Most Popular Baby Names in 1930

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 1930. 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 names in 1930, 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

Boys Girls
Rank Name Count Name Count
1 Robert 62,149 Mary 64,149
2 James 53,950 Betty 38,235
3 John 52,441 Dorothy 30,409
4 William 47,270 Helen 19,913
5 Richard 32,181 Margaret 18,353
6 Charles 31,872 Barbara 18,280
7 Donald 29,049 Patricia 15,751
8 George 22,783 Joan 15,479
9 Joseph 20,982 Doris 15,466
10 Edward 17,352 Ruth 14,937
11 Thomas 17,011 Shirley 14,776
12 Paul 12,956 Virginia 13,199
13 Frank 12,537 Dolores 12,840
14 Jack 12,428 Jean 11,986
15 David 12,277 Elizabeth 10,996
16 Raymond 11,714 Frances 10,646
17 Kenneth 11,704 Lois 10,115
18 Harold 11,662 Joyce 9,659
19 Walter 9,729 Evelyn 9,537
20 Billy 9,286 Alice 9,515
21 Eugene 9,029 Mildred 9,352
22 Henry 8,594 Marilyn 9,288
23 Arthur 8,285 Anna 9,079
24 Albert 7,945 Nancy 9,070
25 Ralph 7,635 Norma 8,512
26 Carl 6,952 Marie 8,426
27 Joe 6,877 Martha 7,832
28 Harry 6,848 Phyllis 7,770
29 Willie 6,667 Rose 7,690
30 Gerald 6,482 Gloria 7,605
31 Howard 6,343 Louise 6,943
32 Fred 6,048 Marjorie 6,633
33 Roy 5,919 Irene 6,464
34 Louis 5,810 Beverly 6,455
35 Herbert 5,673 Catherine 6,296
36 Lawrence 5,638 Ruby 5,993
37 Ronald 5,637 Donna 5,979
38 Earl 5,564 Florence 5,866
39 Clarence 5,496 Eleanor 5,823
40 Norman 5,294 Annie 5,755
41 Bobby 5,183 Ann 5,532
42 Francis 4,990 Rita 5,469
43 Ernest 4,787 Lillian 5,449
44 Anthony 4,676 Geraldine 5,448
45 Leonard 4,661 Thelma 5,249
46 Alfred 4,557 Lorraine 5,166
47 Daniel 4,464 June 5,094
48 Marvin 4,402 Gladys 5,066
49 Stanley 4,382 Josephine 4,988
50 Melvin 4,048 Theresa 4,783
51 Jerry 3,891 Edna 4,764
52 Bernard 3,831 Pauline 4,655
53 Leroy 3,804 Janet 4,601
54 Michael 3,543 Carol 4,597
55 Samuel 3,532 Jane 4,575
56 Peter 3,266 Wanda 4,524
57 Ray 3,250 Juanita 4,514
58 Roger 3,246 Bernice 4,439
59 Bill 3,160 Lucille 4,329
60 Russell 3,101 Marion 4,305
61 Floyd 3,077 Edith 4,272
62 Andrew 3,057 Grace 4,218
63 Leo 3,035 Audrey 4,128
64 Dale 2,994 Clara 4,124
65 Wayne 2,981 Ethel 4,101
66 Edwin 2,974 Delores 4,099
67 Theodore 2,960 Peggy 4,085
68 Don 2,921 Wilma 4,075
69 Lloyd 2,837 Elaine 3,953
70 Gene 2,788 Sarah 3,920
71 Glenn 2,758 Hazel 3,888
72 Vernon 2,703 Carolyn 3,725
73 Clifford 2,696 Emma 3,554
74 Frederick 2,696 Jacqueline 3,413
75 Philip 2,654 Charlotte 3,406
76 Clyde 2,632 Beatrice 3,391
77 Gordon 2,613 Esther 3,349
78 Herman 2,596 Bonnie 3,267
79 Alvin 2,512 Billie 3,241
80 Elmer 2,477 Marian 3,212
81 Leon 2,400 Joanne 3,153
82 Lee 2,361 Rosemary 3,151
83 Martin 2,324 Anne 3,093
84 Vincent 2,317 Kathleen 3,074
85 Allen 2,279 Katherine 3,032
86 Jimmie 2,255 Eva 3,019
87 Lewis 2,247 Willie 3,017
