Decade hub

1930s baby names

A name can be popular in the 1930s without belonging to the 1930s. This hub separates the two: the biggest names of the decade, and the names whose recorded history is concentrated inside it.

Familiar champions, era-specific ownership

The 1930s cover 1930–1939 and contain 21,229,562 recorded births: 10,663,028 girls and 10,566,534 boys, across 15,662 distinct names. Mary leads girls with 573,000 births, while Robert leads boys with 590,810. The independent D1 anchor matches the total and both champion identities and counts.

The top ten account for 19.46% of recorded births and the top hundred for 55.20%. The diversity score is 65.2624, the effective number of names is 546.58, and the concentration score is 0.6166. In this profile the national total is large, but the effective roster is smaller than in the 1910s and the distribution is relatively concentrated; those are measurements of the recorded name distribution, not proof of a historical cause.

Joan leads girls’ ownership with 173,439 decade births out of 481,238 lifetime births, a 0.360402 decade share, and an ownership score of 94.5012; it ranks seventh in popularity. Dick leads boys’ ownership with 10,163 decade births out of 29,273 lifetime births, a 0.347180 decade share, and an ownership score of 83.3452; it ranks 150th in popularity. Mary and Robert are the raw popularity champions, while Joan and Dick are more era-concentrated according to the ownership calculation.

The representative classroom is drawn from 1934 and splits evenly into 15 girls’ seats and 15 boys’ seats. All 30 names are unique, repeatedNames is 0, and the most repeated name has one seat; the stored top-share display is 0.0333. It is a deterministic classroom reconstruction from the anchor-year distribution, not a claim that every 1930s classroom had the same roster.

The strongest approved family is Catherine: Catherine (50,027), Katherine (25,193), Katharine (1,724), and Kathryn (22,583) combine to 99,527 births. Each spelling clears 1,000 births and the combined family clears 20,000; the variants are defensible spellings of the same name family. Elizabeth/Elisabeth is a close second at 97,764, while Marian/Marion totals 53,472, Eleanor/Elinor 50,141, and Sarah/Sara 54,774. Cathryn is rejected from the Catherine family at 798 births because it fails the per-variant floor.

These figures come from SSA’s national files, which suppress counts below five and record sex rather than gender; they do not include every birth or explain personal identity. The lifetime window ends at the 2025 source vintage, making ownership a revisable descriptive score rather than a timeless cultural verdict. The data support comparisons in the recorded series, not causal claims about the Depression, media, migration, or any other historical explanation.

Girls' popularity champion
Mary 573,000 births
Boys' popularity champion
Robert 590,810 births
Total recorded births
21,229,562
Female births
10,663,028
Male births
10,566,534
Distinct recorded names
15,662
Top-10 birth share
19.5%
Top-100 birth share
55.2%
Diversity score
65.3of 100 · 547 effective names
Concentration score
0.6of 100

Methodology: how every number on this page is computed

Decade ownership

Popularity measures size. Ownership measures identity. Some names remain popular for generations. Others overwhelmingly belong to one decade. The ownership score ranks names by how concentrated their recorded history is inside 1930–1939, weighted against how visible they actually were — adjusted so that rare names cannot win on a technicality.

It is a descriptive statistic about SSA birth records, not a verdict about culture. Read the full methodology.

Girls, ranked by ownership

The 25 highest ownership scores in the female eligible set.

Girls, ranked by ownership — 1930s decade ownership rankings
Rank Name Ownership score 1930s births Lifetime births Decade share of lifetime Peak year Status
1 Joan 94.5 173,439 481,238 36.0% 1932 endangered
2 Dolores 91.6 77,139 211,440 36.5% 1930 endangered
3 Shirley 90.7 229,380 686,383 33.4% 1935 endangered
4 Betty 85.2 300,409 1,001,238 30.0% 1930 endangered
5 Delores 79.5 37,603 117,821 31.9% 1932 endangered
6 Patsy 76.7 36,475 119,448 30.5% 1941 endangered
7 Marilyn 73.4 98,531 373,791 26.4% 1947 endangered
8 Marlene 73.2 37,355 130,573 28.6% 1936 endangered
9 Myrna 72.4 10,235 31,700 32.3% 1938 declining
10 Norma 71.8 72,878 278,071 26.2% 1931 endangered
11 Pat 71.6 12,463 40,123 31.1% 1941 extinct
12 Doris 69.2 110,658 462,548 23.9% 1928 endangered
13 Lois 68.4 80,713 332,950 24.2% 1927 endangered
14 Barbara 67.0 296,420 1,436,695 20.6% 1947 endangered
15 Bettye 67.0 7,051 22,920 30.8% 1933 extinct
16 Joyce 67.0 115,506 509,332 22.7% 1942 endangered
17 Marlys 65.7 3,172 8,958 35.4% 1937 declining
18 Phyllis 65.5 73,805 322,496 22.9% 1947 endangered
19 Geraldine 65.2 50,042 211,349 23.7% 1930 endangered
20 Arlene 64.8 34,796 143,010 24.3% 1934 endangered
21 Wilma 63.4 33,188 140,101 23.7% 1925 endangered
22 Carole 63.3 26,768 110,688 24.2% 1942 endangered
23 Beverly 62.9 80,846 378,561 21.4% 1953 endangered
24 Dorothy 62.3 210,415 1,112,231 18.9% 1924 endangered
25 Jean 62.0 94,189 458,436 20.5% 1927 endangered

Boys, ranked by ownership

The 25 highest ownership scores in the male eligible set.

