Most Common Male First Names in the United States

In this section of the site we have data on the most common male first names in the United States.

Note: the data source for these names is the 1990 Decennial Census, and is very outdated. If you want to view more accurate data on the popularity of first names, please check the baby names section of the site, which has much more recent data of names registered on Social Security card applications.

The table below shows the most popular first names for the U.S. population for the 1990 Census.

You can use the links below to view more common first names. This page is currently showing male names ranked from 301 to 600.

Most common first names: 1-1000 | 1001+

Most common male names: 1-300 | 301-600 | 601-900 | 900+

Most common female names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001+

Rank Name Frequency (%) Count
301 AUSTIN 0.04% 143,690
302 STUART 0.04% 143,690
303 FREDRICK 0.04% 140,425
304 ARTURO 0.04% 140,425
305 ALEJANDRO 0.04% 140,425
306 JACKIE 0.04% 140,425
307 JOEY 0.04% 140,425
308 NICK 0.04% 140,425
309 LUTHER 0.04% 140,425
310 WENDELL 0.04% 137,159
311 JEREMIAH 0.04% 137,159
312 EVAN 0.04% 137,159
313 JULIUS 0.04% 137,159
314 DANA 0.04% 137,159
315 DONNIE 0.04% 133,893
316 OTIS 0.04% 133,893
317 SHANNON 0.04% 130,628
318 TREVOR 0.04% 130,628
319 OLIVER 0.04% 130,628
320 LUKE 0.04% 130,628
321 HOMER 0.04% 130,628
322 GERARD 0.04% 130,628
323 DOUG 0.04% 130,628
324 KENNY 0.04% 127,362
325 HUBERT 0.04% 127,362
326 ANGELO 0.04% 127,362
327 SHAUN 0.04% 127,362
328 LYLE 0.04% 124,096
329 MATT 0.04% 124,096
330 LYNN 0.04% 124,096
331 ALFONSO 0.04% 124,096
332 ORLANDO 0.04% 120,831
333 REX 0.04% 120,831
334 CARLTON 0.04% 120,831
335 ERNESTO 0.04% 120,831
336 CAMERON 0.04% 120,831
337 NEAL 0.04% 120,831
338 PABLO 0.04% 117,565
339 LORENZO 0.04% 117,565
340 OMAR 0.04% 117,565
341 WILBUR 0.04% 117,565
342 BLAKE 0.04% 117,565
343 GRANT 0.04% 117,565
344 HORACE 0.04% 117,565
345 RODERICK 0.04% 117,565
346 KERRY 0.04% 117,565
347 ABRAHAM 0.04% 114,299
348 WILLIS 0.04% 114,299
349 RICKEY 0.04% 114,299
350 JEAN 0.04% 114,299
351 IRA 0.04% 114,299
352 ANDRES 0.03% 111,034
353 CESAR 0.03% 111,034
354 JOHNATHAN 0.03% 111,034
355 MALCOLM 0.03% 111,034
356 RUDOLPH 0.03% 111,034
357 DAMON 0.03% 111,034
358 KELVIN 0.03% 111,034
359 RUDY 0.03% 111,034
360 PRESTON 0.03% 111,034
361 ALTON 0.03% 107,768
362 ARCHIE 0.03% 107,768
363 MARCO 0.03% 107,768
364 WM 0.03% 107,768
365 PETE 0.03% 104,502
366 RANDOLPH 0.03% 104,502
367 GARRY 0.03% 104,502
368 GEOFFREY 0.03% 104,502
369 JONATHON 0.03% 104,502
370 FELIPE 0.03% 104,502
371 BENNIE 0.03% 104,502
372 GERARDO 0.03% 104,502
373 ED 0.03% 104,502