88 Bob 2,242 Elsie 2,972
89 Douglas 2,167 Laura 2,909
90 Gilbert 2,119 Julia 2,880
91 Charlie 2,113 Vivian 2,872
92 Harvey 2,061 Jeanne 2,720
93 Milton 2,054 Maxine 2,701
94 Jesse 2,034 Ida 2,643
95 Lester 2,020 Bertha 2,605
96 Warren 2,012 Gertrude 2,554
97 Eddie 1,970 Patsy 2,544
98 Arnold 1,948 Sally 2,542
99 Cecil 1,883 Maria 2,541
100 Victor 1,844 Ellen 2,522
101 Johnny 1,822 Kathryn 2,515
102 Jimmy 1,800 Agnes 2,510
103 Chester 1,791 Arlene 2,508
104 Johnnie 1,784 Vera 2,492
105 Jerome 1,770 Loretta 2,483
106 Curtis 1,722 Jeanette 2,434
107 Larry 1,721 Ella 2,405
108 Roland 1,720 Bessie 2,383
109 Bruce 1,711 Alma 2,380
110 Sam 1,669 Eileen 2,378
111 Calvin 1,619 Lillie 2,366
112 Wallace 1,619 Margie 2,241
113 Jose 1,600 Nellie 2,213
114 Benjamin 1,594 Jessie 2,195
115 Glen 1,594 Anita 2,184
116 Maurice 1,551 Viola 2,162
117 Willard 1,535 Georgia 2,156
118 Patrick 1,532 Joann 2,131
119 Edgar 1,526 Lucy 2,121
120 Duane 1,521 Violet 2,098
121 Manuel 1,521 Pearl 2,069
122 Claude 1,481 Minnie 2,008
123 Billie 1,474 Myrtle 1,996
124 Oscar 1,467 Christine 1,994
125 Jim 1,463 Roberta 1,951
126 Marion 1,390 Janice 1,930
127 Tommy 1,388 Velma 1,918
128 Virgil 1,372 Mattie 1,891
129 Dean 1,364 Rosa 1,878
130 Keith 1,355 Leona 1,872
131 Hugh 1,342 Jo 1,871
132 Tom 1,336 Sylvia 1,830
133 Jessie 1,330 Geneva 1,798
134 Junior 1,325 Sara 1,770
135 Everett 1,324 Bobbie 1,765
136 Alan 1,301 Claire 1,654
137 Hubert 1,276 Mae 1,651
138 Stephen 1,256 Harriet 1,598
139 Leslie 1,239 Naomi 1,594
140 Rudolph 1,219 Stella 1,569
141 Wilbur 1,214 Darlene 1,544
142 Wesley 1,186 Dora 1,498
143 Max 1,182 Genevieve 1,497
144 Phillip 1,175 Lena 1,489
145 Dennis 1,174 Carrie 1,466
146 Homer 1,171 Alberta 1,463
147 Nicholas 1,131 Constance 1,463
148 Luther 1,109 Eunice 1,438
149 Franklin 1,078 Ramona 1,410
150 Sidney 1,076 Mabel 1,369
151 Delbert 1,014 Verna 1,360
152 Morris 1,006 Jennie 1,352
153 Earnest 992 Rosie 1,345
154 Ben 987 Emily 1,344
155 Allan 985 Muriel 1,342
156 Ted 983 Opal 1,328
157 Horace 974 Lula 1,314
158 Jackie 974 Hilda 1,303
159 Willis 966 Marguerite 1,289
160 Lyle 948 Hattie 1,284
161 Dick 940 Cora 1,273
162 Bennie 915 Lola 1,271
163 Tony 910 Joy 1,268
164 Juan 907 Rachel 1,261
165 Dan 899 Yvonne 1,242
166 Jay 891 Fannie 1,225
167 Salvatore 881 Sue 1,213
168 Alexander 873 Beulah 1,210
169 Steve 862 Erma 1,207
170 Oliver 851 Lila 1,203
171 Freddie 840 Inez 1,174
172 Otis 831 Caroline 1,160
173 Darrell 828 Madeline 1,144
174 Guy 827 Flora 1,142
175 Neil 826 Rosalie 1,119
176 Julius 812 Rebecca 1,114
177 Edmund 807 Faye 1,099
178 Clayton 802 Laverne 1,096
179 Archie 768 Blanche 1,093
180 Alex 760 Irma 1,084
181 Ramon 758 Daisy 1,062
182 Carroll 757 Eula 1,053
183 Alton 756 Miriam 1,052
184 Clifton 755 Carmen 1,044