Boys, ranked by ownership — 1930s decade ownership rankings
Rank Name Ownership score 1930s births Lifetime births Decade share of lifetime Peak year Status
1 Dick 83.3 10,163 29,273 34.7% 1934 extinct
2 Bobbie 77.2 6,228 18,422 33.8% 1931 endangered
3 Billie 75.4 9,703 31,637 30.7% 1930 endangered
4 Billy 71.4 88,341 384,233 23.0% 1934 endangered
5 Donald 70.0 283,718 1,414,824 20.1% 1934 endangered
6 Bob 69.6 23,293 92,986 25.1% 1959 endangered
7 Bobby 68.3 69,419 315,053 22.0% 1937 endangered
8 Gene 66.7 29,313 126,877 23.1% 1937 endangered
9 Jimmie 65.8 25,813 112,267 23.0% 1934 endangered
10 Don 64.2 35,980 167,632 21.5% 1946 endangered
11 Shirley 63.2 2,911 9,551 30.5% 1935 extinct
12 Norman 62.0 49,987 253,160 19.7% 1928 endangered
13 Betty 61.6 1,431 3,619 39.5% 1934 extinct
14 Gerald 61.4 82,821 448,966 18.4% 1942 endangered
15 Lowell 61.3 9,659 41,330 23.4% 1931 endangered
16 Eugene 61.2 70,938 380,708 18.6% 1927 endangered
17 Bill 60.9 32,338 160,474 20.2% 1947 endangered
18 Harold 59.6 95,467 551,632 17.3% 1924 endangered
19 Huey 59.5 2,169 7,098 30.6% 1935 endangered
20 Carol 58.7 2,481 8,656 28.7% 1937 extinct
21 Carroll 58.4 7,963 35,431 22.5% 1934 declining
22 Leroy 57.0 36,255 200,981 18.0% 1924 endangered
23 Jackie 56.9 15,678 78,900 19.9% 1951 endangered
24 Franklin 56.8 26,381 141,728 18.6% 1933 stable
25 Robert 56.1 590,810 4,849,730 12.2% 1947 endangered

Most owned by the 1930s

Top 25 by ownership score across both sexes; each row is tagged with its sex comparison set.

Most owned by the 1930s — 1930s decade ownership rankings
Rank Name Sex Ownership score 1930s births Lifetime births Decade share of lifetime Peak year Status
1 Joan F 94.5 173,439 481,238 36.0% 1932 endangered
2 Dolores F 91.6 77,139 211,440 36.5% 1930 endangered
3 Shirley F 90.7 229,380 686,383 33.4% 1935 endangered
4 Betty F 85.2 300,409 1,001,238 30.0% 1930 endangered
1 Dick M 83.3 10,163 29,273 34.7% 1934 extinct
5 Delores F 79.5 37,603 117,821 31.9% 1932 endangered
2 Bobbie M 77.2 6,228 18,422 33.8% 1931 endangered
6 Patsy F 76.7 36,475 119,448 30.5% 1941 endangered
3 Billie M 75.4 9,703 31,637 30.7% 1930 endangered
7 Marilyn F 73.4 98,531 373,791 26.4% 1947 endangered
8 Marlene F 73.2 37,355 130,573 28.6% 1936 endangered
9 Myrna F 72.4 10,235 31,700 32.3% 1938 declining
10 Norma F 71.8 72,878 278,071 26.2% 1931 endangered
11 Pat F 71.6 12,463 40,123 31.1% 1941 extinct
4 Billy M 71.4 88,341 384,233 23.0% 1934 endangered
5 Donald M 70.0 283,718 1,414,824 20.1% 1934 endangered
6 Bob M 69.6 23,293 92,986 25.1% 1959 endangered
12 Doris F 69.2 110,658 462,548 23.9% 1928 endangered
13 Lois F 68.4 80,713 332,950 24.2% 1927 endangered
7 Bobby M 68.3 69,419 315,053 22.0% 1937 endangered
14 Barbara F 67.0 296,420 1,436,695 20.6% 1947 endangered
15 Bettye F 67.0 7,051 22,920 30.8% 1933 extinct
16 Joyce F 67.0 115,506 509,332 22.7% 1942 endangered
8 Gene M 66.7 29,313 126,877 23.1% 1937 endangered
9 Jimmie M 65.8 25,813 112,267 23.0% 1934 endangered

Popular but timeless

1930s births at or above the median of the pooled eligible set (both sexes) and adjusted concentration at or below its 25th percentile: big names whose recorded history spans many decades.