374 DOMINIC 0.03% 104,502
375 ROBIN 0.03% 104,502
376 LOREN 0.03% 104,502
377 DELBERT 0.03% 101,236
378 COLIN 0.03% 101,236
379 GUILLERMO 0.03% 101,236
380 EARNEST 0.03% 101,236
381 LUCAS 0.03% 101,236
382 BENNY 0.03% 97,971
383 NOEL 0.03% 97,971
384 SPENCER 0.03% 97,971
385 RODOLFO 0.03% 97,971
386 MYRON 0.03% 97,971
387 EDMUND 0.03% 97,971
388 GARRETT 0.03% 94,705
389 SALVATORE 0.03% 94,705
390 CEDRIC 0.03% 94,705
391 LOWELL 0.03% 94,705
392 GREGG 0.03% 94,705
393 SHERMAN 0.03% 91,439
394 WILSON 0.03% 91,439
395 DEVIN 0.03% 91,439
396 SYLVESTER 0.03% 91,439
397 KIM 0.03% 91,439
398 ROOSEVELT 0.03% 91,439
399 ISRAEL 0.03% 91,439
400 JERMAINE 0.03% 91,439
401 FORREST 0.03% 88,174
402 WILBERT 0.03% 88,174
403 LELAND 0.03% 88,174
404 SIMON 0.03% 84,908
405 GUADALUPE 0.03% 84,908
406 CLARK 0.03% 84,908
407 IRVING 0.03% 84,908
408 CARROLL 0.03% 84,908
409 BRYANT 0.03% 84,908
410 OWEN 0.03% 84,908
411 RUFUS 0.03% 81,642
412 WOODROW 0.03% 81,642
413 SAMMY 0.03% 81,642
414 KRISTOPHER 0.03% 81,642
415 MACK 0.03% 81,642
416 LEVI 0.03% 81,642
417 MARCOS 0.03% 81,642
418 GUSTAVO 0.03% 81,642
419 JAKE 0.03% 81,642
420 LIONEL 0.02% 78,377
421 MARTY 0.02% 78,377
422 TAYLOR 0.02% 78,377
423 ELLIS 0.02% 78,377
424 DALLAS 0.02% 78,377
425 GILBERTO 0.02% 78,377
426 CLINT 0.02% 78,377
427 NICOLAS 0.02% 78,377
428 LAURENCE 0.02% 78,377
429 ISMAEL 0.02% 78,377
430 ORVILLE 0.02% 78,377
431 DREW 0.02% 78,377
432 JODY 0.02% 78,377
433 ERVIN 0.02% 75,111
434 DEWEY 0.02% 75,111
435 AL 0.02% 75,111
436 WILFRED 0.02% 75,111
437 JOSH 0.02% 75,111
438 HUGO 0.02% 75,111
439 IGNACIO 0.02% 75,111
440 CALEB 0.02% 75,111
441 TOMAS 0.02% 75,111
442 SHELDON 0.02% 75,111
443 ERICK 0.02% 75,111
444 FRANKIE 0.02% 75,111
445 STEWART 0.02% 71,845
446 DOYLE 0.02% 71,845
447 DARREL 0.02% 71,845
448 ROGELIO 0.02% 71,845
449 TERENCE 0.02% 71,845
450 SANTIAGO 0.02% 71,845
451 ALONZO 0.02% 71,845
452 ELIAS 0.02% 71,845
453 BERT 0.02% 71,845
454 ELBERT 0.02% 71,845
455 RAMIRO 0.02% 71,845
456 CONRAD 0.02% 71,845
457 PAT 0.02% 71,845
458 NOAH 0.02% 71,845
459 GRADY 0.02% 68,580
460 PHIL 0.02% 68,580
461 CORNELIUS 0.02% 68,580
462 LAMAR 0.02% 68,580
463 ROLANDO 0.02% 68,580
464 CLAY 0.02% 68,580
465 PERCY 0.02% 68,580
466 DEXTER 0.02% 68,580
467 BRADFORD 0.02% 68,580
468 MERLE 0.02% 68,580
469 DARIN 0.02% 65,314
470 AMOS 0.02% 65,314
471 TERRELL 0.02% 65,314
472 MOSES 0.02% 65,314
473 IRVIN 0.02% 65,314
474 SAUL 0.02% 65,314
475 ROMAN 0.02% 65,314
476 DARNELL 0.02% 65,314
477 RANDAL 0.02% 65,314
478 TOMMIE 0.02% 65,314
479 TIMMY 0.02% 62,048
480 DARRIN 0.02% 62,048
481 WINSTON 0.02% 62,048
482 BRENDAN 0.02% 62,048
483 TOBY 0.02% 62,048
484 VAN 0.02% 62,048
485 ABEL 0.02% 62,048
486 DOMINICK 0.02% 62,048
487 BOYD 0.02% 62,048
