Most Popular Baby Names of 1928
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Robert were the most popular baby names of 1928 in the US: 66,871 girls were named Mary and 60,701 boys were named Robert, about 1 in 17 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 49th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was Robert's 5th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1924).
Social Security records list 1,153,318 girls and 1,107,613 boys born in 1928, with 5,438 different girl names and 4,721 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1927
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1927; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1927.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Delores (#128 to #94), Carol (#106 to #77) and Peggy (#96 to #76).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Bobby (#91 to #65), Herbert (#42 to #25) and Jerry (#93 to #78).
- 5 girl names and 1 boy name left the top 100, among them Bessie (#88 to #101) and Wallace (#96 to #104).
- 245 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1928
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1927, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1928
| # | Name | Babies | In 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 66,871 | #1 |
| 2 | Betty | 36,083 | #3 |
| 3 | Dorothy | 33,733 | #2 |
| 4 | Helen | 22,937 | #4 |
| 5 | Margaret | 20,295 | #5 |
| 6 | Ruth | 17,859 | #6 |
| 7 | Doris | 16,575 | #7 |
| 8 | Barbara | 14,872 | #10 |
| 9 | Virginia | 14,500 | #8 |
| 10 | Shirley | 14,215 | #9 |
| 11 | Patricia | 12,331 | #18 |
| 12 | Jean | 12,209 | #14 |
| 13 | Frances | 12,137 | #12 |
| 14 | Elizabeth | 11,767 | #13 |
| 15 | Mildred | 11,653 | #11 |
| 16 | Anna | 10,575 | #16 |
| 17 | Evelyn | 10,533 | #15 |
| 18 | Lois | 10,425 | #19 |
| 19 | Alice | 10,139 | #17 |
| 20 | Dolores | 9,615 | #34 |
| 21 | Marie | 9,286 | #20 |
| 22 | Martha | 8,252 | #24 |
| 23 | Norma | 8,166 | #26 |
| 24 | Rose | 8,161 | #23 |
| 25 | Gloria | 8,119 | #22 |
| 26 | Phyllis | 7,924 | #29 |
| 27 | Joan | 7,854 | #41 |
| 28 | Irene | 7,731 | #21 |
| 29 | Marjorie | 7,632 | #25 |
| 30 | Joyce | 7,244 | #35 |
| 31 | Louise | 7,053 | #27 |
| 32 | Florence | 6,970 | #28 |
| 33 | Catherine | 6,910 | #31 |
| 34 | Ruby | 6,692 | #30 |
| 35 | Lillian | 6,577 | #32 |
| 36 | Eleanor | 6,535 | #33 |
| 37 | Annie | 6,329 | #36 |
| 38 | Marilyn | 6,066 | #46 |
| 39 | Lorraine | 5,982 | #44 |
| 40 | Thelma | 5,978 | #38 |
| 41 | Gladys | 5,791 | #37 |
| 42 | Josephine | 5,671 | #39 |
| 43 | Nancy | 5,537 | #56 |
| 44 | June | 5,517 | #43 |
| 45 | Edna | 5,473 | #40 |
| 46 | Beverly | 5,437 | #57 |
| 47 | Marion | 5,420 | #51 |
| 48 | Pauline | 5,391 | #42 |
| 49 | Theresa | 5,330 | #52 |
| 50 | Geraldine | 5,156 | #58 |
| 51 | Lucille | 5,094 | #45 |
| 52 | Grace | 4,989 | #50 |
| 53 | Bernice | 4,943 | #49 |
| 54 | Ann | 4,932 | #59 |
| 55 | Ethel | 4,928 | #47 |
| 56 | Edith | 4,846 | #48 |
| 57 | Rita | 4,810 | #54 |
| 58 | Juanita | 4,734 | #55 |
| 59 | Hazel | 4,649 | #53 |
| 60 | Audrey | 4,630 | #62 |
| 61 | Donna | 4,470 | #70 |
| 62 | Jane | 4,411 | #60 |
| 63 | Wanda | 4,318 | #66 |
| 64 | Sarah | 4,244 | #61 |
| 65 | Clara | 4,106 | #63 |
| 66 | Esther | 4,096 | #64 |
| 67 | Emma | 4,017 | #64 |
| 68 | Elaine | 4,004 | #69 |
| 69 | Wilma | 3,937 | #68 |
| 70 | Beatrice | 3,922 | #67 |
| 71 | Marian | 3,886 | #74 |
| 72 | Charlotte | 3,475 | #75 |
| 73 | Elsie | 3,470 | #72 |
| 74 | Willie | 3,444 | #71 |
| 75 | Katherine | 3,398 | #73 |
| 76 | Peggy | 3,382 | #96 |
| 77 | Carol | 3,349 | #106 |
| 78 | Vivian | 3,310 | #77 |
| 79 | Eva | 3,212 | #79 |
| 80 | Julia | 3,206 | #76 |
| 81 | Bertha | 3,161 | #80 |
| 82 | Kathleen | 3,151 | #83 |
| 83 | Laura | 3,146 | #81 |
