82
Apr 5, 2018
Naming traditions in the USA used to be more conservative but lately they are not. Names for babies are like fashion trends that come in and out of style. Once a name becomes very popular then people stop favoring it because it's overexposed. Kids still get named after grandparents and odd family relatives, but I think it's more common that this will become a middle name than a first name. There's also the fact that the United States is not a homogenous place. They have lots of different people from lots of different backgrounds living there. Finally I think people from smaller less populous countries with less globally dominant cultures often feel some obligation to preserve their culture, language and traditions for future generations. Americans rarely feel any such pressure. They choose names that they like.
+1
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
Huge differences??? There could be 20x12= 240 different names on here, but there are only 71 !! Each column is nearly the same, only some slight differences.

I think in many places names have been very unoriginal and limited, sometimes even with brothers of the same name. That has become less and less and I think around 2000 (there is no abrupt line but by then it was a majority) people started naming their kids original things. I think part of it is, religion in most places does not dictate everyday life anymore so biblical names and naming after saints becomes less.

plus the world has become much "bigger" definitely with internet but also because almost everyone has a car now. Nobody normal would use to see the world beyond their town, so traditions and family were a bigger thing. Not that they dont matter now, but it used to be all encompassing.

+3
Level 61
Mar 13, 2017
Shoutout if your name made it on here. Mine did :0
+2
Level 44
Jun 16, 2017
What is your name? I'm a girl. And my first name isn't on the girl version of this quiz, my middle name is.
+2
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
"geography" is on there?? I guess it gets listed under george :)
+4
Level 21
May 10, 2017
"Gangster? His real name's Clarence"- Eminem (8Mile)
+1
Level 84
May 16, 2017
Wait, Jack doesn't count for Jackson? Jon works for Jonathan and even John, so I didn't bother going past Jack.
+4
Level 60
Jun 2, 2017
Can you accept Aidan for Aiden?
+2
Level ∞
Jun 5, 2017
Okay
+1
Level 63
Jun 28, 2017
needs more time.
+3
Level 68
Jul 8, 2017
Every single one of my uncle's names are on the list. My grandparents aren't very original
+1
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
I think the originality started about 1 (2 if you are young) generation ago. I think my parents generation were the first that started to give not so oldfashioned names.
+1
Level 89
Oct 2, 2020
I have two uncles named Rob and David, but I also have four more named Doug, Phil, Brad, and Curt, and none of those names appear on this list.
+1
Level 36
Jul 8, 2017
Harold and Harry are the same name.

Fun quiz overall though. I missed a couple whoppers.

+3
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
No, Harry comes from Henry which comes from Hen(d)rik/Heinrich. Which comes from the roots of home (heim) and ruler (like latin rex and regis. The same part is used in Frederick and Richard).

Harold comes from the roots for army (here (not pronounced as the english word here but more like herre) and rule/power (wald, compare wield)

So definately not the same name. Of you course people can gives other people any nickname they want. (Some people give others random names, like calling every new person in class bob or something eventhough they are called mitchell) But Harold and Hen(d)rik are two distinct names.

+1
Level 12
Jul 9, 2017
Jeez, I used a lot of Pokemon and Marvel names to help me....
+1
Level 12
Jul 9, 2017
I have failed General Grievous for not knowing to put the name Matthew
+2
Level 70
Jul 20, 2017
I worked through U.S. presidents, my family and friends, authors, musicians, actors, etc. Still only got 33...
+1
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
I went biblical, then (for the ones I didnt have yet) english kings, then american president, but that didnt help me much, Cause I dont know too many and lincoln and obama werent on the list :P

Then I think I tried thinking of writers ( and singers ) but I couldnt think of many haha.

+2
Level 48
Oct 29, 2017
Here's a little fun: I was entering Ronald -- for which Ron is enough, but keep typing and it gives me Al!

Now my question: am I wrong thinking William should trigger Liam?

+2
Level 33
Jan 13, 2018
I missed my own name. It only made it twice so it wasn't that dumb of me not to guess it.
+1
Level 3
Jan 21, 2018
I thought of kids in my grade cause there is alot of them with common names
+1
Level 16
May 11, 2018
why my name Aiden has 26%
+2
Level 21
May 14, 2018
Why are boy names so much easier???
+3
Level 68
Aug 12, 2018
Forgot Andrew, Raymond and Arthur.

