1880s Baby Names: Iva, Luella, Roscoe

Let’s talk 1880s baby names!

It’s a significant decade. The 1880s are the heart of the Gilded Age, with railroads and factories fueling  dramatic growth and building legendary fortunes, as well as the unions to counter that power.

It’s also the first decade for which name popularity data is available and searchable on the US Social Security Administration’s website.

A few caveats apply: this information wasn’t based on birth certificates filed for infants. It’s retrospective, compiled as Americans applied for Social Security cards. For individuals born prior to 1937, they may never have applied. That means their names aren’t recorded. Other records may have been incomplete.

Lastly, in a pre-database era, it’s possible that someone baptized Elizabeth but always called Betty may have applied for a Social Security card as Betty. Or a Gianni might’ve filed as John, his American name – or vice versa.

But while this data may be less accurate than more recent records, it’s still fascinating – and the numbers are large enough to provide a good idea of the most popular baby names from the decade.

First, let’s look at the most popular baby names from the 1880s for boys and girls, and then we’ll consider some neglected gems.

TOP 100 BOY NAMES from the 1880s

1. John
2. William
3. James
4. George
5. Charles
6. Frank
7. Joseph
8. Henry
9. Robert
10. Thomas
11. Edward
12. Harry
13. Walter
14. Arthur
15. Fred
16. Albert
17. Samuel
18. Clarence
19. Louis
20. David
21. Joe
22. Charlie
23. Richard
24. Ernest
25. Roy
26. Will
27. Andrew
28. Jesse
29. Oscar
30. Willie
31. Daniel
32. Benjamin
33. Carl
34. Sam
35. Alfred
36. Earl
37. Peter
38. Elmer
39. Frederick
40. Howard
41. Lewis
42. Ralph
43. Herbert
44. Paul
45. Lee
46. Tom
47. Herman
48. Martin
49. Jacob
50. Michael
51. Jim
52. Claude
53. Ben
54. Eugene
55. Francis
56. Grover
57. Raymond
58. Harvey
59. Clyde
60. Edwin
61. Edgar
62. Ed
63. Lawrence
64. Bert
65. Chester
66. Jack
67. Otto
68. Luther
69. Charley
70. Guy
71. Floyd
72. Ira
73. Ray
74. Hugh
75. Isaac
76. Oliver
77. Patrick
78. Homer
79. Theodore
80. Leonard
81. Leo
82. Alexander
83. August
84. Harold
85. Allen
86. Jessie
87. Archie
88. Philip
89. Stephen
90. Horace
91. Marion
92. Bernard
93. Anthony
94. Julius
95. Warren
96. Leroy
97. Clifford
98. Eddie
99. Sidney
100. Milton

TOP 100 GIRL NAMES from the 1880s

1. Mary
2. Anna
3. Emma
4. Elizabeth
5. Margaret
6. Minnie
7. Ida
8. Bertha
9. Clara
10. Alice
11. Annie
12. Florence
13. Bessie
14. Grace
15. Ethel
16. Sarah
17. Ella
18. Martha
19. Nellie
20. Mabel
21. Laura
22. Carrie
23. Cora
24. Helen
25. Maude
26. Lillian
27. Gertrude
28. Rose
29. Edna
30. Pearl
31. Edith
32. Jennie
33. Hattie
34. Mattie
35. Eva
36. Julia
37. Myrtle
38. Louise
39. Lillie
40. Jessie
41. Frances
42. Catherine
43. Lula
44. Lena
45. Marie
46. Ada
47. Josephine
48. Fannie
49. Lucy
50. Dora
51. Agnes
52. Maggie
53. Blanche
54. Katherine
55. Elsie
56. Nora
57. Mamie
58. Rosa
59. Stella
60. Daisy
61. May
62. Effie
63. Mae
64. Ellen
65. Nettie
66. Ruth
67. Alma
68. Della
69. Lizzie
70. Sadie
71. Sallie
72. Nancy
73. Susie
74. Maud
75. Flora
76. Irene
77. Etta
78. Katie
79. Lydia
80. Lottie
81. Viola
82. Caroline
83. Addie
84. Hazel
85. Georgia
86. Esther
87. Mollie
88. Olive
89. Willie
90. Harriet
91. Emily
92. Charlotte
93. Amanda
94. Kathryn
95. Lulu
96. Susan
97. Kate
98. Nannie
99. Jane
100. Amelia

From the expected classics, like William and Grace, to overlooked vintage gems, like Minnie and Ernest, there’s no shortage of names to consider on these lists.