| 84 | Maxine | 3,124 | #87 |
| 85 | Agnes | 3,023 | #81 |
| 86 | Gertrude | 3,011 | #78 |
| 87 | Ida | 2,994 | #84 |
| 88 | Rosemary | 2,972 | #86 |
| 89 | Bonnie | 2,923 | #100 |
| 90 | Jeanne | 2,879 | #85 |
| 91 | Carolyn | 2,847 | #99 |
| 92 | Vera | 2,841 | #89 |
| 93 | Anne | 2,824 | #92 |
| 94 | Delores | 2,810 | #128 |
| 95 | Janet | 2,782 | #111 |
| 96 | Billie | 2,777 | #109 |
| 97 | Jacqueline | 2,739 | #115 |
| 98 | Ellen | 2,682 | #93 |
| 99 | Kathryn | 2,681 | #90 |
| 100 | Ella | 2,670 | #98 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1928
| # | Name | Babies | In 1927 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 60,701 | #1 |
| 2 | John | 53,760 | #2 |
| 3 | James | 52,752 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 49,118 | #4 |
| 5 | Charles | 31,243 | #5 |
| 6 | Richard | 28,793 | #6 |
| 7 | Donald | 25,704 | #8 |
| 8 | George | 24,391 | #7 |
| 9 | Joseph | 22,322 | #9 |
| 10 | Edward | 18,492 | #10 |
| 11 | Thomas | 16,582 | #11 |
| 12 | Frank | 13,570 | #12 |
| 13 | Paul | 13,160 | #13 |
| 14 | Harold | 12,670 | #14 |
| 15 | Jack | 12,494 | #16 |
| 16 | Raymond | 11,946 | #15 |
| 17 | Kenneth | 11,167 | #18 |
| 18 | Walter | 10,651 | #17 |
| 19 | David | 9,990 | #21 |
| 20 | Eugene | 9,708 | #20 |
| 21 | Henry | 9,313 | #19 |
| 22 | Arthur | 8,880 | #22 |
| 23 | Albert | 8,812 | #23 |
| 24 | Ralph | 8,100 | #24 |
| 25 | Herbert | 8,065 | #42 |
| 26 | Harry | 7,604 | #25 |
| 27 | Billy | 7,310 | #31 |
| 28 | Carl | 6,946 | #26 |
| 29 | Willie | 6,817 | #27 |
| 30 | Joe | 6,682 | #30 |
| 31 | Howard | 6,496 | #28 |
| 32 | Louis | 6,299 | #29 |
| 33 | Alfred | 6,252 | #45 |
| 34 | Roy | 6,229 | #34 |
| 35 | Clarence | 6,068 | #32 |
| 36 | Fred | 6,036 | #35 |
| 37 | Earl | 5,966 | #33 |
| 38 | Lawrence | 5,597 | #37 |
| 39 | Norman | 5,590 | #39 |
| 40 | Francis | 5,516 | #36 |
| 41 | Gerald | 5,487 | #38 |
| 42 | Leonard | 5,131 | #40 |
| 43 | Ernest | 4,941 | #41 |
| 44 | Anthony | 4,719 | #43 |
| 45 | Stanley | 4,481 | #44 |
| 46 | Marvin | 4,452 | #47 |
| 47 | Daniel | 4,426 | #46 |
| 48 | Melvin | 4,249 | #48 |
| 49 | Bernard | 4,067 | #50 |
| 50 | Ronald | 3,969 | #63 |
| 51 | Leroy | 3,872 | #51 |
| 52 | Samuel | 3,844 | #49 |
| 53 | Michael | 3,598 | #52 |
| 54 | Floyd | 3,338 | #53 |
| 55 | Russell | 3,325 | #54 |
| 56 | Peter | 3,299 | #59 |
| 57 | Ray | 3,248 | #60 |
| 58 | Edwin | 3,166 | #57 |
| 59 | Lloyd | 3,158 | #58 |
| 60 | Andrew | 3,142 | #56 |
| 61 | Leo | 3,095 | #55 |
| 62 | Gene | 3,088 | #72 |
| 63 | Elmer | 2,977 | #61 |
| 64 | Bill | 2,976 | #69 |
| 65 | Bobby | 2,972 | #91 |
| 66 | Theodore | 2,916 | #62 |
| 67 | Frederick | 2,882 | #64 |
| 68 | Clifford | 2,862 | #65 |
| 69 | Wayne | 2,855 | #67 |
| 70 | Vernon | 2,852 | #71 |
| 71 | Roger | 2,774 | #84 |
| 72 | Alvin | 2,750 | #66 |
| 73 | Philip | 2,726 | #75 |
| 74 | Clyde | 2,713 | #68 |
| 75 | Dale | 2,640 | #81 |
| 76 | Glenn | 2,603 | #76 |
| 77 | Gordon | 2,596 | #74 |
| 78 | Herman | 2,588 | #70 |
| 78 | Jerry | 2,588 | #93 |
| 80 | Charlie | 2,463 | #80 |
| 81 | Leon | 2,460 | #78 |
| 82 | Vincent | 2,440 | #77 |
| 83 | Martin | 2,428 | #87 |
| 84 | Don | 2,382 | #90 |
| 85 | Warren | 2,361 | #79 |
| 86 | Lewis | 2,339 | #82 |
| 87 | Lee | 2,282 | #86 |
| 88 | Chester | 2,243 | #85 |
| 89 | Lester | 2,229 | #83 |
| 90 | Harvey | 2,186 | #94 |
| 91 | Jesse | 2,171 | #89 |
| 92 | Milton | 2,170 | #88 |
| 93 | Allen | 2,137 | #95 |
| 94 | Calvin | 2,128 | #73 |
| 95 | Bob | 2,093 | #100 |
| 96 | Gilbert | 2,048 | #99 |
| 97 | Cecil | 2,005 | #92 |
| 98 | Arnold | 1,974 | #97 |
| 99 | Victor | 1,946 | #98 |
| 100 | Jimmie | 1,924 | #108 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1927, or the year after, 1929, the top 100 of the whole 1920s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1920s.