Most Popular Baby Names of 1938
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Robert were the most popular baby names of 1938 in the US: 56,225 girls were named Mary and 62,271 boys were named Robert, about 1 in 20 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 59th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was Robert's 15th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1924).
Social Security records list 1,103,456 girls and 1,109,147 boys born in 1938, with 4,993 different girl names and 4,033 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1937
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1937; Ronald joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Rosalie (#179 to #66), Karen (#113 to #50) and Judy (#90 to #41).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Terry (#113 to #86), Stephen (#92 to #74) and Dennis (#63 to #49).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Yvonne (#77 to #101) and Vernon (#96 to #103).
- 183 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1938
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1937, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1938
| # | Name | Babies | In 1937 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 56,225 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 39,277 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 27,560 | #3 |
| 4 | Betty | 25,506 | #5 |
| 5 | Shirley | 23,766 | #4 |
| 6 | Carol | 19,421 | #6 |
| 7 | Nancy | 18,951 | #7 |
| 8 | Dorothy | 16,358 | #8 |
| 9 | Margaret | 15,330 | #10 |
| 10 | Joan | 14,303 | #9 |
| 11 | Joyce | 12,698 | #11 |
| 12 | Judith | 10,878 | #34 |
| 13 | Helen | 10,837 | #12 |
| 14 | Sandra | 10,806 | #26 |
| 15 | Carolyn | 10,586 | #20 |
| 16 | Janet | 9,870 | #18 |
| 17 | Elizabeth | 9,803 | #17 |
| 18 | Beverly | 9,770 | #14 |
| 19 | Marilyn | 9,745 | #13 |
| 20 | Donna | 9,693 | #21 |
| 21 | Ruth | 9,303 | #15 |
| 22 | Virginia | 9,269 | #16 |
| 23 | Frances | 8,921 | #19 |
| 24 | Janice | 8,711 | #25 |
| 25 | Doris | 8,603 | #22 |
| 26 | Martha | 8,578 | #24 |
| 27 | Jean | 7,764 | #23 |
| 28 | Phyllis | 7,644 | #27 |
| 29 | Alice | 7,490 | #28 |
| 30 | Sharon | 7,244 | #41 |
| 31 | Linda | 7,047 | #49 |
| 32 | Ann | 6,990 | #30 |
| 33 | Lois | 6,502 | #29 |
| 34 | Norma | 6,368 | #33 |
| 35 | Peggy | 6,343 | #31 |
| 36 | Gloria | 6,299 | #32 |
| 37 | Marie | 5,958 | #35 |
| 38 | Evelyn | 5,688 | #36 |
| 39 | Rose | 5,292 | #38 |
| 40 | Anna | 5,145 | #39 |
| 41 | Judy | 4,992 | #90 |
| 42 | Elaine | 4,835 | #45 |
| 43 | Dolores | 4,809 | #37 |
| 44 | Jane | 4,786 | #42 |
| 45 | Geraldine | 4,652 | #44 |
| 46 | Carole | 4,616 | #56 |
| 47 | Annie | 4,562 | #46 |
| 48 | Catherine | 4,525 | #47 |
| 49 | Wanda | 4,513 | #55 |
| 50 | Karen | 4,508 | #113 |
| 51 | Marlene | 4,473 | #40 |
| 52 | Mildred | 4,441 | #43 |
| 53 | Marjorie | 4,318 | #57 |
| 54 | Sally | 4,278 | #59 |
| 55 | Patsy | 4,260 | #54 |
| 56 | Sylvia | 4,259 | #50 |
| 57 | Joanne | 4,250 | #51 |
| 58 | Kathleen | 4,228 | #61 |
| 59 | Louise | 4,069 | #48 |
| 60 | Eleanor | 4,049 | #53 |
| 61 | Ruby | 3,942 | #52 |
| 62 | Loretta | 3,913 | #63 |
| 63 | Arlene | 3,894 | #60 |
| 64 | Diane | 3,827 | #76 |
| 65 | Bonnie | 3,773 | #64 |
| 66 | Rosalie | 3,758 | #179 |
| 67 | Sarah | 3,749 | #65 |
| 68 | Joann | 3,710 | #58 |
| 69 | Jacqueline | 3,633 | #70 |
| 70 | Charlotte | 3,626 | #67 |
| 71 | Susan | 3,555 | #97 |
| 72 | Irene | 3,554 | #62 |
| 73 | Roberta | 3,547 | #66 |
| 74 | Rita | 3,357 | #69 |
| 75 | Delores | 3,322 | #68 |
| 76 | Darlene | 3,321 | #72 |
| 77 | Gail | 3,214 | #99 |
| 78 | Jo | 3,172 | #73 |
| 79 | June | 3,141 | #71 |
| 80 | Juanita | 3,129 | #75 |
| 81 | Kay | 3,114 | #79 |
| 82 | Edna | 3,080 | #74 |
| 83 | Josephine | 2,978 | #82 |
| 84 | Anne | 2,887 | #92 |
| 85 | Wilma | 2,871 | #80 |
