Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1928

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1928. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby boy names in 1928, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 Robert 60,703
2 John 53,757
3 James 52,756
4 William 49,121
5 Charles 31,243
6 Richard 28,797
7 Donald 25,702
8 George 24,398
9 Joseph 22,316
10 Edward 18,492
11 Thomas 16,580
12 Frank 13,569
13 Paul 13,163
14 Harold 12,679
15 Jack 12,493
16 Raymond 11,949
17 Kenneth 11,169
18 Walter 10,652
19 David 9,994
20 Eugene 9,709
21 Henry 9,316
22 Arthur 8,879
23 Albert 8,814
24 Ralph 8,100
25 Herbert 8,067
26 Harry 7,606
27 Billy 7,310
28 Carl 6,943
29 Willie 6,819
30 Joe 6,681
31 Howard 6,496
32 Louis 6,297
33 Alfred 6,248
34 Roy 6,228
35 Clarence 6,066
36 Fred 6,035
37 Earl 5,967
38 Lawrence 5,597
39 Norman 5,590
40 Francis 5,515
41 Gerald 5,487
42 Leonard 5,134
43 Ernest 4,941
44 Anthony 4,717
45 Stanley 4,480
46 Marvin 4,451
47 Daniel 4,434
48 Melvin 4,249
49 Bernard 4,066
50 Ronald 3,974
51 Leroy 3,872
52 Samuel 3,845
53 Michael 3,597
54 Floyd 3,337
55 Russell 3,326
56 Peter 3,299
57 Ray 3,247
58 Edwin 3,166
59 Lloyd 3,161
60 Andrew 3,143
61 Leo 3,095
62 Gene 3,089
63 Bill 2,977
64 Elmer 2,976
65 Bobby 2,971
66 Theodore 2,918
67 Frederick 2,884
68 Clifford 2,861
69 Wayne 2,856
70 Vernon 2,852
71 Roger 2,774
72 Alvin 2,749
73 Philip 2,727
74 Clyde 2,714
75 Dale 2,638
76 Glenn 2,602
77 Gordon 2,596
78 Herman 2,589
79 Jerry 2,587
80 Charlie 2,461
81 Leon 2,460
82 Vincent 2,437
83 Martin 2,427
84 Don 2,383
85 Warren 2,362
86 Lewis 2,338
87 Lee 2,280
88 Chester 2,243
89 Lester 2,230
90 Harvey 2,187
91 Jesse 2,170
92 Milton 2,170
93 Allen 2,137
94 Calvin 2,128
95 Bob 2,093
96 Gilbert 2,048
97 Cecil 2,006
98 Arnold 1,974
99 Victor 1,946
100 Jimmie 1,924
101 Curtis 1,920
102 Douglas 1,912
103 Johnnie 1,871
104 Wallace 1,845
105 Eddie 1,806
106 Benjamin 1,804
107 Roland 1,778
108 Jose 1,769
109 Sam 1,759
110 Jerome 1,751
111 Manuel 1,648
112 Bruce 1,628
113 Willard 1,628
114 Edgar 1,600
115 Glen 1,595
116 Claude 1,532
117 Johnny 1,529
118 Marion 1,515
119 Junior 1,494
120 Maurice 1,493
121 Hubert 1,488
122 Oscar 1,465
123 Everett 1,428
124 Jessie 1,418
125 Virgil 1,406
126 Max 1,404
127 Wilbur 1,401
128 Leslie 1,380
129 Hugh 1,374
130 Stephen 1,336
131 Homer 1,320
132 Patrick 1,320
133 Billie 1,317
134 Rudolph 1,308
135 Tom 1,305
136 Dean 1,287
137 Jim 1,237
138 Jimmy 1,226
139 Keith 1,223
140 Nicholas 1,217
141 Duane 1,211
142 Sidney 1,206
143 Wesley 1,182
144 Morris 1,156
145 Luther 1,153
146 Franklin 1,103
147 Horace 1,098
148 Willis 1,085
149 Phillip 1,078
150 Larry 1,068
151 Tommy 1,062
152 Alexander 1,047
153 Earnest 1,042
154 Delbert 1,023
155 Lyle 999
156 Ben 987
157 Alan 964
158 Salvatore 962
159 Dennis 956
160 Tony 955
161 Oliver 934
162 Steve 925
163 Edmund 911
164 Dan 908
165 Otis 884
166 Irving 879
167 Guy 868
168 Julius 864
169 Archie 860
170 Juan 858
171 Allan 844
172 Dick 834
173 Clayton 833
174 Bennie 832
175 Ted 826
176 Alton 816
177 Angelo 812
178 Orville 811
179 Alex 799
180 Leland 789
181 Clinton 788
182 Matthew 784
183 Clifton 780
184 Jesus 775
185 Jay 768
186 Merle 764
187 Mike 760
188 Lowell 758
189 Ivan 755
190 Antonio 747
191 Freddie 744
192 Wilbert 741
193 Ira 728
194 Nathaniel 728
195 Marshall 726
196 Jacob 717
197 Lonnie 708
198 Neil 696
199 Irvin 687
200 Ramon 683
201 Nelson 681
202 Dewey 675
203 Ervin 672
204 Myron 668
205 Malcolm 666
206 Wendell 658
207 Elbert 656
208 Carroll 655
209 Mark 651
210 Darrell 649
211 Wilfred 636
212 Julian 633
213 Perry 633
214 Pete 614
215 Loren 612
216 Jackie 606
217 Nick 604
218 Rufus 602
219 Norbert 599
220 Karl 599
221 Sylvester 598
222 Gerard 593
223 Rodney 589
224 Carlos 584
225 Emil 582
226 Bobbie 581
227 Eldon 579
228 Doyle 577
229 Laurence 573
230 Forrest 571
231 Seymour 568
232 Troy 562
233 Aaron 559
234 Carlton 551
235 Nathan 548
236 Fredrick 547
237 Byron 546
238 Ellis 544
239 Johnie 543
240 Loyd 540
241 Isaac 534
242 Rex 519
243 Burton 518
244 Mack 518
245 Bert 517
246 Grady 512
247 Sherman 511
248 Roosevelt 509
249 Irwin 508
250 Owen 505

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Bert' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Robert' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'William' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Jamess' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Charles' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Richard' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Edward' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Donald' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'George' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Joseph' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1928". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1928/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1928". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1928/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1928. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1928/.