488 COURTNEY 0.02% 62,048
489 JAN 0.02% 62,048
490 EMILIO 0.02% 62,048
491 ELIJAH 0.02% 62,048
492 CARY 0.02% 62,048
493 DOMINGO 0.02% 62,048
494 SANTOS 0.02% 62,048
495 AUBREY 0.02% 62,048
496 EMMETT 0.02% 62,048
497 MARLON 0.02% 62,048
498 EMANUEL 0.02% 62,048
499 JERALD 0.02% 62,048
500 EDMOND 0.02% 62,048
501 EMIL 0.02% 62,048
502 DEWAYNE 0.02% 58,782
503 WILL 0.02% 58,782
504 OTTO 0.02% 58,782
505 TEDDY 0.02% 58,782
506 REYNALDO 0.02% 58,782
507 BRET 0.02% 58,782
508 MORGAN 0.02% 58,782
509 JESS 0.02% 58,782
510 TRENT 0.02% 58,782
511 HUMBERTO 0.02% 58,782
512 EMMANUEL 0.02% 58,782
513 STEPHAN 0.02% 58,782
514 LOUIE 0.02% 58,782
515 VICENTE 0.02% 55,517
516 LAMONT 0.02% 55,517
517 STACY 0.02% 55,517
518 GARLAND 0.02% 55,517
519 MILES 0.02% 55,517
520 MICAH 0.02% 55,517
521 EFRAIN 0.02% 55,517
522 BILLIE 0.02% 55,517
523 LOGAN 0.02% 55,517
524 HEATH 0.02% 55,517
525 RODGER 0.02% 55,517
526 HARLEY 0.02% 55,517
527 DEMETRIUS 0.02% 55,517
528 ETHAN 0.02% 55,517
529 ELDON 0.02% 55,517
530 ROCKY 0.02% 52,251
531 PIERRE 0.02% 52,251
532 JUNIOR 0.02% 52,251
533 FREDDY 0.02% 52,251
534 ELI 0.02% 52,251
535 BRYCE 0.02% 52,251
536 ANTOINE 0.02% 52,251
537 ROBBIE 0.02% 52,251
538 KENDALL 0.02% 52,251
539 ROYCE 0.02% 52,251
540 STERLING 0.02% 52,251
541 MICKEY 0.02% 52,251
542 CHASE 0.02% 52,251
543 GROVER 0.02% 52,251
544 ELTON 0.02% 52,251
545 CLEVELAND 0.02% 52,251
546 DYLAN 0.02% 52,251
547 CHUCK 0.02% 52,251
548 DAMIAN 0.02% 52,251
549 REUBEN 0.02% 48,985
550 STAN 0.02% 48,985
551 AUGUST 0.02% 48,985
552 LEONARDO 0.02% 48,985
553 JASPER 0.02% 48,985
554 RUSSEL 0.02% 48,985
555 ERWIN 0.02% 48,985
556 BENITO 0.02% 48,985
557 HANS 0.02% 48,985
558 MONTE 0.02% 48,985
559 BLAINE 0.02% 48,985
560 ERNIE 0.02% 48,985
561 CURT 0.02% 48,985
562 QUENTIN 0.02% 48,985
563 AGUSTIN 0.02% 48,985
564 MURRAY 0.02% 48,985
565 JAMAL 0.01% 45,720
566 DEVON 0.01% 45,720
567 ADOLFO 0.01% 45,720
568 HARRISON 0.01% 45,720
569 TYSON 0.01% 45,720
570 BURTON 0.01% 45,720
571 BRADY 0.01% 45,720
572 ELLIOTT 0.01% 45,720
573 WILFREDO 0.01% 45,720
574 BART 0.01% 45,720
575 JARROD 0.01% 45,720
576 VANCE 0.01% 45,720
577 DENIS 0.01% 45,720
578 DAMIEN 0.01% 45,720
579 JOAQUIN 0.01% 45,720
580 HARLAN 0.01% 45,720
581 DESMOND 0.01% 45,720
582 ELLIOT 0.01% 45,720
583 DARWIN 0.01% 45,720
584 ASHLEY 0.01% 45,720
585 GREGORIO 0.01% 45,720
586 BUDDY 0.01% 45,720
587 XAVIER 0.01% 42,454
588 KERMIT 0.01% 42,454
589 ROSCOE 0.01% 42,454
590 ESTEBAN 0.01% 42,454
591 ANTON 0.01% 42,454
592 SOLOMON 0.01% 42,454
593 SCOTTY 0.01% 42,454
594 NORBERT 0.01% 42,454
595 ELVIN 0.01% 42,454
596 WILLIAMS 0.01% 42,454
597 NOLAN 0.01% 42,454
598 CAREY 0.01% 42,454
599 ROD 0.01% 42,454
600 QUINTON 0.01% 42,454

