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Top baby names of the 1930s

Ten birth years · Mary · Robert lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in the 1930s, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. Then see which names rose and fell since and what is climbing now.

1920s1940sCompare two names
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The 1930s lists

Girls100

  1. 1Mary573,000
  2. 2Betty300,409
  3. 3Barbara296,420
  4. 4Shirley229,380
  5. 5Patricia220,582
  6. 6Dorothy210,415
  7. 7Joan173,439
  8. 8Margaret157,369
  9. 9Nancy142,488
  10. 10Helen140,426
  11. 11Carol117,731
  12. 12Joyce115,506
  13. 13Doris110,658
  14. 14Ruth109,204
  15. 15Virginia103,089
  16. 16Marilyn98,531
  17. 17Elizabeth96,480
  18. 18Jean94,189
  19. 19Frances92,117
  20. 20Beverly80,846
  21. 21Lois80,713
  22. 22Alice78,968
  23. 23Donna78,846
  24. 24Martha77,697
  25. 25Dolores77,139
  26. 26Janet76,038
  27. 27Phyllis73,805
  28. 28Norma72,878
  29. 29Carolyn69,525
  30. 30Evelyn69,364
  31. 31Gloria68,588
  32. 32Anna66,598
  33. 33Marie65,803
  34. 34Ann64,060
  35. 35Mildred61,738
  36. 36Rose59,111
  37. 37Peggy56,275
  38. 38Geraldine50,042
  39. 39Catherine50,027
  40. 40Judith49,904
  41. 41Louise49,859
  42. 42Janice49,343
  43. 43Marjorie49,213
  44. 44Annie48,946
  45. 45Ruby47,648
  46. 46Eleanor46,379
  47. 47Jane45,814
  48. 48Sandra45,399
  49. 49Irene44,448
  50. 50Wanda43,072
  51. 51Elaine41,108
  52. 52June40,745
  53. 53Joanne40,581
  54. 54Rita38,741
  55. 55Florence37,942
  56. 56Delores37,603
  57. 57Lillian37,391
  58. 58Marlene37,355
  59. 59Edna36,973
  60. 60Sarah36,513
  61. 61Patsy36,475
  62. 62Lorraine36,333
  63. 63Thelma36,254
  64. 64Josephine36,051
  65. 65Juanita35,915
  66. 66Bonnie35,803
  67. 67Arlene34,796
  68. 68Gladys34,762
  69. 69Joann34,698
  70. 70Sally34,680
  71. 71Charlotte34,646
  72. 72Kathleen34,550
  73. 73Audrey34,007
  74. 74Pauline33,690
  75. 75Wilma33,188
  76. 76Sylvia33,011
  77. 77Theresa32,785
  78. 78Jacqueline32,115
  79. 79Clara31,658
  80. 80Ethel31,582
  81. 81Loretta31,537
  82. 82Grace31,357
  83. 83Sharon31,083
  84. 84Edith31,047
  85. 85Lucille30,843
  86. 86Emma30,022
  87. 87Bernice29,905
  88. 88Marion29,565
  89. 89Linda29,358
  90. 90Jo28,653
  91. 91Anne28,621
  92. 92Hazel28,567
  93. 93Roberta27,731
  94. 94Carole26,768
  95. 95Darlene25,956
  96. 96Esther25,791
  97. 97Katherine25,193
  98. 98Ellen25,139
  99. 99Laura25,093
  100. 100Julia24,938

US babies given each name in the 1930s.

Boys100

  1. 1Robert590,810
  2. 2James547,479
  3. 3John487,950
  4. 4William416,730
  5. 5Richard330,502
  6. 6Charles303,218
  7. 7Donald283,718
  8. 8George192,289
  9. 9Thomas183,878
  10. 10Joseph180,566
  11. 11David164,701
  12. 12Edward147,849
  13. 13Ronald140,332
  14. 14Paul125,774
  15. 15Kenneth125,111
  16. 16Frank108,090
  17. 17Raymond99,585
  18. 18Jack96,396
  19. 19Harold95,467
  20. 20Billy88,341
  21. 21Gerald82,821
  22. 22Walter80,908
  23. 23Jerry80,690
  24. 24Joe71,470
  25. 25Eugene70,938
  26. 26Henry70,419
  27. 27Bobby69,419
  28. 28Arthur67,730
  29. 29Carl66,759
  30. 30Larry65,249
  31. 31Ralph63,802
  32. 32Albert62,829
  33. 33Willie62,466
  34. 34Fred56,164
  35. 35Michael56,001
  36. 36Lawrence54,485
  37. 37Harry53,115
  38. 38Howard51,495
  39. 39Roy51,495
  40. 40Norman49,987
  41. 41Roger49,615
  42. 42Daniel47,998
  43. 43Louis47,754
  44. 44Earl44,613
  45. 45Gary43,596
  46. 46Clarence42,676
  47. 47Anthony42,546
  48. 48Francis41,384
  49. 49Wayne41,141
  50. 50Marvin41,085
  51. 51Ernest39,346
  52. 52Leonard39,214
  53. 53Herbert37,821
  54. 54Melvin37,705
  55. 55Stanley37,130
  56. 56Leroy36,255
  57. 57Don35,980
  58. 58Peter35,822
  59. 59Jimmy35,399
  60. 60Alfred34,392
  61. 61Dale32,536
  62. 62Bill32,338
  63. 63Samuel32,135
  64. 64Bernard30,545
  65. 65Ray30,211
  66. 66Gene29,313
  67. 67Philip28,847
  68. 68Russell28,840
  69. 69Frederick26,602
  70. 70Franklin26,381
  71. 71Dennis26,366
  72. 72Douglas26,031
  73. 73Jimmie25,813
  74. 74Gordon25,460
  75. 75Andrew25,025
  76. 76Theodore24,957
  77. 77Floyd24,887
  78. 78Johnny24,596
  79. 79Allen24,356
  80. 80Glenn24,222
  81. 81Bruce24,119
  82. 82Edwin24,023
  83. 83Lee23,954
  84. 84Lloyd23,799
  85. 85Bob23,293
  86. 86Clifford23,100
  87. 87Leon23,005
  88. 88Leo22,864
  89. 89Clyde22,452
  90. 90Eddie22,328
  91. 91Vernon22,197
  92. 92Martin21,927
  93. 93Alvin21,484
  94. 94Jim20,823
  95. 95Herman20,319
  96. 96Lewis20,017
  97. 97Harvey19,906
  98. 98Tommy19,857
  99. 99Vincent19,407
  100. 100Charlie19,154

US babies given each name in the 1930s.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in the 1930s?
Mary was the #1 girl name in the US in the 1930s, given to 573,000 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in the 1930s?
Robert was the #1 boy name in the US in the 1930s, given to 590,810 babies.

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