But beyond the Top 100s for the decade, some truly fascinating – and potentially wearable – choices await. True, names like Evelyn, Everett, and Matthew are far more popular today than they were then. But others are bordering on extinction today … even though they’d fit nicely with the most popular names of our moment.

Looking at the Top 100 for the decade of the 1880s as listed on the Social Security website, there are plenty of 1880s baby names that have long been neglected.

On to the 1880s names that are overdue for revival!

1880s GIRL NAMES

ALTA #144

In Latin, altus means high. Alto is the Italian and Spanish word for high, and, of course, also a voice type in a chorus. Fans of the Olympic games might recognize it, thanks to the Latin translation of the motto Swifter, Higher, Stronger: Citius, Altius, Fortius. That lends vintage Alta some sporting verve.

DELIA #141

Short, sweet Delia is associated with the Greek goddess Artemis, since she and her twin brother, Apollo, were born on the island of Delos. It’s appeared in poetry across the ages, making this name literary and vintage, too.

HENRIETTA #113

If names like Olivia and Isabella can dominate the Top Ten, it’s easy to imagine Henrietta there, too. Classic Henry is back in the spotlight for our sons, adding more reason to revisit this elaborate choice. Henrietta sometimes shortens to Hettie, a name that fits right in with Hallie, Hattie, and Lottie.

IVA #124

With ties to Greek myth and a Tennyson poem, 1880s chart-topper Ida could be quite stylish today. Iva, too, feels like it has plenty of potential. Ranked #124 for the decade, it’s a Slavic name meaning willow tree, or short for Iva – which ties this brief name to the evergreen John. Mini names Ina and Ora were also popular in the 1880s, long forgotten now.

LELA #129

Lyla, Layla, Leila, Lilah, and more variations of this pretty Arabic name with poetic and literary roots appear in our current US Top 1000. But Lela is overlooked. Too bad, because it’s a particularly logical way to achieve the pronunciation lee-lah.

LUELLA #155

Girls’ names ending with -ella have a good run. Just ask Gabriella, Ariella, and Arabella, as well as former #1 Isabella. Luella, a Louise spin-off, remains underused, though. It sounds sparky and vintage, less expected than Luna or Annabelle, but right at home on a playground with both of them.

MATILDA #110

In the 1880s and again today, Matilda is a name that everyone knows, but relatively few parents are choosing. Germanic in origin, Matilda’s roots go back to William the Conqueror – at least. It’s a name with plenty of strength, but also playful nicknames like Millie and Tilly.

NELL #159

As brief as Jane or Anne, Nell is traditionally short for longer names beginning with El. But it can stand on its own, too, a vintage pick that might feel a little more substantial than Elle.

PAULINE #109

Paul makes the Top 100 popular boy names list for the 1880s. But Paula is nowhere in sight. Instead, it’s French feminine form Pauline that’s most common, even if it doesn’t quite make the cut for go-to girl names during the 1880s. It would work today, too, an alternative to Josephine.

RENA #169

The Late Latin name Renatus means “born again.” In the US, it’s best known as the French feminine Renee, and sometimes the masculine Rene, too. But Rena is another option for a daughter. It might also be short for names ending with the sound: Katrina, for example. There’s a similar Hebrew name, typically spelled Rina in English, that means joy.

WINIFRED #161

Beautifully antique, with sparky nickname Winnie, Winifred is a logical sister for Amelia and Frances – in 1880 or now.

1880s BOY NAMES

AMOS #121

One of the many Old Testament names embraced by Puritans, Amos feels old-school. It rhymes with famous, but probably has suffered from sounding too much like an anatomical term. Still, it’s got potential, a brother for Ezra or Levi, with a friendly, upbeat vibe.