Surprised Peter, Fred, Muhammed, Sam weren't there

+2
Level 44
Oct 6, 2018
I find it rather interesting that boys names have less diversity then girls. girls had about 113 different names, while boys had 71.
+2
Level 73
Feb 1, 2019
I have been thinking a lot about this. It is much more common in western culture to name a son after a father, grandfather, etc.
+1
Level 66
Jun 10, 2019
I think maybe they want something "pretty" for the girls names, so divert a bit from the beaten path and want to be creative. While for guys known names show strength ( naming after kings and rulers etc)
+2
Level 48
Jan 25, 2019
What's the frequency, Kenneth?
+1
Level 62
Oct 2, 2020
is your Benzedrine, uh-huh

I was brain-dead, locked out, numb, not up to speed

I thought I'd pegged you an idiot's dream

Tunnel vision from the outsider's screen

I never understood the frequency, uh-huh

You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh

I'd studied your cartoons, radio, music, TV, movies, magazines

Richard said, "Withdrawal in disgust is not the same as apathy"

A smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth

You said that irony was the shackles of youth

You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh

I never understood the frequency, uh-huh

"What's the frequency, Kenneth?" is your Benzedrine, uh-huh

Butterfly decal, rearview mirror, dogging the scene

You smile like the cartoon, tooth for a tooth

You said that irony was the shackles of youth

You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh

I never understood the frequency, uh-huh

You wore our expectations like an armored suit, uh-huh

I couldn't understand

You said that irony was the shackles of youth, uh-huh

+1
Level 62
Oct 2, 2020
I couldn't understand

You wore a shirt of violent green, uh-huh

I couldn't understand

I never understood, don't f- with me, uh-huh

+2
Level 45
Feb 26, 2019
I forgot my own name. *face palm*
+2
Level 68
Oct 3, 2020
LOL
+2
Level 41
May 2, 2019
Can I suggest you accept the Mathew spelling of Matthew with only the one T as its a common alternative spelling.
+1
Level 85
Nov 9, 2023
For the love of all that's holy, NO!!! I am a Matthew and seeing that weird single T variation always makes me squint!
+2
Level 34
Aug 14, 2019
Frustrating to type in Gerald and then see Jerry on there... Oh well!
+1
Level 30
Jun 15, 2020
Far fewer 'invented' names on the boys' list. I wonder why?
+7
Level 56
Oct 2, 2020
Wait hold up, where is Peter
+1
Level 64
Oct 2, 2020
Oh wow, I didn't even see the second table.
+1
Level 79
Oct 4, 2020
Hum, I missed ten in the 2016 column, but only two in the 1910 and 1920 columns each.
+3
Level 48
Oct 5, 2020
No Peter or Adam?
+2
Level 37
Oct 8, 2020
Surprised that almost none of my classmates names are on here. Harder than I thought. Not very many excuses as I am 11. All my uncles were on here too:)
+2
Level 70
May 8, 2021
I tried Jaden and it didn't work. I think that is a common spelling and should be accepted.
+1
Level ∞
May 8, 2021
Okay
+1
Level 78
Aug 7, 2021
Accept Jay for Jayden?
+2
Level 37
Aug 25, 2021
Mateo, yet no peter...
+1
Level 76
Nov 8, 2021
I like that even though there are 200 slots, they're filled by just 69 names
+2
Level 82
Nov 13, 2021
So a Hispanic name finally cracks the top 20 in the year 2020... and it's Mateo. I tried Juan but when that didn't work didn't guess any others. Should Matthew and Matt not work for Mateo?
+1
Level 22
Nov 16, 2021
55/69 not bad
+3
Level 43
Dec 2, 2021
Why is Jack accepted for John but not Jackson?
+1
Level 42
Jan 29, 2022
The key to this is:

Presidents First and Middle names, (sometimes also last names of presidents), English Kings, French Kings, Common names for boys, Founding fathers, and The Beatles' First names.

+3
Level 16
Feb 11, 2022
False, Ringo didnt work!
+3
Level 42
Aug 27, 2022
Ringo's actual name is Richard Starkey. His stage name is Ringo Starr. So esentially, Ringo's name IS on there, as his name is Richard.
+1
Level 78
Feb 22, 2022
Mateo
+1
Level 39
May 24, 2023
yes?
+1
Level 51
Apr 16, 2022
Liam is a short form or diminutive of William.
+2
Level 69
Sep 29, 2022
...It's in the name. But it's definitely not a common abbreviation of William.
+1
Level 24
Apr 26, 2022
Sebastion, really? I'm a teacher and have never come across Sebastion in 30 years.
+4
Level 74
Apr 27, 2022
For one thing, the name is the Sebastian. Furthermore, I don't think you would be teaching anyone born in 2020.
+2
Level 68
Nov 15, 2022
I know a few Sebastians. Never met anyone in NZ named Mateo.
+1
Level 46
Dec 8, 2022
58 I forgot Andrew but got Levi, this was the same for the countries of the world blank map, I got all the oceanic countries but forgot India and turkey...
+1
Level 43
Mar 25, 2023
I've met at max 3 Mateos. Never would have guessed it.
+1
Level 33
Sep 26, 2023
Matteo is spelt wrong
+2
Level ∞
Sep 26, 2023
No
+1
Level 74
Nov 12, 2023
Can you accept Geoffrey for Jeffrey?
+1
Level 21
Dec 18, 2023
How did James just go way down on the list from being top at 1940 - 1950 and being second to last in 2010.
+1
Level 21
Dec 18, 2023
Take my quizzes their great
+2
Level 83
Jan 11, 2024
are they any better than your spelling?
+1
Level 28
Mar 2, 2024
Wow, so many very common names not represented. Peter, Gordon, Paul, Bruce, Stanley... so many more.
+1
Level 22
Mar 5, 2024
Paul is on there