Top Names of 1938

The most popular names recorded in 1938 were Mary for girls and Robert for boys. Full top-50 lists below, from official SSA data.

Girls

#NameBabies
1Mary56,225
2Barbara39,277
3Patricia27,558
4Betty25,505
5Shirley23,766
6Carol19,421
7Nancy18,951
8Dorothy16,357
9Margaret15,330
10Joan14,303
11Joyce12,697
12Judith10,878
13Helen10,837
14Sandra10,806
15Carolyn10,586
16Janet9,870
17Elizabeth9,802
18Beverly9,770
19Marilyn9,745
20Donna9,693
21Ruth9,303
22Virginia9,269
23Frances8,922
24Janice8,711
25Doris8,602
26Martha8,579
27Jean7,764
28Phyllis7,644
29Alice7,489
30Sharon7,244
31Linda7,047
32Ann6,990
33Lois6,503
34Norma6,367
35Peggy6,343
36Gloria6,297
37Marie5,958
38Evelyn5,688
39Rose5,292
40Anna5,144
41Judy4,992
42Elaine4,834
43Dolores4,809
44Jane4,786
45Geraldine4,650
46Carole4,616
47Annie4,562
48Catherine4,525
49Wanda4,513
50Karen4,508

Boys

#NameBabies
1Robert62,270
2James59,102
3John50,518
4William42,432
5Richard34,386
6Charles31,152
7Donald26,677
8David22,994
9Thomas21,380
10Ronald20,297
11George18,436
12Joseph17,740
13Edward14,550
14Kenneth14,399
15Paul13,360
16Larry12,393
17Jerry12,172
18Frank10,261
19Gerald9,972
20Raymond9,726
21Michael9,076
22Gary8,862
23Harold8,560
24Billy8,254
25Jack8,142
26Walter7,559
27Bobby7,497
28Joe7,439
29Carl6,848
30Henry6,557
31Roger6,551
32Arthur6,524
33Eugene6,113
34Willie6,080
35Ralph6,014
36Lawrence5,874
37Albert5,796
38Fred5,768
39Daniel5,584
40Wayne5,226
41Roy5,042
42Howard5,018
43Norman4,953
44Harry4,824
45Jimmy4,730
46Anthony4,689
47Louis4,390
48Peter4,293
49Dennis4,236
50Earl4,007