DENNIS #122

Classic names always come back. Dennis sounds buttoned-up and mild-mannered, but it comes from the Greek god of wine and revelry, Dionysios. While Dennis feels dated, nicknames Den and Denny are delightful, substitutes for beloved boy names like Teddy and Ben.

EDMUND #185

Ed- names used to be everywhere. But even in the 1880s, Edward and Edwin were the Top 100 picks, while Edmund languished. Still, it’s the name of many men of accomplishment, from Sir Edmund Hillary, who climbed Mount Everest, to poet Edmund Spenser, of Faerie Queene fame.

ELLIS #181

There’s something terribly modern about Ellis, a name that feels at home with choices like Hayes and Atticus and Wells. Strictly speaking, it’s a surname form of Elias, which is another version of Elijah. Given the popularity of Elijah today, along with that stylish sound, Ellis is deservedly rising in use now. However,  it remains less common than it was during the 1880s – and it was relatively overlooked then, too.

EMIL #104

Parents adore Amelia. Emily was a long-time #1. And yet, masculine form Emil remains underused. Other late nineteenth century L-enders, like Virgil and Cecil, also deserve a closer look now. But Emil feels like the obvious choice, a brother to so many very popular choices for our daughters.

FRANKLIN #125

It’s presidential and Founding Father. There’s the turtle of children’s book fame. And unlike Francis, it leads obviously to nicknames Frankie and Frank. Despite all of those positive qualities, parents haven’t warmed to Franklin in recent generations, despite its antique, storied appeal. One factor: maybe very few of us have grandparents and great-grandparents named Franklin to encourage the name’s revival. (Of course that’s potentially true for any of the overlooked gems on these lists.)

ROSCOE #139

An English surname with Old Norse roots, Roscoe fits right in with all those o-ending favorites: Milo, Arlo, Leo, Theo, Enzo. Maybe it sounds a little country, a touch unsophisticated, thanks to the lingering character of bumbling Sheriff Rosco P.  Coltrane from 1980s television relic The Dukes of Hazzard. But that feels like a quickly fading reference for a new generation, and Roscoe has quietly gained in use over the last decade.

MORRIS #154

A surname name that, like Ellis, has plenty of current style, Morris is also hamstrung by a fading pop culture association. Beginning in the late 1960s, Morris the Cat served as a mascot for 9Lives cat food, famous everywhere television commericals reached. But the name’s roots run deep. It started out as the typical English form of French name Maurice, an ancient name with history to spare.

RUSSELL #131

Like Scarlett, Rowan, and Rory, Russell is associate with the color red. It rose in use early in the twentieth century and remained a Top 100 choice into the 1980s. While its faded in recent years, Russell feels like the kind of surname ready for the 2020s, a brother for Wyatt or Walker.

RUFUS #110

Another ends-in-s name for boys, Rufus fell just outside the US Top 100 for 1880s names. It’s fallen since then, and today it sounds sort of quirky-indie (Looking at you, Rufus Wainwright) or possibly British. (Hello, Rufus Sewell.) Over the past dozen decades or so, Rufus has gone from ordinary name to one teetering on the edge of extinction. It’s a vintage rarity that your son will seldom have to share with another child. Of all the 1880 boy names, Rufus might be the most obvious candidate for revival.

VICTOR #114

V names are having a moment. There’s the middle V of fellow overlooked 1880s names, like Calvin and Sylvester. But names like Victor put the V front and center. With a swaggering meaning and centuries of tradition behind it, Victor is the kind of name that we’d have invented in the 2020s if it didn’t already exist.

WILBUR #147

There’s William, of course. But other Wil- names have had their moment in the sun, like surname Wilson. Wilbur can read very Charlotte’s Web – it’s the name of the pig – and it does, indeed, mean wild boar. But Wilbur was also the name of pioeering aviator Wilbur Wright, and perhaps seen in that light, it’s a vintage name with potential.

What are your favorite 1880s baby names?

First published on February 10, 2016, this post was revised and republished on December 9, 2023.