185 Nathaniel 754 Ada 1,040
186 Jesus 753 Marcella 1,036
187 Orville 747 Mamie 1,028
188 Marshall 741 Eloise 1,023
189 Antonio 734 Imogene 1,023
190 Angelo 729 Nora 1,015
191 Lowell 721 Bettie 1,005
192 Wilbert 719 Susan 1,003
193 Lonnie 716 Nina 996
194 Gary 715 Teresa 993
195 Myron 712 Charlene 987
196 Merle 711 Jeannette 987
197 Mike 711 Mable 977
198 Leland 706 Antoinette 975
199 Ira 702 Gwendolyn 960
200 Bobbie 695 Ernestine 959
201 Clinton 694 Colleen 946
202 Wendell 672 Judith 943
203 Ivan 668 Iris 938
204 Matthew 657 Rosemarie 926
205 Dewey 653 Susie 922
206 Karl 648 Johnnie 912
207 Irving 644 Della 887
208 Rodney 639 Deloris 882
209 Nick 631 Estelle 872
210 Nelson 630 Melba 862
211 Ervin 625 Lorene 856
212 Jacob 622 Angelina 832
213 Elbert 609 Priscilla 824
214 Wilfred 602 Sadie 821
215 Doyle 601 Regina 800
216 Gerard 601 Maggie 794
217 Sylvester 599 Suzanne 793
218 Irvin 598 Marianne 791
219 Julian 592 Connie 783
220 Mark 591 Annette 781
221 Perry 581 Bette 774
222 Carlos 578 Olga 774
223 Pete 578 Patty 769
224 Eldon 575 Bettye 751
225 Rufus 564 Diane 742
226 Laurence 562 Katie 737
227 Burton 560 Pat 734
228 Norbert 560 Victoria 713
229 Malcolm 558 Janie 707
230 Isaac 549 Winifred 699
231 Fredrick 548 Marcia 692
232 Bert 542 Jewel 688
233 Dwight 542 Lydia 687
234 Nathan 540 Dorthy 685
235 Rex 540 Reba 680
236 Loren 536 Amelia 679
237 Benny 533 Ora 677
238 Roosevelt 533 Henrietta 673
239 Tommie 533 Nadine 668
240 Troy 533 Jacquelyn 666
241 Forrest 532 Ollie 663
242 Ellis 523 Nettie 657
243 Felix 516 Angela 640
244 Ruben 516 Dorothea 640
245 Owen 513 Veronica 638
246 Emil 509 Fern 634
247 Grady 508 Jackie 626
248 Conrad 506 Natalie 623
249 Mack 505 Ina 623
250 Pedro 501 Essie 617

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 'Owen' or 'Fern', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Robert' or 'Mary' 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 'Joan' 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 'Bettys' 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 'Patricia' 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 'Doris' 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 'Helen' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Donald' or 'Dolores' 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 'Barbara' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Joseph' or 'Marie' 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 Names in 1930". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1930/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 1930". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1930/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Names in 1930. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1930/.