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Top baby names of 1938

One birth year · Mary · Robert lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in 1938, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. See also the whole 1930s. Then see which names rose and fell after 1938 and what is climbing now.

19371939Compare two names
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The 1938 lists

Girls100

  1. 1Mary56,225
  2. 2Barbara39,277
  3. 3Patricia27,560
  4. 4Betty25,506
  5. 5Shirley23,766
  6. 6Carol19,421
  7. 7Nancy18,951
  8. 8Dorothy16,358
  9. 9Margaret15,330
  10. 10Joan14,303
  11. 11Joyce12,698
  12. 12Judith10,878
  13. 13Helen10,837
  14. 14Sandra10,806
  15. 15Carolyn10,586
  16. 16Janet9,870
  17. 17Elizabeth9,803
  18. 18Beverly9,770
  19. 19Marilyn9,745
  20. 20Donna9,693
  21. 21Ruth9,303
  22. 22Virginia9,269
  23. 23Frances8,921
  24. 24Janice8,711
  25. 25Doris8,603
  26. 26Martha8,578
  27. 27Jean7,764
  28. 28Phyllis7,644
  29. 29Alice7,490
  30. 30Sharon7,244
  31. 31Linda7,047
  32. 32Ann6,990
  33. 33Lois6,502
  34. 34Norma6,368
  35. 35Peggy6,343
  36. 36Gloria6,299
  37. 37Marie5,958
  38. 38Evelyn5,688
  39. 39Rose5,292
  40. 40Anna5,145
  41. 41Judy4,992
  42. 42Elaine4,835
  43. 43Dolores4,809
  44. 44Jane4,786
  45. 45Geraldine4,652
  46. 46Carole4,616
  47. 47Annie4,562
  48. 48Catherine4,525
  49. 49Wanda4,513
  50. 50Karen4,508
  51. 51Marlene4,473
  52. 52Mildred4,441
  53. 53Marjorie4,318
  54. 54Sally4,278
  55. 55Patsy4,260
  56. 56Sylvia4,259
  57. 57Joanne4,250
  58. 58Kathleen4,228
  59. 59Louise4,069
  60. 60Eleanor4,049
  61. 61Ruby3,942
  62. 62Loretta3,913
  63. 63Arlene3,894
  64. 64Diane3,827
  65. 65Bonnie3,773
  66. 66Rosalie3,758
  67. 67Sarah3,749
  68. 68Joann3,710
  69. 69Jacqueline3,633
  70. 70Charlotte3,626
  71. 71Susan3,555
  72. 72Irene3,554
  73. 73Roberta3,547
  74. 74Rita3,357
  75. 75Delores3,322
  76. 76Darlene3,321
  77. 77Gail3,214
  78. 78Jo3,172
  79. 79June3,141
  80. 80Juanita3,129
  81. 81Kay3,114
  82. 82Edna3,080
  83. 83Josephine2,978
  84. 84Anne2,887
  85. 85Wilma2,871
  86. 86Thelma2,866
  87. 87Audrey2,844
  88. 88Lillian2,825
  89. 89Ellen2,805
  90. 90Florence2,805
  91. 91Jeanette2,802
  92. 92Theresa2,763
  93. 93Lorraine2,740
  94. 94Ethel2,726
  95. 95Rosemary2,681
  96. 96Emma2,670
  97. 97Pauline2,666
  98. 98Clara2,662
  99. 99Anita2,636
  100. 100Grace2,609

US babies given each name in 1938.

Boys100

  1. 1Robert62,271
  2. 2James59,102
  3. 3John50,517
  4. 4William42,433
  5. 5Richard34,385
  6. 6Charles31,151
  7. 7Donald26,677
  8. 8David22,994
  9. 9Thomas21,381
  10. 10Ronald20,295
  11. 11George18,435
  12. 12Joseph17,742
  13. 13Edward14,551
  14. 14Kenneth14,399
  15. 15Paul13,360
  16. 16Larry12,394
  17. 17Jerry12,172
  18. 18Frank10,260
  19. 19Gerald9,972
  20. 20Raymond9,725
  21. 21Michael9,077
  22. 22Gary8,861
  23. 23Harold8,563
  24. 24Billy8,253
  25. 25Jack8,144
  26. 26Walter7,560
  27. 27Bobby7,498
  28. 28Joe7,438
  29. 29Carl6,849
  30. 30Henry6,557
  31. 31Roger6,551
  32. 32Arthur6,525
  33. 33Eugene6,112
  34. 34Willie6,081
  35. 35Ralph6,013
  36. 36Lawrence5,873
  37. 37Albert5,796
  38. 38Fred5,768
  39. 39Daniel5,583
  40. 40Wayne5,226
  41. 41Roy5,041
  42. 42Howard5,018
  43. 43Norman4,953
  44. 44Harry4,824
  45. 45Jimmy4,730
  46. 46Anthony4,689
  47. 47Louis4,390
  48. 48Peter4,293
  49. 49Dennis4,236
  50. 50Earl4,007
  51. 51Francis3,951
  52. 52Don3,900
  53. 53Marvin3,900
  54. 54Melvin3,818
  55. 55Ernest3,708
  56. 56Dale3,690
  57. 57Leonard3,670
  58. 58Clarence3,639
  59. 59Stanley3,544
  60. 60Douglas3,508
  61. 61Leroy3,491
  62. 62Samuel3,243
  63. 63Johnny3,197
  64. 64Philip3,172
  65. 65Gene3,149
  66. 66Bruce3,127
  67. 67Bill3,113
  68. 68Herbert3,014
  69. 69Alfred3,008
  70. 70Russell2,950
  71. 71Frederick2,935
  72. 72Ray2,881
  73. 73Allen2,834
  74. 74Stephen2,726
  75. 75Bernard2,715
  76. 76Jimmie2,693
  77. 77Tommy2,667
  78. 78Gordon2,657
  79. 79Eddie2,616
  80. 80Lee2,575
  81. 81Jim2,497
  82. 82Andrew2,411
  83. 83Glenn2,367
  84. 84Theodore2,360
  85. 85Leon2,355
  86. 86Terry2,336
  87. 87Martin2,313
  88. 88Patrick2,292
  89. 89Clifford2,277
  90. 90Edwin2,250
  91. 91Alan2,241
  92. 92Lloyd2,215
  93. 93Jerome2,209
  94. 94Bob2,204
  95. 95Phillip2,154
  96. 96Floyd2,146
  97. 97Clyde2,130
  98. 98Alvin2,063
  99. 99Harvey2,051
  100. 100Franklin2,021

US babies given each name in 1938.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in 1938?
Mary was the #1 girl name in the US in 1938, given to 56,225 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in 1938?
Robert was the #1 boy name in the US in 1938, given to 62,271 babies.

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