Most popular baby names of 1929

In 1929, the most popular names for US babies were Robert for boys (59,808 babies, 5.6% of boys) and Mary for girls (63,511 babies, 5.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, John, William and Charles for boys and Betty, Dorothy, Helen and Margaret for girls. SSA recorded 4,545 different boy names and 5,277 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1929
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Robert	59,808	–
2	James	52,133	▲ 1
3	John	52,110	▼ 1
4	William	47,814	–
5	Charles	29,929	–
6	Richard	29,570	–
7	Donald	27,181	–
8	George	23,021	–
9	Joseph	21,165	–
10	Edward	17,220	–
11	Thomas	16,274	–
12	Frank	12,966	–
13	Paul	12,431	–
14	Jack	12,167	▲ 1
15	Raymond	11,909	▲ 1
16	Harold	11,677	▼ 2
17	David	11,301	▲ 2
18	Kenneth	10,841	▼ 1
19	Walter	9,850	▼ 1
20	Eugene	9,045	–
21	Henry	8,571	–
22	Arthur	8,470	–
23	Billy	8,320	▲ 4
24	Albert	8,079	▼ 1
25	Herbert	7,881	–
26	Ralph	7,715	▼ 2
27	Harry	7,144	▼ 1
28	Carl	6,895	–
29	Willie	6,616	–
30	Joe	6,596	–
31	Howard	6,010	–
32	Louis	5,995	–
33	Gerald	5,966	▲ 8
34	Fred	5,857	▲ 2
35	Roy	5,812	▼ 1
36	Earl	5,737	▲ 1
37	Clarence	5,729	▼ 2
38	Lawrence	5,306	–
39	Francis	5,270	▲ 1
40	Norman	5,157	▼ 1
41	Alfred	4,928	▼ 8
42	Leonard	4,829	–
43	Ernest	4,753	–
44	Anthony	4,733	–
45	Ronald	4,479	▲ 5
46	Marvin	4,389	–
47	Daniel	4,366	–
48	Stanley	4,265	▼ 3
49	Melvin	4,100	▼ 1
50	Bobby	3,924	▲ 15
51	Leroy	3,818	–
52	Bernard	3,809	▼ 3
53	Samuel	3,567	▼ 1
54	Michael	3,465	▼ 1
55	Peter	3,216	▲ 1
56	Russell	3,183	▼ 1
57	Ray	3,174	–
58	Floyd	3,079	▼ 4
59	Andrew	3,076	▲ 1
60	Leo	3,018	▲ 1
61	Jerry	2,991	▲ 18
62	Lloyd	2,949	▼ 3
63	Bill	2,947	–
64	Roger	2,928	▲ 7
65	Theodore	2,902	▲ 1
66	Edwin	2,897	▼ 8
67	Frederick	2,813	–
68	Gene	2,810	▼ 6
69	Wayne	2,741	–
70	Elmer	2,697	▼ 6
71	Vernon	2,683	▼ 1
72	Clifford	2,669	▼ 4
73	Dale	2,664	▲ 2
74	Clyde	2,628	–
75	Herman	2,622	▲ 3
76	Philip	2,606	▼ 3
77	Alvin	2,555	▼ 5
78	Don	2,519	▲ 6
79	Gordon	2,493	▼ 2
80	Glenn	2,433	▼ 4
81	Leon	2,336	–
82	Vincent	2,328	–
83	Martin	2,309	–
84	Lewis	2,228	▲ 2
85	Lee	2,209	▲ 2
86	Allen	2,189	▲ 7
87	Charlie	2,185	▼ 7
88	Lester	2,106	▲ 1
89	Bob	2,103	▲ 6
90	Harvey	2,063	–
91	Gilbert	2,056	▲ 5
92	Warren	2,036	▼ 7
93	Jesse	2,030	▼ 2
94	Milton	2,029	▼ 2
95	Arnold	1,979	▲ 3
96	Chester	1,969	▼ 8
97	Douglas	1,965	▲ 5
98	Jimmie	1,952	▲ 2
99	Curtis	1,946	▲ 2
100	Victor	1,941	▼ 1

