Birth year roster

Top names in 1936

The 100 most common names on 1936 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Mary and Robert led the 1936 baby-name charts, the top names among Silent Generation births. Mary was the #1 girls’ name for 76 years in all (between 1880 and 1961); Robert was the #1 boys’ name for 17 years in all (between 1924 and 1953). Of the 200 names below, 144 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1930s decade

Girls

#1Mary Endangered54,377
#2Shirley Endangered35,161
#3Barbara Endangered31,682
#4Betty Endangered25,868
#5Patricia Endangered23,916
#6Dorothy Endangered17,666
#7Joan Endangered17,072
#8Nancy Endangered16,755
#9Margaret Endangered14,596
#10Carol Endangered14,520
#11Helen Endangered12,234
#12Joyce Endangered11,988
#13Marilyn Endangered11,064
#14Virginia Endangered9,650
#15Doris Endangered9,226
#16Ruth Endangered9,217
#17Beverly Endangered8,901
#18Elizabeth Stable8,860
#19Frances Endangered8,789
#20Jean Endangered8,536
#21Janet Endangered8,080
#22Donna Endangered7,932
#23Carolyn Endangered7,906
#24Martha Endangered7,392
#25Phyllis Endangered7,374
#26Lois Endangered7,232
#27Alice Stable7,201
#28Ann Endangered6,666
#29Norma Endangered6,633
#30Dolores Endangered6,417
#31Janice Endangered6,150
#32Gloria Endangered6,140
#33Marie Endangered6,132
#34Evelyn Stable6,108
#35Peggy Endangered6,068
#36Anna Declining5,727
#37Rose Stable5,699
#38Sandra Endangered5,526
#39Marlene Endangered5,332
#40Mildred Endangered5,051
#41Geraldine Endangered4,864
#42Jane Stable4,719
#43Judith Endangered4,580
#44Catherine Endangered4,537
#45Annie Rising4,529
#46Louise Endangered4,355
#47Eleanor Rising4,341
#48Joanne Endangered4,305
#49Marjorie Endangered4,279
#50Elaine Rising4,259
#51Ruby Stable4,226
#52Patsy Endangered4,196
#53Sylvia Rising4,156
#54Arlene Endangered3,898
#55Joann Endangered3,886
#56Wanda Endangered3,882
#57Irene Endangered3,817
#58Delores Endangered3,760
#59Sally Endangered3,635
#60Sharon Endangered3,573
#61Charlotte Stable3,555
#62June Rising3,515
#63Sarah Endangered3,515
#64Roberta Endangered3,467
#65Bonnie Endangered3,374
#66Jacqueline Endangered3,362
#67Kathleen Endangered3,352
#68Audrey Declining3,345
#69Rita Endangered3,334
#70Loretta Rising3,325
#71Edna Endangered3,305
#72Jo Endangered3,292
#73Carole Endangered3,199
#74Thelma Endangered3,196
#75Juanita Endangered3,183
#76Lorraine Endangered3,167
#77Josephine Rising3,141
#78Wilma Endangered3,123
#79Lillian Declining3,117
#80Florence Endangered3,083
#81Yvonne Endangered3,038
#82Pauline Endangered2,981
#83Darlene Endangered2,962
#84Gladys Endangered2,944
#85Emma Declining2,831
#86Grace Declining2,791
#87Edith Endangered2,759
#88Theresa Endangered2,758
#89Anne Endangered2,756
#90Ethel Endangered2,730
#91Clara Stable2,684
#92Lucille Stable2,632
#93Marion Endangered2,580
#94Jeanette Endangered2,552
#95Bernice Endangered2,540
#96Hazel Rising2,512
#97Linda Endangered2,440
#98Kay Endangered2,408
#99Ellen Endangered2,398
#100Katherine Declining2,355

Boys

#1Robert Endangered58,500
#2James Stable54,694
#3John Past peak47,683
#4William Declining39,398
#5Richard Endangered33,494
#6Charles Stable29,101
#7Donald Endangered28,639
#8Thomas Stable18,342
#9George Stable18,197
#10David Past peak17,476
#11Joseph Declining17,453
#12Ronald Endangered16,917
#13Edward Endangered14,194
#14Kenneth Endangered12,486
#15Paul Endangered12,307
#16Frank Endangered10,186
#17Raymond Endangered9,459
#18Jerry Endangered9,271
#19Gerald Endangered9,018
#20Jack Stable8,857
#21Harold Endangered8,628
#22Billy Endangered8,587
#23Joe Endangered8,023
#24Bobby Endangered7,735
#25Larry Endangered7,611
#26Walter Stable7,536
#27Carl Endangered6,591
#28Henry Stable6,447
#29Eugene Endangered6,376
#30Arthur Rising6,264
#31Ralph Endangered6,029
#32Willie Endangered6,011
#33Michael Past peak5,800
#34Albert Endangered5,759
#35Roger Endangered5,702
#36Fred Endangered5,602
#37Lawrence Endangered5,339
#38Gary Endangered5,192
#39Harry Endangered4,931
#40Howard Endangered4,874
#41Daniel Declining4,817
#42Roy Endangered4,815
#43Norman Endangered4,645
#44Louis Stable4,418
#45Wayne Endangered4,409
#46Jimmy Endangered4,214
#47Earl Endangered4,106
#48Anthony Declining3,978
#49Marvin Endangered3,936
#50Francis Stable3,876
#51Don Endangered3,830
#52Clarence Endangered3,772
#53Melvin Endangered3,730
#54Leonard Endangered3,716
#55Ernest Endangered3,715
#56Peter Stable3,714
#57Leroy Endangered3,642
#58Stanley Endangered3,492
#59Dale Endangered3,393
#60Alfred Endangered3,253
#61Bill Endangered3,166
#62Herbert Endangered3,117
#63Philip Endangered3,033
#64Franklin Stable2,939
#65Ray Endangered2,939
#66Gene Endangered2,909
#67Samuel Stable2,893
#68Bernard Endangered2,853
#69Russell Stable2,832
#70Frederick Stable2,817
#71Jimmie Endangered2,742
#72Johnny Endangered2,729
#73Bruce Endangered2,630
#74Dennis Endangered2,627
#75Gordon Endangered2,567
#76Lee Endangered2,418
#77Bob Endangered2,408
#78Douglas Endangered2,374
#79Eddie Endangered2,347
#80Glenn Endangered2,328
#81Allen Endangered2,314
#82Leon Rising2,282
#83Andrew Declining2,276
#84Edwin Stable2,271
#85Jim Endangered2,268
#86Floyd Endangered2,228
#87Theodore Rising2,219
#88Lloyd Endangered2,160
#89Clyde Stable2,153
#90Clifford Endangered2,132
#91Tommy Endangered2,108
#92Martin Stable2,106
#93Vernon Endangered2,028
#94Leo Rising2,017
#95Warren Rising1,976
#96Alvin Declining1,970
#97Harvey Rising1,970
#98Jerome Endangered1,967
#99Stephen Endangered1,862
#100Patrick Declining1,856