Male monikers are commonly inspired by political, cultural, and personal influences that suggest good, masculine, and well-rounded people.
Stacker rounded up the most popular baby boy names from 1915 to 2021, using data from the Social Security Administration.
– #1 boys’ name: John
– #2 boys’ name: William
– #3 boys’ name: James
John topped the list of most popular baby boy names from 1915 to 1919. Hebrew in origin, the name means “God is gracious.”
– #1 boys’ name: Michael
– #2 boys’ name: James
– #3 boys’ name: David
1970 and 1971 mark the last years of David topping the Social Security Administration’s list of popular baby boy names.
1970-1971
1981-1994
– #1 boys’ name: Michael
– #2 boys’ name: Christopher
– #3 boys’ name: Matthew
The early 1980s brought a new name into fashion. Matthew, an English moniker meaning “gift of God,” crept up into the third spot in 1981.
– #1 boys’ name: Jacob
– #2 boys’ name: Michael
– #3 boys’ name: Matthew
The turn of the century brought a minor panic—remember Y2K? But while many things did change, the most popular names for newborn boys remained the same.
– #1 boys’ name: Noah
– #2 boys’ name: Liam
– #3 boys’ name: Mason
Noah remained the most popular name for boys throughout 2014 and 2015. Liam became the second most-used name. Stemming from Ireland, Liam means “strong-willed warrior.”