The Most Common Male Names in the United States

Did you find your name on the list? Or maybe you were surprised by where you found it on the list. This could be because you have a name that is very popular or has been around for many years.

But why do people have names to begin with? And where did people get the idea to name themselves and their children? Keep reading to learn more.

Why Do People Have Names?

It’s easy to see why people have names, just picture a world without them. It doesn’t even have to be a world without names, just think of your family or your coworkers not having names. Rather than calling their name out to ask a question, you would have to physically gesture to them or just say ‘hey you.’

Emailing and texting would be just as difficult as you would never know who anything was from or who it was referring to—you get the point; names are a necessary part of society.

Unfortunately, historians aren’t sure when the practice of naming originated, as everything written in history talks about people using names. Therefore many speculate that names have been around since the time when humans first began using spoken language.

Where Do Male First Names Come From?

Even though the practice of naming has been around for thousands of years, the method of how parents come up with names for their children has remained relatively unchanged. Most names are derived from some basic aspects of life. These aspects will vary widely from culture to culture.

Names From Nouns

The main place where people derived names to name themselves is from nouns. These noun names would be the equivalent of naming someone ‘Tree,’ ‘Earl’ or ‘Hunter’ today. But because English wasn’t always the most prominent language on the planet, your name may be derived from a noun without you knowing.

Take the name ‘Jason’ for example, as it is the Greek word for ‘healer.’ If your name is Jason, it’s unlikely your parents really wanted to name you ‘healer’ but rather they just liked the sound of the name without knowing it’s origin.

Names From Adjectives

Names are also frequently derived from adjectives. Think of the name ‘Harry,’ although someone with this name may not necessarily be any harrier than anyone else, it’s likely that the name was once given to a child who was born very hairy, and the spelling changed over time.

It isn’t always obvious that a name is from an adjective either. Look at the name ‘Robert’ which actually means ‘bright’ in old German. No one speaks old German anymore, so if your name is Robert, you likely had no idea it was an adjective name even though it is one of the most common names for males in the United States.

Names From Compound Phrases

Other names which are popular are made of compound phrases. This would be the equivalent of naming your child ‘He who rides the wave’ or ‘The brave leader’ today. (This is still done in some cultures, such as in Hawaii). Of course, while this is no longer common, there are many popular names that entered the world in this way.

For example, ‘Benjamin’ , a very popular boy's name, is actually Hebrew for ‘Son of the Right Hand.’ Most people who named their son Benjamin have no idea of the meaning behind the name.

Names From Gods/Religion

Does your name not seem to come from any of these categories? Well, then it is likely you are named after a religious figure or god. These names are especially common among males. Take ‘Michael’ which is the name of a famous archangel and is one of the most popular male names.

‘Jesus,’ ‘John,’ and ‘Joseph’ are all names of religious origin that still remain popular today.

Why Are Some Male First Names So Common?

When looking at common first names for males, you will notice the top names are extremely common. Much more so than the top female names in the same places. Why is this?

Well, the practice of how people name their children is actually very difficult to track and even harder to explain. There are some naming phenomena that even scientists don’t understand.

Think about it this way, when parents are naming a child they are much more likely to come up with a unique name for a daughter, rather than for a son. Parents are also more likely to tweak a girl’s name with a spelling change than a boys. Why is this? No one is sure, but it could have something to do with the fact that parents fear a son will be judged much more harshly by his peers if he has a weird name than if their daughter does.

Therefore when faced with a choice between naming their son ‘David’ or coming up with something new like ‘Daviloen,’ many parents will take the easy way out and pick the simple name so their child doesn’t have problems in the future.

But besides just sticking to boring names, you have to account for the fact that people like to show respect to family members by naming their children after their parents/grandparents. Although this does happen with daughters too, it is increasingly more common in boys. Boys are much more likely to be named the same name as their father.

This means that a name like Robert, which has been popular for years, isn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind, but rather it’s the parents passing on the family name as a sign of respect. Therefore the name remains popular as generation after generation continues the tradition.

Additionally, people often name their children after celebrities or famous people they admire. Thus as certain celebrities rise in fame, there tends to be a spike of children named after that celebrity. This is much more difficult to track in boys than girls (again, due to the lack of creativity) but you can see this in the name ‘Elon’ which has become more popular ever since Elon Musk became a household name.

Besides naming their children after the living, parents also like to name their children after characters in books. Recently, the popular book ‘Twilight’ has brought back many old names which were on their way to extinction such as ‘Edward,’ ‘Emmett,’ and ‘Carlisle.’ It will be interesting to see if this trend continues, or if it fades as the generation who enjoyed this book gets too old to have children.

Overall, it’s difficult to say exactly why some names are popular and others are not. It’s also hard to say for sure why so many male names have been popular for so long. It is likely a combination of all of the above aspects working together to keep names like ‘James’ and ‘John’ at the top of the list.

Why Do Some Male Names Go Out of Style?

There are times when a name will sink down the list, or perhaps be eliminated from it completely. This occurs for several reasons.

As previously mentioned, many people name their children after figures and characters. As these celebrities or stories go out of style, so too does the practice of naming them this way. And sometimes, there is negative publicity surrounding a name, causing people to stop naming their children after the individual entirely. Just look at the popularity of the name ‘Adolf’ for example.

Over time, it is becoming less and less popular to name a son after the father and grandfather. While the US was once filled with ‘Junior’s’ and ‘the seconds’ it is now becoming more popular to give your son a new name. Therefore it is possible names you see on this list today may not retain the same spot in the coming decades.

In conclusion, it’s almost impossible to say why some names go out of style while others remain popular so you’ll just have to keep wondering why there are still so many people naming their son ‘John.’

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the 1990 Decennial Census survey, from the United States Census Bureau.

If you know of a more up-to-date source for first name data, please let us know. You can also use the baby name section for further research of common and popular first names in the United States.

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  • "Most Common Male First Names in the United States". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/first-names/common-male-first-names/.

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