Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1929

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1929. 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 1929, 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 59,804
2 James 52,126
3 John 52,113
4 William 47,808
5 Charles 29,932
6 Richard 29,573
7 Donald 27,186
8 George 23,018
9 Joseph 21,166
10 Edward 17,223
11 Thomas 16,275
12 Frank 12,964
13 Paul 12,430
14 Jack 12,170
15 Raymond 11,907
16 Harold 11,676
17 David 11,302
18 Kenneth 10,840
19 Walter 9,851
20 Eugene 9,045
21 Henry 8,571
22 Arthur 8,472
23 Billy 8,318
24 Albert 8,079
25 Herbert 7,876
26 Ralph 7,713
27 Harry 7,142
28 Carl 6,895
29 Willie 6,615
30 Joe 6,596
31 Howard 6,012
32 Louis 5,995
33 Gerald 5,968
34 Fred 5,858
35 Roy 5,813
36 Earl 5,740
37 Clarence 5,732
38 Lawrence 5,305
39 Francis 5,270
40 Norman 5,156
41 Alfred 4,930
42 Leonard 4,826
43 Ernest 4,754
44 Anthony 4,734
45 Ronald 4,476
46 Marvin 4,390
47 Daniel 4,369
48 Stanley 4,266
49 Melvin 4,100
50 Bobby 3,924
51 Leroy 3,818
52 Bernard 3,809
53 Samuel 3,567
54 Michael 3,466
55 Peter 3,217
56 Russell 3,183
57 Ray 3,177
58 Floyd 3,080
59 Andrew 3,078
60 Leo 3,018
61 Jerry 2,992
62 Bill 2,947
63 Lloyd 2,947
64 Roger 2,928
65 Theodore 2,903
66 Edwin 2,896
67 Frederick 2,812
68 Gene 2,808
69 Wayne 2,740
70 Elmer 2,697
71 Vernon 2,683
72 Clifford 2,671
73 Dale 2,663
74 Clyde 2,629
75 Herman 2,623
76 Philip 2,606
77 Alvin 2,554
78 Don 2,518
79 Gordon 2,493
80 Glenn 2,433
81 Leon 2,336
82 Vincent 2,331
83 Martin 2,309
84 Lewis 2,227
85 Lee 2,210
86 Allen 2,188
87 Charlie 2,186
88 Lester 2,106
89 Bob 2,103
90 Harvey 2,064
91 Gilbert 2,056
92 Warren 2,036
93 Jesse 2,030
94 Milton 2,029
95 Arnold 1,979
96 Chester 1,968
97 Douglas 1,965
98 Jimmie 1,952
99 Curtis 1,946
100 Victor 1,941
101 Cecil 1,888
102 Eddie 1,877
103 Johnnie 1,762
104 Roland 1,730
105 Sam 1,729
106 Wallace 1,706
107 Benjamin 1,695
108 Jose 1,692
109 Calvin 1,664
110 Jerome 1,662
111 Manuel 1,625
112 Bruce 1,619
113 Johnny 1,532
114 Willard 1,513
115 Jimmy 1,489
116 Edgar 1,487
117 Oscar 1,480
118 Marion 1,451
119 Claude 1,449
120 Junior 1,442
121 Patrick 1,442
122 Billie 1,430
123 Glen 1,428
124 Hubert 1,385
125 Maurice 1,376
126 Stephen 1,357
127 Virgil 1,339
128 Max 1,336
129 Jessie 1,328
130 Everett 1,310
131 Wilbur 1,293
132 Jim 1,290
133 Dean 1,287
134 Tom 1,270
135 Larry 1,268
136 Leslie 1,259
137 Duane 1,246
138 Keith 1,242
139 Hugh 1,229
140 Rudolph 1,220
141 Homer 1,206
142 Nicholas 1,191
143 Wesley 1,181
144 Tommy 1,163
145 Luther 1,120
146 Alan 1,101
147 Morris 1,091
148 Franklin 1,061
149 Sidney 1,058
150 Willis 1,030
151 Phillip 1,027
152 Lyle 1,007
153 Horace 1,003
154 Dennis 997
155 Earnest 997
156 Alexander 985
157 Delbert 962
158 Bennie 960
159 Ben 957
160 Allan 930
161 Salvatore 929
162 Steve 887
163 Oliver 884
164 Juan 876
165 Tony 875
166 Clayton 855
167 Ted 852
168 Dick 842
169 Jay 842
170 Julius 841
171 Edmund 830
172 Freddie 823
173 Guy 820
174 Orville 808
175 Dan 799
176 Otis 796
177 Angelo 795
178 Clifton 781
179 Jackie 780
180 Alex 775
181 Jesus 766
182 Leland 762
183 Clinton 761
184 Nathaniel 761
185 Irving 754
186 Antonio 734
187 Archie 732
188 Merle 731
189 Matthew 727
190 Lonnie 722
191 Alton 716
192 Carroll 707
193 Lowell 701
194 Mike 697
195 Darrell 696
196 Neil 696
197 Marshall 694
198 Ramon 693
199 Wilbert 685
200 Myron 658
201 Ira 654
202 Ivan 651
203 Jacob 647
204 Irvin 646
205 Ervin 644
206 Wendell 640
207 Karl 637
208 Dewey 634
209 Wilfred 611
210 Bobbie 603
211 Forrest 603
212 Elbert 601
213 Malcolm 597
214 Julian 592
215 Nelson 590
216 Nick 588
217 Laurence 586
218 Isaac 585
219 Pete 584
220 Norbert 583
221 Eldon 580
222 Mark 577
223 Perry 576
224 Sylvester 571
225 Rufus 567
226 Bert 566
227 Doyle 559
228 Carlos 557
229 Gerard 553
230 Loren 553
231 Burton 545
232 Ellis 545
233 Rodney 539
234 Gary 537
235 Francisco 532
236 Owen 526
237 Byron 520
238 Tommie 514
239 Nathan 513
240 Mack 507
241 Loyd 506
242 Troy 506
243 Fredrick 505
244 Grady 505
245 Sherman 503
246 Carlton 502
247 Irwin 499
248 Emil 498
249 Felix 497
250 Percy 497

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 'Sherman' 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 'Johns' 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 1929". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 26, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1929/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1929". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1929/. Accessed 26 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1929. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1929/.