Most Popular Baby Names of 1936
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Robert were the most popular baby names of 1936 in the US: 54,377 girls were named Mary and 58,500 boys were named Robert, about 1 in 19 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 57th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was Robert's 13th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1924).
Social Security records list 1,040,390 girls and 1,037,205 boys born in 1936, with 4,854 different girl names and 4,036 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1935
- Carol joined the girls' top 10; David joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Linda (#165 to #97), Sharon (#96 to #60) and Kay (#134 to #98).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Stephen (#113 to #99), Patrick (#112 to #100) and Larry (#33 to #25).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Margie (#100 to #101) and Lewis (#98 to #101).
- 165 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1936
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1935, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1936
| # | Name | Babies | In 1935 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 54,377 | #1 |
| 2 | Shirley | 35,161 | #2 |
| 3 | Barbara | 31,682 | #3 |
| 4 | Betty | 25,868 | #4 |
| 5 | Patricia | 23,916 | #5 |
| 6 | Dorothy | 17,666 | #6 |
| 7 | Joan | 17,072 | #7 |
| 8 | Nancy | 16,755 | #9 |
| 9 | Margaret | 14,596 | #8 |
| 10 | Carol | 14,520 | #11 |
| 11 | Helen | 12,234 | #10 |
| 12 | Joyce | 11,988 | #12 |
| 13 | Marilyn | 11,064 | #14 |
| 14 | Virginia | 9,650 | #16 |
| 15 | Doris | 9,226 | #13 |
| 16 | Ruth | 9,217 | #15 |
| 17 | Beverly | 8,901 | #20 |
| 18 | Elizabeth | 8,860 | #17 |
| 19 | Frances | 8,789 | #19 |
| 20 | Jean | 8,536 | #18 |
| 21 | Janet | 8,080 | #22 |
| 22 | Donna | 7,932 | #23 |
| 23 | Carolyn | 7,906 | #28 |
| 24 | Martha | 7,392 | #24 |
| 25 | Phyllis | 7,374 | #27 |
| 26 | Lois | 7,232 | #21 |
| 27 | Alice | 7,201 | #25 |
| 28 | Ann | 6,666 | #30 |
| 29 | Norma | 6,633 | #29 |
| 30 | Dolores | 6,417 | #26 |
| 31 | Janice | 6,150 | #47 |
| 32 | Gloria | 6,140 | #32 |
| 33 | Marie | 6,132 | #33 |
| 34 | Evelyn | 6,108 | #31 |
| 35 | Peggy | 6,068 | #36 |
| 36 | Anna | 5,727 | #34 |
| 37 | Rose | 5,699 | #37 |
| 38 | Sandra | 5,526 | #50 |
| 39 | Marlene | 5,332 | #39 |
| 40 | Mildred | 5,051 | #35 |
| 41 | Geraldine | 4,864 | #40 |
| 42 | Jane | 4,719 | #43 |
| 43 | Judith | 4,580 | #54 |
| 44 | Catherine | 4,537 | #42 |
| 45 | Annie | 4,529 | #38 |
| 46 | Louise | 4,355 | #45 |
| 47 | Eleanor | 4,341 | #48 |
| 48 | Joanne | 4,305 | #44 |
| 49 | Marjorie | 4,279 | #46 |
| 50 | Elaine | 4,259 | #51 |
| 51 | Ruby | 4,226 | #41 |
| 52 | Patsy | 4,196 | #56 |
| 53 | Sylvia | 4,156 | #60 |
| 54 | Arlene | 3,898 | #59 |
| 55 | Joann | 3,886 | #53 |
| 56 | Wanda | 3,882 | #49 |
| 57 | Irene | 3,817 | #52 |
| 58 | Delores | 3,760 | #57 |
| 59 | Sally | 3,635 | #58 |
| 60 | Sharon | 3,573 | #96 |
| 61 | Charlotte | 3,555 | #65 |
| 62 | June | 3,515 | #55 |
| 62 | Sarah | 3,515 | #61 |
| 64 | Roberta | 3,467 | #77 |
| 65 | Bonnie | 3,374 | #62 |
| 66 | Jacqueline | 3,362 | #79 |
| 67 | Kathleen | 3,352 | #71 |
| 68 | Audrey | 3,345 | #64 |
| 69 | Rita | 3,334 | #63 |
| 70 | Loretta | 3,325 | #69 |
| 71 | Edna | 3,305 | #67 |
| 72 | Jo | 3,292 | #73 |
| 73 | Carole | 3,199 | #93 |
| 74 | Thelma | 3,196 | #76 |
| 75 | Juanita | 3,183 | #72 |
| 76 | Lorraine | 3,167 | #68 |
| 77 | Josephine | 3,141 | #75 |
| 78 | Wilma | 3,123 | #70 |
| 79 | Lillian | 3,117 | #66 |
| 80 | Florence | 3,083 | #74 |
| 81 | Yvonne | 3,038 | #98 |
| 82 | Pauline | 2,981 | #80 |
| 83 | Darlene | 2,962 | #91 |
| 84 | Gladys | 2,944 | #78 |
| 85 | Emma | 2,831 | #89 |
| 86 | Grace | 2,791 | #83 |
