Birth year roster

Top names in 1938

The 100 most common names on 1938 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Mary and Robert led the 1938 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, 146 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1930s decade

Girls

#1Mary Endangered56,225
#2Barbara Endangered39,277
#3Patricia Endangered27,560
#4Betty Endangered25,506
#5Shirley Endangered23,766
#6Carol Endangered19,421
#7Nancy Endangered18,951
#8Dorothy Endangered16,358
#9Margaret Endangered15,330
#10Joan Endangered14,303
#11Joyce Endangered12,698
#12Judith Endangered10,878
#13Helen Endangered10,837
#14Sandra Endangered10,806
#15Carolyn Endangered10,586
#16Janet Endangered9,870
#17Elizabeth Stable9,803
#18Beverly Endangered9,770
#19Marilyn Endangered9,745
#20Donna Endangered9,693
#21Ruth Endangered9,303
#22Virginia Endangered9,269
#23Frances Endangered8,921
#24Janice Endangered8,711
#25Doris Endangered8,603
#26Martha Endangered8,578
#27Jean Endangered7,764
#28Phyllis Endangered7,644
#29Alice Stable7,490
#30Sharon Endangered7,244
#31Linda Endangered7,047
#32Ann Endangered6,990
#33Lois Endangered6,502
#34Norma Endangered6,368
#35Peggy Endangered6,343
#36Gloria Endangered6,299
#37Marie Endangered5,958
#38Evelyn Stable5,688
#39Rose Stable5,292
#40Anna Declining5,145
#41Judy Endangered4,992
#42Elaine Rising4,835
#43Dolores Endangered4,809
#44Jane Stable4,786
#45Geraldine Endangered4,652
#46Carole Endangered4,616
#47Annie Rising4,562
#48Catherine Endangered4,525
#49Wanda Endangered4,513
#50Karen Endangered4,508
#51Marlene Endangered4,473
#52Mildred Endangered4,441
#53Marjorie Endangered4,318
#54Sally Endangered4,278
#55Patsy Endangered4,260
#56Sylvia Rising4,259
#57Joanne Endangered4,250
#58Kathleen Endangered4,228
#59Louise Endangered4,069
#60Eleanor Rising4,049
#61Ruby Stable3,942
#62Loretta Rising3,913
#63Arlene Endangered3,894
#64Diane Endangered3,827
#65Bonnie Endangered3,773
#66Rosalie Rising3,758
#67Sarah Endangered3,749
#68Joann Endangered3,710
#69Jacqueline Endangered3,633
#70Charlotte Stable3,626
#71Susan Endangered3,555
#72Irene Endangered3,554
#73Roberta Endangered3,547
#74Rita Endangered3,357
#75Delores Endangered3,322
#76Darlene Endangered3,321
#77Gail Endangered3,214
#78Jo Endangered3,172
#79June Rising3,141
#80Juanita Endangered3,129
#81Kay Endangered3,114
#82Edna Endangered3,080
#83Josephine Rising2,978
#84Anne Endangered2,887
#85Wilma Endangered2,871
#86Thelma Endangered2,866
#87Audrey Declining2,844
#88Lillian Declining2,825
#89Ellen Endangered2,805
#90Florence Endangered2,805
#91Jeanette Endangered2,802
#92Theresa Endangered2,763
#93Lorraine Endangered2,740
#94Ethel Endangered2,726
#95Rosemary Rising2,681
#96Emma Declining2,670
#97Pauline Endangered2,666
#98Clara Stable2,662
#99Anita Endangered2,636
#100Grace Declining2,609

Boys

#1Robert Endangered62,271
#2James Stable59,102
#3John Past peak50,517
#4William Declining42,433
#5Richard Endangered34,385
#6Charles Stable31,151
#7Donald Endangered26,677
#8David Past peak22,994
#9Thomas Stable21,381
#10Ronald Endangered20,295
#11George Stable18,435
#12Joseph Declining17,742
#13Edward Endangered14,551
#14Kenneth Endangered14,399
#15Paul Endangered13,360
#16Larry Endangered12,394
#17Jerry Endangered12,172
#18Frank Endangered10,260
#19Gerald Endangered9,972
#20Raymond Endangered9,725
#21Michael Past peak9,077
#22Gary Endangered8,861
#23Harold Endangered8,563
#24Billy Endangered8,253
#25Jack Stable8,144
#26Walter Stable7,560
#27Bobby Endangered7,498
#28Joe Endangered7,438
#29Carl Endangered6,849
#30Henry Stable6,557
#31Roger Endangered6,551
#32Arthur Rising6,525
#33Eugene Endangered6,112
#34Willie Endangered6,081
#35Ralph Endangered6,013
#36Lawrence Endangered5,873
#37Albert Endangered5,796
#38Fred Endangered5,768
#39Daniel Declining5,583
#40Wayne Endangered5,226
#41Roy Endangered5,041
#42Howard Endangered5,018
#43Norman Endangered4,953
#44Harry Endangered4,824
#45Jimmy Endangered4,730
#46Anthony Declining4,689
#47Louis Stable4,390
#48Peter Stable4,293
#49Dennis Endangered4,236
#50Earl Endangered4,007
#51Francis Stable3,951
#52Don Endangered3,900
#53Marvin Endangered3,900
#54Melvin Endangered3,818
#55Ernest Endangered3,708
#56Dale Endangered3,690
#57Leonard Endangered3,670
#58Clarence Endangered3,639
#59Stanley Endangered3,544
#60Douglas Endangered3,508
#61Leroy Endangered3,491
#62Samuel Stable3,243
#63Johnny Endangered3,197
#64Philip Endangered3,172
#65Gene Endangered3,149
#66Bruce Endangered3,127
#67Bill Endangered3,113
#68Herbert Endangered3,014
#69Alfred Endangered3,008
#70Russell Stable2,950
#71Frederick Stable2,935
#72Ray Endangered2,881
#73Allen Endangered2,834
#74Stephen Endangered2,726
#75Bernard Endangered2,715
#76Jimmie Endangered2,693
#77Tommy Endangered2,667
#78Gordon Endangered2,657
#79Eddie Endangered2,616
#80Lee Endangered2,575
#81Jim Endangered2,497
#82Andrew Declining2,411
#83Glenn Endangered2,367
#84Theodore Rising2,360
#85Leon Rising2,355
#86Terry Endangered2,336
#87Martin Stable2,313
#88Patrick Declining2,292
#89Clifford Endangered2,277
#90Edwin Stable2,250
#91Alan Stable2,241
#92Lloyd Endangered2,215
#93Jerome Endangered2,209
#94Bob Endangered2,204
#95Phillip Endangered2,154
#96Floyd Endangered2,146
#97Clyde Stable2,130
#98Alvin Declining2,063
#99Harvey Rising2,051
#100Franklin Stable2,021