| 86 | Thelma | 2,866 | #78 |
| 87 | Audrey | 2,844 | #85 |
| 88 | Lillian | 2,825 | #84 |
| 89 | Ellen | 2,805 | #102 |
| 89 | Florence | 2,805 | #81 |
| 91 | Jeanette | 2,802 | #90 |
| 92 | Theresa | 2,763 | #95 |
| 93 | Lorraine | 2,740 | #83 |
| 94 | Ethel | 2,726 | #88 |
| 95 | Rosemary | 2,681 | #110 |
| 96 | Emma | 2,670 | #89 |
| 97 | Pauline | 2,666 | #87 |
| 98 | Clara | 2,662 | #100 |
| 99 | Anita | 2,636 | #93 |
| 100 | Grace | 2,609 | #94 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1938
| # | Name | Babies | In 1937 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 62,271 | #1 |
| 2 | James | 59,102 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 50,517 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 42,433 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 34,385 | #5 |
| 6 | Charles | 31,151 | #6 |
| 7 | Donald | 26,677 | #7 |
| 8 | David | 22,994 | #8 |
| 9 | Thomas | 21,381 | #9 |
| 10 | Ronald | 20,295 | #11 |
| 11 | George | 18,435 | #10 |
| 12 | Joseph | 17,742 | #12 |
| 13 | Edward | 14,551 | #13 |
| 14 | Kenneth | 14,399 | #14 |
| 15 | Paul | 13,360 | #15 |
| 16 | Larry | 12,394 | #16 |
| 17 | Jerry | 12,172 | #17 |
| 18 | Frank | 10,260 | #18 |
| 19 | Gerald | 9,972 | #20 |
| 20 | Raymond | 9,725 | #19 |
| 21 | Michael | 9,077 | #27 |
| 22 | Gary | 8,861 | #29 |
| 23 | Harold | 8,563 | #21 |
| 24 | Billy | 8,253 | #22 |
| 25 | Jack | 8,144 | #23 |
| 26 | Walter | 7,560 | #26 |
| 27 | Bobby | 7,498 | #24 |
| 28 | Joe | 7,438 | #24 |
| 29 | Carl | 6,849 | #28 |
| 30 | Henry | 6,557 | #30 |
| 31 | Roger | 6,551 | #36 |
| 32 | Arthur | 6,525 | #31 |
| 33 | Eugene | 6,112 | #33 |
| 34 | Willie | 6,081 | #32 |
| 35 | Ralph | 6,013 | #34 |
| 36 | Lawrence | 5,873 | #38 |
| 37 | Albert | 5,796 | #37 |
| 38 | Fred | 5,768 | #35 |
| 39 | Daniel | 5,583 | #39 |
| 40 | Wayne | 5,226 | #44 |
| 41 | Roy | 5,041 | #40 |
| 42 | Howard | 5,018 | #42 |
| 43 | Norman | 4,953 | #43 |
| 44 | Harry | 4,824 | #41 |
| 45 | Jimmy | 4,730 | #45 |
| 46 | Anthony | 4,689 | #47 |
| 47 | Louis | 4,390 | #46 |
| 48 | Peter | 4,293 | #52 |
| 49 | Dennis | 4,236 | #63 |
| 50 | Earl | 4,007 | #48 |
| 51 | Francis | 3,951 | #55 |
| 52 | Don | 3,900 | #51 |
| 52 | Marvin | 3,900 | #49 |
| 54 | Melvin | 3,818 | #50 |
| 55 | Ernest | 3,708 | #53 |
| 56 | Dale | 3,690 | #59 |
| 57 | Leonard | 3,670 | #58 |
| 58 | Clarence | 3,639 | #54 |
| 59 | Stanley | 3,544 | #57 |
| 60 | Douglas | 3,508 | #74 |
| 61 | Leroy | 3,491 | #56 |
| 62 | Samuel | 3,243 | #66 |
| 63 | Johnny | 3,197 | #69 |
| 64 | Philip | 3,172 | #62 |
| 65 | Gene | 3,149 | #61 |
| 66 | Bruce | 3,127 | #70 |
| 67 | Bill | 3,113 | #64 |
| 68 | Herbert | 3,014 | #65 |
| 69 | Alfred | 3,008 | #60 |
| 70 | Russell | 2,950 | #67 |
| 71 | Frederick | 2,935 | #68 |
| 72 | Ray | 2,881 | #71 |
| 73 | Allen | 2,834 | #76 |
| 74 | Stephen | 2,726 | #92 |
| 75 | Bernard | 2,715 | #73 |
| 76 | Jimmie | 2,693 | #72 |
| 77 | Tommy | 2,667 | #84 |
| 78 | Gordon | 2,657 | #75 |
| 79 | Eddie | 2,616 | #83 |
| 80 | Lee | 2,575 | #78 |
| 81 | Jim | 2,497 | #82 |
| 82 | Andrew | 2,411 | #79 |
| 83 | Glenn | 2,367 | #88 |
| 84 | Theodore | 2,360 | #86 |
| 85 | Leon | 2,355 | #85 |
| 86 | Terry | 2,336 | #113 |
| 87 | Martin | 2,313 | #87 |
| 88 | Patrick | 2,292 | #94 |
| 89 | Clifford | 2,277 | #90 |
| 90 | Edwin | 2,250 | #89 |
| 91 | Alan | 2,241 | #103 |
| 92 | Lloyd | 2,215 | #91 |
| 93 | Jerome | 2,209 | #100 |
| 94 | Bob | 2,204 | #81 |
| 95 | Phillip | 2,154 | #98 |
| 96 | Floyd | 2,146 | #80 |
| 97 | Clyde | 2,130 | #93 |
| 98 | Alvin | 2,063 | #99 |
| 99 | Harvey | 2,051 | #95 |
| 100 | Franklin | 2,021 | #77 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1937, or the year after, 1939, the top 100 of the whole 1930s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1930s.