Top 100 girl names, 1929
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	63,511	–
2	Betty	36,677	–
3	Dorothy	31,477	–
4	Helen	20,982	–
5	Margaret	19,211	–
6	Doris	16,498	▲ 1
7	Barbara	16,038	▲ 1
8	Ruth	16,022	▼ 2
9	Shirley	14,576	▲ 1
10	Patricia	13,624	▲ 1
11	Virginia	13,234	▼ 2
12	Jean	11,865	–
13	Joan	11,666	▲ 14
14	Dolores	11,506	▲ 6
15	Elizabeth	11,248	▼ 1
16	Frances	11,092	▼ 3
17	Lois	10,295	▲ 1
18	Mildred	10,255	▼ 3
19	Evelyn	9,886	▼ 2
20	Anna	9,750	▼ 4
21	Alice	9,480	▼ 2
22	Marie	9,158	▼ 1
23	Joyce	8,596	▲ 7
24	Phyllis	7,995	▲ 2
25	Norma	7,894	▼ 2
26	Rose	7,785	▼ 2
27	Martha	7,639	▼ 5
28	Gloria	7,539	▼ 3
29	Irene	7,039	▼ 1
30	Marjorie	6,987	▼ 1
31	Louise	6,903	–
32	Nancy	6,872	▲ 11
33	Marilyn	6,731	▲ 5
34	Catherine	6,277	▼ 1
35	Florence	6,212	▼ 3
36	Ruby	6,152	▼ 2
37	Annie	5,955	–
38	Eleanor	5,865	▼ 2
39	Beverly	5,862	▲ 7
40	Lillian	5,711	▼ 5
41	Thelma	5,476	▼ 1
42	Lorraine	5,352	▼ 3
43	Geraldine	5,334	▲ 7
44	Gladys	5,327	▼ 3
45	Josephine	5,298	▼ 3
46	Ann	5,172	▲ 8
47	Donna	5,139	▲ 14
48	June	5,094	▼ 4
49	Theresa	5,068	–
50	Pauline	5,026	▼ 2
51	Edna	4,931	▼ 6
52	Rita	4,767	▲ 5
53	Marion	4,633	▼ 6
54	Grace	4,569	▼ 2
55	Bernice	4,551	▼ 2
56	Ethel	4,519	▼ 1
57	Lucille	4,502	▼ 6
58	Audrey	4,460	▲ 2
59	Edith	4,455	▼ 3
60	Juanita	4,412	▼ 2
61	Wanda	4,397	▲ 2
62	Jane	4,353	–
63	Carol	4,279	▲ 14
64	Hazel	4,164	▼ 5
65	Clara	4,148	–
66	Wilma	4,007	▲ 3
67	Elaine	3,852	▲ 1
68	Sarah	3,815	▼ 4
69	Emma	3,803	▼ 2
70	Peggy	3,780	▲ 6
71	Esther	3,586	▼ 5
72	Beatrice	3,574	▼ 2
73	Charlotte	3,537	▼ 1
74	Delores	3,517	▲ 20
75	Marian	3,447	▼ 4
76	Willie	3,319	▼ 2
77	Carolyn	3,272	▲ 14
78	Elsie	3,230	▼ 5
79	Billie	3,191	▲ 17
80	Rosemary	3,107	▲ 8
81	Vivian	3,101	▼ 3
82	Janet	3,050	▲ 13
83	Eva	3,019	▼ 4
84	Katherine	3,016	▼ 9
85	Maxine	2,994	▼ 1
86	Bonnie	2,974	▲ 3
87	Jacqueline	2,970	▲ 10
88	Julia	2,950	▼ 8
89	Kathleen	2,941	▼ 7
90	Laura	2,936	▼ 7
91	Anne	2,881	▲ 2
92	Jeanne	2,818	▼ 2
93	Bertha	2,800	▼ 12
94	Agnes	2,770	▼ 9
95	Gertrude	2,725	▼ 9
96	Ida	2,673	▼ 9
97	Ellen	2,567	▲ 1
98	Eileen	2,558	▲ 4
99	Vera	2,549	▼ 7
100	Maria	2,532	▲ 5

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1929. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.