Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1937

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1937. 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 girl names in 1937, 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 Mary 55,644
2 Barbara 34,912
3 Patricia 26,838
4 Shirley 26,820
5 Betty 25,329
6 Carol 17,336
7 Nancy 17,070
8 Dorothy 16,571
9 Joan 15,300
10 Margaret 15,144
11 Joyce 11,808
12 Helen 11,454
13 Marilyn 9,738
14 Beverly 9,632
15 Ruth 9,606
16 Virginia 9,514
17 Elizabeth 9,385
18 Janet 9,363
19 Frances 9,055
20 Carolyn 8,938
21 Donna 8,885
22 Doris 8,881
23 Jean 8,395
24 Martha 7,954
25 Janice 7,767
26 Sandra 7,521
27 Phyllis 7,244
28 Alice 7,122
29 Lois 6,932
30 Ann 6,713
31 Peggy 6,377
32 Gloria 6,333
33 Norma 6,235
34 Judith 6,146
35 Marie 6,075
36 Evelyn 5,759
37 Dolores 5,568
38 Anna 5,449
39 Rose 5,446
40 Marlene 5,037
41 Sharon 4,705
42 Jane 4,702
43 Mildred 4,645
44 Geraldine 4,555
45 Elaine 4,525
46 Annie 4,480
47 Catherine 4,461
48 Louise 4,382
49 Linda 4,379
50 Sylvia 4,368
51 Joanne 4,333
52 Ruby 4,289
53 Eleanor 4,276
54 Patsy 4,244
55 Wanda 4,201
56 Carole 4,196
57 Marjorie 4,091
58 Joann 3,937
59 Sally 3,926
60 Arlene 3,806
61 Kathleen 3,743
62 Irene 3,674
63 Loretta 3,672
64 Bonnie 3,596
65 Sarah 3,588
66 Roberta 3,568
67 Charlotte 3,537
68 Delores 3,530
69 Rita 3,421
70 Jacqueline 3,399
71 June 3,378
72 Darlene 3,285
73 Jo 3,226
74 Edna 3,221
75 Juanita 3,181
76 Diane 3,175
77 Yvonne 3,172
78 Thelma 3,060
79 Kay 3,010
80 Wilma 2,977
81 Florence 2,955
82 Josephine 2,941
83 Lorraine 2,939
84 Lillian 2,899
85 Audrey 2,888
86 Gladys 2,872
87 Pauline 2,818
88 Ethel 2,764
89 Emma 2,749
90 Jeanette 2,743
91 Judy 2,741
92 Anne 2,724
93 Anita 2,714
94 Grace 2,710
95 Theresa 2,702
96 Edith 2,649
97 Susan 2,643
98 Lucille 2,638
99 Gail 2,634
100 Clara 2,573
101 Sue 2,504
102 Ellen 2,499
103 Katherine 2,484
104 Bernice 2,384
105 Laura 2,363
106 Hazel 2,348
107 Eileen 2,344
108 Kathryn 2,326
109 Marion 2,309
110 Rosemary 2,307
111 Margie 2,286
112 Julia 2,284
113 Karen 2,233
114 Willie 2,193
115 Annette 2,157
116 Esther 2,156
117 Eva 2,059
118 Constance 2,028
119 Shelby 1,997
120 Beatrice 1,986
121 Bertha 1,953
122 Maria 1,953
123 Bobbie 1,952
124 Marcia 1,948
125 Elsie 1,938
126 Billie 1,937
127 Vivian 1,910
128 Connie 1,908
129 Marian 1,904
130 Sara 1,901
131 Lillie 1,899
132 Georgia 1,812
133 Ida 1,783
134 Ella 1,747
135 Christine 1,742
136 Maxine 1,731
137 Myrna 1,652
138 Alma 1,627
139 Deanna 1,624
140 Nellie 1,590
141 Charlene 1,580
142 Sheila 1,573
143 Jessie 1,551
144 Bessie 1,550
145 Suzanne 1,545
146 Glenda 1,536
147 Pat 1,529
148 Mattie 1,499
149 Vera 1,498
150 Jeanne 1,495
151 Lucy 1,450
152 Rosa 1,442
153 Agnes 1,420
154 Harriet 1,419
155 Maureen 1,395
156 Minnie 1,378
157 Diana 1,333
158 Geneva 1,331
159 Gertrude 1,319
160 Faye 1,300
161 Emily 1,293
162 Joy 1,236
163 Rachel 1,229
164 Velma 1,216
165 Paula 1,212
166 Rebecca 1,209
167 Maryann 1,205
168 Naomi 1,202
169 Myrtle 1,193
170 Cynthia 1,181
171 Rosemarie 1,180
172 Carrie 1,176
173 Leona 1,173
174 Dixie 1,161
175 Viola 1,158
176 Cora 1,140
177 Violet 1,139
178 Rosie 1,124
179 Rosalie 1,116
180 Patty 1,113
181 Caroline 1,094
182 Lula 1,088
183 Dora 1,086
184 Gwendolyn 1,084
185 Mae 1,071
186 Eunice 1,042
187 Pearl 1,023
188 Ramona 1,018
189 Jeannette 1,012
190 Alberta 997
191 Claire 959
192 Verna 934
193 Deloris 931
194 Hattie 931
195 Stella 916
196 Nina 901
197 Jackie 898
198 Johnnie 880
199 Lola 865
200 Fannie 850
201 Lena 846
202 Nora 842
203 Erma 834
204 Daisy 813
205 Marguerite 805
206 Irma 800
207 Priscilla 797
208 Ada 796
209 Claudia 795
210 Susie 794
211 Flora 790
212 Melba 789
213 Della 787
214 Angela 784
215 Iris 779
216 Carmen 774
217 Ernestine 773
218 Bettie 762
219 Hilda 761
220 Madeline 754
221 Miriam 752
222 Inez 744
223 Colleen 740
224 Gayle 720
225 Beulah 719
226 Janis 716
227 Mamie 713
228 Jacquelyn 711
229 Janie 707
230 Jennie 707
231 Regina 706
232 Muriel 702
233 Mabel 697
234 Genevieve 692
235 Laverne 692
236 Mable 691
237 Antoinette 687
238 Lydia 687
239 Bette 685
240 Dianne 673
241 Marcella 664
242 Teresa 661
243 Eula 659
244 Sherry 649
245 Amelia 646
246 Marianne 646
247 Claudette 642
248 Myra 642
249 Bettye 638
250 Eloise 636

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 'Amelia' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Mary' 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 'Shirley' 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 'Patricias' 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 'Betty' 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 'Carol' 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 'Margaret' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Nancy' 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 'Dorothy' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Joan' 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 Girl Names in 1937". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1937/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1937". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1937/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1937. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1937/.