The most popular names in America over the past century clearly reflect that Irish Americans make up almost 10% of the nation.
Over 31.5 million residents of the United States claim Irish ancestry, just behind German (43.0 million). This fact is clearly reflected in the results gleaned from US Social Security Administration data on the most popular names in the country, between 1920 and 2019.
Stacker combed through Social Security Administration data and the corresponding names given to newborns and the results show that Irish names are still strong in the United States. While James and Mary are the most popular overall, some unmistakably Irish names have crept into the top 100.
The most popular Irish baby names in the United States, from 1920 to 2019.
Below, we take a look at the most popular Irish names in the United States from 1920 to 2019:
BOYS
# 47. Patrick
– Babies born in the last century: 663,725
– Popularity ranking 2019: # 206 (1,870 babies born)
– Peak year: 1964
Well, this one is a no-brainer! The name of Ireland’s patron saint, St. Patrick, makes a difference.
#30. Ryan
– Babies born in the last century: 937 629
– Popularity ranking 2019: # 54 (6,087 babies born)
– Peak year: 1985
According to the data, there is no record of the name, or the amount was negligible in the United States before 1946. Of course, its origin is Irish. Ryan is the English name derived from the old Irish name Rian. The name derives from the Irish name O’Riain, which in turn derives from the name O’Mulriain.
The most popular Irish baby names in the United States, from 1920 to 2019.
# 23. Brian
– Babies born in the last century: 1,166,797
– Popularity ranking 2019: # 247 (1,465 babies born)
– Peak year: 1972
It is most often thought that the Irish name, Brian, comes from an old Celtic word and is meant to mean ‘high’ or ‘noble’. He is most closely associated with the legendary Irish King Brian Boru.
# 22. Kevin
– Babies born in the last century: 1,172,372
– Popularity ranking 2019: 149 (2,610 babies born)
– Peak year: 1963
Derived from the Irish name Caoimhin, Kevin means’ kind ‘,’ gentle ‘,’ handsome by birth. From Old Irish “caomh” meaning sweet, kind or beautiful, and “gin” meaning child or birth. Kevin peaked in popularity as a boy’s name in 1963, and 2017 marked the first time since the 1940s that the name wasn’t in the top 100.
The most popular Irish baby names in the United States, from 1920 to 2019.
# 20. Kenneth
– Babies born in the last century: 1,226,558
– Popularity ranking 2019: 233 (1,611 babies born)
– Peak year: 1957
The contemporary name Kenneth is an anglicized version of Cinaed and Coinneach. Kenneth is generally more associated with Scotland than with Ireland, seems to have been very popular in Ireland during the Middle Ages in the form of Cinaed.
GIRLS
# 31. Kathleen
– Babies born in the last century: 689,366
– Popularity ranking 2019: # 940 (279 babies born)
– Peak year: 1951
The name remained among the Top 100 First Names for Girls for seven decades, from 1920 to 1990. Kathleen is the anglicized form of CaitlÃn, the Irish form of Catellina, which was the old French form of Catherine.
The most popular Irish baby names in the United States, from 1920 to 2019.
# 2. Patricia
– Babies born in the last century: 1,560,897
– Popularity ranking 2019: # 936 (280 babies born)
– Peak year: 1951
The popularity of this name peaked in 1951 and remained in the top 10 female first names for almost three decades. Patricia is derived from the Latin word patrician, meaning “noble”, it is the feminine form of the male first name Patrick. We therefore claim it.
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