Popular but timeless — 1930s decade ownership rankings
Rank Name Sex Ownership score 1930s births Lifetime births Decade share of lifetime Peak year Status
259 David M 34.2 164,701 3,676,654 4.5% 1955 endangered
575 Michael M 22.9 56,001 4,426,753 1.3% 1957 endangered
531 Daniel M 24.8 47,998 1,982,812 2.4% 1985 declining
388 Gary M 29.6 43,596 902,152 4.8% 1952 endangered
512 Anthony M 25.2 42,546 1,488,042 2.9% 1990 declining
571 Sarah F 24.8 36,513 1,098,498 3.3% 1982 endangered
487 Kathleen F 27.5 34,550 713,645 4.8% 1951 endangered
481 Samuel M 26.3 32,135 820,196 3.9% 2001 stable
533 Sharon F 26.0 31,083 723,024 4.3% 1947 endangered
566 Emma F 25.0 30,022 776,439 3.9% 2003 declining
678 Linda F 21.3 29,358 1,455,143 2.0% 1947 endangered
486 Dennis M 26.2 26,366 621,000 4.2% 1952 endangered
461 Douglas M 27.1 26,031 560,013 4.6% 1957 endangered
589 Katherine F 24.3 25,193 650,926 3.9% 1990 declining
632 Laura F 22.8 25,093 801,811 3.1% 1964 endangered
628 Andrew M 20.9 25,025 1,329,454 1.9% 1987 declining
536 Kathryn F 25.9 22,583 455,423 5.0% 1952 endangered
577 Diane F 24.6 22,198 518,651 4.3% 1955 endangered
716 Susan F 19.6 21,028 1,123,481 1.9% 1955 endangered
623 Maria F 23.0 20,640 566,111 3.6% 1964 stable
513 Jesse M 25.2 18,930 432,428 4.4% 1981 stable
668 Christine F 21.6 18,489 586,465 3.2% 1952 endangered
615 Patrick M 21.4 18,390 686,590 2.7% 1964 declining
650 Stephen M 20.1 18,272 864,739 2.1% 1952 endangered
616 Sara F 23.6 18,261 436,193 4.2% 1981 stable

Unexpected results

Names whose popularity rank exceeds their ownership rank by 20 or more within their sex set — popular, but far less tied to the 1930s than their size suggests.

Unexpected results — 1930s decade ownership rankings
Rank Name Sex Ownership score 1930s births Lifetime births Decade share of lifetime Peak year Status
105 Dorla F 45.2 590 1,089 54.2% 1930 extinct
225 Dolores M 35.8 457 1,336 34.2% 1930 extinct
155 Doloris F 40.8 660 1,885 35.0% 1932 extinct
286 Verlyn M 33.0 427 1,432 29.8% 1928 extinct
320 Verlene F 33.0 507 1,874 27.1% 1939 extinct
280 Mervyn M 33.3 451 1,581 28.5% 1937 declining
197 Merlene F 38.0 687 2,379 28.9% 1940 extinct
336 Mardell F 32.5 538 2,170 24.8% 1932 extinct
330 Verle M 31.5 444 1,758 25.3% 1920 extinct
349 Inell F 32.1 527 2,147 24.5% 1927 extinct
264 Sherrill M 34.0 506 1,915 26.4% 1936 extinct
298 Merilyn F 33.6 583 2,317 25.2% 1946 declining
314 Beverlee F 33.1 569 2,297 24.8% 1930 rising
309 Erlene F 33.3 578 2,332 24.8% 1930 extinct
253 Earlean F 35.2 655 2,585 25.3% 1932 extinct
298 Virginia M 32.6 494 2,009 24.6% 1927 extinct
352 Dorman M 30.7 446 1,898 23.5% 1928 extinct
390 Arland M 29.5 415 1,807 23.0% 1935 stable
328 Merna F 32.6 582 2,461 23.6% 1930 declining
282 Derald M 33.2 528 2,190 24.1% 1929 extinct
193 Willene F 38.2 779 2,928 26.6% 1929 extinct
384 Annie M 29.7 433 1,927 22.5% 1927 declining
289 Elois F 34.0 637 2,642 24.1% 1935 extinct
53 Bobbye F 51.4 1,161 3,172 36.6% 1931 extinct
91 Marlyn M 47.3 819 2,306 35.5% 1935 declining

The 1934 classroom

Apportion 30 seats from the actual 1934 national birth records and every seat carries a different name — no name was common enough in 1934 to guarantee a duplicate in a class of 30.

A statistical reconstruction of an average classroom, not an actual class record.

See the full 30-student roster

Spelling families

Conventional rankings separate spelling variants. This view groups manually reviewed variants to show their combined demographic footprint.

Explore all 5 spelling families

How these numbers are made

Every figure on this page is computed offline from SSA birth records with methodology decade-hub/v1.0.0, then served as a precomputed profile. Nothing is recalculated in your browser.

Read the methodology

Data coverage
Decade 1930–1939; lifetime data through 2025
Completeness
Complete decade
Methodology version
decade-hub/v1.0.0
Source version
ssa-national-2025
Generated
2026-08-14T03:32:54.323Z