| 87 | Edith | 2,759 | #87 |
| 88 | Theresa | 2,758 | #86 |
| 89 | Anne | 2,756 | #84 |
| 90 | Ethel | 2,730 | #82 |
| 91 | Clara | 2,684 | #81 |
| 92 | Lucille | 2,632 | #85 |
| 93 | Marion | 2,580 | #88 |
| 94 | Jeanette | 2,552 | #104 |
| 95 | Bernice | 2,540 | #90 |
| 96 | Hazel | 2,512 | #92 |
| 97 | Linda | 2,440 | #165 |
| 98 | Kay | 2,408 | #134 |
| 99 | Ellen | 2,398 | #95 |
| 100 | Katherine | 2,355 | #103 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1936
| # | Name | Babies | In 1935 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 58,500 | #1 |
| 2 | James | 54,694 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 47,683 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 39,398 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 33,494 | #5 |
| 6 | Charles | 29,101 | #6 |
| 7 | Donald | 28,639 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 18,342 | #9 |
| 9 | George | 18,197 | #8 |
| 10 | David | 17,476 | #11 |
| 11 | Joseph | 17,453 | #10 |
| 12 | Ronald | 16,917 | #12 |
| 13 | Edward | 14,194 | #13 |
| 14 | Kenneth | 12,486 | #15 |
| 15 | Paul | 12,307 | #14 |
| 16 | Frank | 10,186 | #16 |
| 17 | Raymond | 9,459 | #17 |
| 18 | Jerry | 9,271 | #22 |
| 19 | Gerald | 9,018 | #21 |
| 20 | Jack | 8,857 | #18 |
| 21 | Harold | 8,628 | #20 |
| 22 | Billy | 8,587 | #19 |
| 23 | Joe | 8,023 | #25 |
| 24 | Bobby | 7,735 | #24 |
| 25 | Larry | 7,611 | #33 |
| 26 | Walter | 7,536 | #23 |
| 27 | Carl | 6,591 | #28 |
| 28 | Henry | 6,447 | #27 |
| 29 | Eugene | 6,376 | #26 |
| 30 | Arthur | 6,264 | #29 |
| 31 | Ralph | 6,029 | #32 |
| 32 | Willie | 6,011 | #30 |
| 33 | Michael | 5,800 | #41 |
| 34 | Albert | 5,759 | #31 |
| 35 | Roger | 5,702 | #36 |
| 36 | Fred | 5,602 | #34 |
| 37 | Lawrence | 5,339 | #35 |
| 38 | Gary | 5,192 | #44 |
| 39 | Harry | 4,931 | #37 |
| 40 | Howard | 4,874 | #39 |
| 41 | Daniel | 4,817 | #43 |
| 42 | Roy | 4,815 | #40 |
| 43 | Norman | 4,645 | #38 |
| 44 | Louis | 4,418 | #42 |
| 45 | Wayne | 4,409 | #49 |
| 46 | Jimmy | 4,214 | #47 |
| 47 | Earl | 4,106 | #46 |
| 48 | Anthony | 3,978 | #52 |
| 49 | Marvin | 3,936 | #45 |
| 50 | Francis | 3,876 | #53 |
| 51 | Don | 3,830 | #51 |
| 52 | Clarence | 3,772 | #48 |
| 53 | Melvin | 3,730 | #57 |
| 54 | Leonard | 3,716 | #54 |
| 55 | Ernest | 3,715 | #55 |
| 56 | Peter | 3,714 | #59 |
| 57 | Leroy | 3,642 | #50 |
| 58 | Stanley | 3,492 | #56 |
| 59 | Dale | 3,393 | #61 |
| 60 | Alfred | 3,253 | #63 |
| 61 | Bill | 3,166 | #60 |
| 62 | Herbert | 3,117 | #58 |
| 63 | Philip | 3,033 | #65 |
| 64 | Franklin | 2,939 | #71 |
| 64 | Ray | 2,939 | #64 |
| 66 | Gene | 2,909 | #66 |
| 67 | Samuel | 2,893 | #62 |
| 68 | Bernard | 2,853 | #67 |
| 69 | Russell | 2,832 | #68 |
| 70 | Frederick | 2,817 | #73 |
| 71 | Jimmie | 2,742 | #69 |
| 72 | Johnny | 2,729 | #74 |
| 73 | Bruce | 2,630 | #77 |
| 74 | Dennis | 2,627 | #72 |
| 75 | Gordon | 2,567 | #70 |
| 76 | Lee | 2,418 | #80 |
| 77 | Bob | 2,408 | #81 |
| 78 | Douglas | 2,374 | #75 |
| 79 | Eddie | 2,347 | #87 |
| 80 | Glenn | 2,328 | #78 |
| 81 | Allen | 2,314 | #83 |
| 82 | Leon | 2,282 | #86 |
| 83 | Andrew | 2,276 | #85 |
| 84 | Edwin | 2,271 | #89 |
| 85 | Jim | 2,268 | #90 |
| 86 | Floyd | 2,228 | #76 |
| 87 | Theodore | 2,219 | #79 |
| 88 | Lloyd | 2,160 | #84 |
| 89 | Clyde | 2,153 | #82 |
| 90 | Clifford | 2,132 | #88 |
| 91 | Tommy | 2,108 | #95 |
| 92 | Martin | 2,106 | #93 |
| 93 | Vernon | 2,028 | #94 |
| 94 | Leo | 2,017 | #92 |
| 95 | Warren | 1,976 | #97 |
| 96 | Alvin | 1,970 | #91 |
| 96 | Harvey | 1,970 | #99 |
| 98 | Jerome | 1,967 | #96 |
| 99 | Stephen | 1,862 | #113 |
| 100 | Patrick | 1,856 | #112 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1935, or the year after, 1937, the top 100 of the whole 1930s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1930s.