Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1932

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby boy names were for the year 1932. 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 1932, 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 59,265
2 James 51,922
3 John 48,622
4 William 42,126
5 Richard 31,806
6 Charles 31,095
7 Donald 29,786
8 George 20,441
9 Joseph 18,568
10 Thomas 16,836
11 Edward 15,189
12 David 12,138
13 Paul 12,070
14 Kenneth 11,740
15 Frank 11,498
16 Ronald 11,141
17 Jack 10,716
18 Harold 10,431
19 Raymond 10,344
20 Billy 9,435
21 Walter 8,666
22 Eugene 8,047
23 Henry 7,471
24 Gerald 7,347
25 Arthur 6,917
26 Albert 6,863
27 Ralph 6,728
28 Carl 6,714
29 Joe 6,693
30 Bobby 6,597
31 Willie 6,547
32 Harry 5,704
33 Fred 5,523
34 Jerry 5,303
35 Lawrence 5,295
36 Howard 5,294
37 Norman 5,269
38 Roy 5,237
39 Louis 5,135
40 Clarence 4,893
41 Earl 4,822
42 Daniel 4,448
43 Francis 4,388
44 Herbert 4,368
45 Anthony 4,223
46 Marvin 4,188
47 Ernest 4,165
48 Leonard 4,100
49 Alfred 3,899
50 Roger 3,788
51 Melvin 3,776
52 Stanley 3,759
53 Leroy 3,677
54 Michael 3,608
55 Don 3,454
56 Samuel 3,410
57 Wayne 3,388
58 Bill 3,361
59 Ray 3,264
60 Bernard 3,251
61 Dale 3,139
62 Peter 3,131
63 Russell 3,022
64 Gene 2,949
65 Larry 2,825
66 Franklin 2,754
67 Theodore 2,674
68 Floyd 2,667
69 Andrew 2,645
70 Philip 2,624
71 Lloyd 2,589
72 Edwin 2,568
73 Frederick 2,502
74 Leo 2,500
75 Jimmie 2,475
76 Jimmy 2,461
77 Glenn 2,435
78 Vernon 2,428
79 Bob 2,425
80 Allen 2,419
81 Gordon 2,408
82 Clyde 2,319
83 Leon 2,295
84 Clifford 2,286
85 Douglas 2,285
86 Lee 2,285
87 Alvin 2,274
88 Martin 2,255
89 Herman 2,192
90 Charlie 2,128
91 Eddie 2,112
92 Lewis 2,111
93 Vincent 2,067
94 Elmer 2,058
95 Harvey 2,030
96 Johnny 2,012
97 Gilbert 1,975
98 Bruce 1,936
99 Jesse 1,862
100 Arnold 1,820
101 Lester 1,813
102 Warren 1,792
103 Curtis 1,774
104 Jim 1,764
105 Duane 1,710
106 Milton 1,709
107 Jerome 1,668
108 Cecil 1,655
109 Tommy 1,613
110 Roland 1,611
111 Victor 1,611
112 Chester 1,606
113 Johnnie 1,600
114 Patrick 1,579
115 Benjamin 1,540
116 Tom 1,537
117 Wallace 1,526
118 Glen 1,465
119 Calvin 1,455
120 Sam 1,453
121 Dennis 1,421
122 Maurice 1,419
123 Dean 1,416
124 Stephen 1,389
125 Willard 1,355
126 Claude 1,353
127 Alan 1,339
128 Hugh 1,320
129 Manuel 1,318
130 Jackie 1,317
131 Jose 1,315
132 Keith 1,315
133 Marion 1,314
134 Phillip 1,313
135 Edgar 1,307
136 Gary 1,295
137 Jessie 1,281
138 Oscar 1,256
139 Virgil 1,225
140 Everett 1,204
141 Billie 1,192
142 Leslie 1,177
143 Max 1,154
144 Wesley 1,136
145 Junior 1,117
146 Hubert 1,087
147 Ted 1,067
148 Homer 1,055
149 Dick 1,053
150 Lowell 1,047
151 Delbert 1,038
152 Wilbur 1,016
153 Allan 1,008
154 Darrell 992
155 Lyle 969
156 Ben 966
157 Luther 961
158 Rudolph 960
159 Sidney 960
160 Morris 941
161 Jay 934
162 Neil 934
163 Nicholas 925
164 Dan 922
165 Willis 910
166 Freddie 909
167 Bennie 883
168 Horace 883
169 Earnest 872
170 Tony 855
171 Roosevelt 832
172 Rodney 828
173 Carroll 815
174 Otis 813
175 Clayton 787
176 Nathaniel 780
177 Steve 780
178 Alexander 775
179 Lonnie 761
180 Guy 758
181 Salvatore 751
182 Oliver 740
183 Clifton 738
184 Alton 717
185 Mark 716
186 Archie 715
187 Julius 712
188 Matthew 702
189 Clinton 700
190 Edmund 691
191 Bobbie 690
192 Alex 684
193 Karl 670
194 Ira 661
195 Wilbert 653
196 Juan 652
197 Wendell 650
198 Orville 649
199 Ramon 641
200 Marshall 639
201 Leland 638
202 Dwight 635
203 Jesus 635
204 Nelson 628
205 Ivan 627
206 Joel 624
207 Mike 624
208 Myron 620
209 Angelo 608
210 Benny 593
211 Merle 593
212 Dewey 583
213 Rex 580
214 Doyle 576
215 Malcolm 572
216 Sylvester 560
217 Julian 559
218 Jacob 558
219 Ervin 550
220 Eldon 547
221 Antonio 542
222 Gerard 542
223 Troy 540
224 Loren 538
225 Elbert 532
226 Pete 530
227 Perry 528
228 Carlton 525
229 Conrad 523
230 Wilfred 521
231 Carlos 520
232 Irvin 518
233 Mack 515
234 Barry 514
235 Aaron 514
236 Rufus 511
237 Irving 509
238 Forrest 498
239 Lynn 496
240 Isaac 493
241 Nick 490
242 Fredrick 487
243 Nathan 486
244 Laurence 479
245 Byron 471
246 Norbert 470
247 Ruben 469
248 Buddy 467
249 Grady 465
250 Stuart 464

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 'Byron' 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 'Richard' 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 'Charles' 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 'Thomas' 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 1932". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 19, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1932/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1932". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1932/. Accessed 19 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Boy Names in 1932. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-boy-names-in-1932/.