Most popular baby names of 1930

In 1930, the most popular names for US babies were Robert for boys (62,152 babies, 5.7% of boys) and Mary for girls (64,153 babies, 5.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, John, William and Richard for boys and Betty, Dorothy, Helen and Margaret for girls. SSA recorded 4,542 different boy names and 5,247 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1930
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Robert	62,152	–
2	James	53,957	–
3	John	52,447	–
4	William	47,271	–
5	Richard	32,186	▲ 1
6	Charles	31,867	▼ 1
7	Donald	29,051	–
8	George	22,787	–
9	Joseph	20,981	–
10	Edward	17,351	–
11	Thomas	17,007	–
12	Paul	12,954	▲ 1
13	Frank	12,535	▼ 1
14	Jack	12,429	–
15	David	12,275	▲ 2
16	Raymond	11,713	▼ 1
17	Kenneth	11,704	▲ 1
18	Harold	11,661	▼ 2
19	Walter	9,731	–
20	Billy	9,286	▲ 3
21	Eugene	9,028	▼ 1
22	Henry	8,594	▼ 1
23	Arthur	8,284	▼ 1
24	Albert	7,948	–
25	Ralph	7,634	▲ 1
26	Carl	6,952	▲ 2
27	Joe	6,873	▲ 3
28	Harry	6,848	▼ 1
29	Willie	6,667	–
30	Gerald	6,482	▲ 3
31	Howard	6,342	–
32	Fred	6,048	▲ 2
33	Roy	5,917	▲ 2
34	Louis	5,810	▼ 2
35	Herbert	5,675	▼ 10
36	Lawrence	5,639	▲ 2
37	Ronald	5,635	▲ 8
38	Earl	5,567	▼ 2
39	Clarence	5,498	▼ 2
40	Norman	5,289	–
41	Bobby	5,182	▲ 9
42	Francis	4,990	▼ 3
43	Ernest	4,787	–
44	Anthony	4,674	–
45	Leonard	4,662	▼ 3
46	Alfred	4,558	▼ 5
47	Daniel	4,465	–
48	Marvin	4,403	▼ 2
49	Stanley	4,383	▼ 1
50	Melvin	4,048	▼ 1
51	Jerry	3,891	▲ 10
52	Bernard	3,830	–
53	Leroy	3,804	▼ 2
54	Michael	3,542	–
55	Samuel	3,531	▼ 2
56	Peter	3,266	▼ 1
57	Ray	3,253	–
58	Roger	3,246	▲ 6
59	Bill	3,160	▲ 4
60	Russell	3,101	▼ 4
61	Floyd	3,077	▼ 3
62	Andrew	3,057	▼ 3
63	Leo	3,035	▼ 3
64	Dale	2,994	▲ 9
65	Wayne	2,981	▲ 4
66	Edwin	2,972	–
67	Theodore	2,958	▼ 2
68	Don	2,922	▲ 10
69	Lloyd	2,839	▼ 7
70	Gene	2,787	▼ 2
71	Glenn	2,758	▲ 9
72	Vernon	2,703	▼ 1
73	Clifford	2,697	▼ 1
74	Frederick	2,694	▼ 7
75	Philip	2,655	▲ 1
76	Clyde	2,631	▼ 2
77	Gordon	2,611	▲ 2
78	Herman	2,598	▼ 3
79	Alvin	2,512	▼ 2
80	Elmer	2,476	▼ 10
81	Leon	2,401	–
82	Lee	2,361	▲ 3
83	Martin	2,322	–
84	Vincent	2,318	▼ 2
85	Allen	2,278	▲ 1
86	Jimmie	2,255	▲ 12
87	Lewis	2,243	▼ 3
88	Bob	2,242	▲ 1
89	Douglas	2,166	▲ 8
90	Gilbert	2,119	▲ 1
91	Charlie	2,113	▼ 4
92	Harvey	2,062	▼ 2
93	Milton	2,053	▲ 1
94	Jesse	2,035	▼ 1
95	Lester	2,020	▼ 7
96	Warren	2,011	▼ 4
97	Eddie	1,972	▲ 5
98	Arnold	1,948	▼ 3
99	Cecil	1,882	▲ 2
100	Victor	1,844	–

Top 100 girl names, 1930
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	64,153	–
2	Betty	38,238	–
3	Dorothy	30,409	–
4	Helen	19,913	–
5	Margaret	18,351	–
6	Barbara	18,280	▲ 1
7	Patricia	15,751	▲ 3
8	Joan	15,478	▲ 5
9	Doris	15,464	▼ 3
10	Ruth	14,942	▼ 2
11	Shirley	14,775	▼ 2
12	Virginia	13,197	▼ 1
13	Dolores	12,842	▲ 1
14	Jean	11,986	▼ 2
15	Elizabeth	10,995	–
16	Frances	10,644	–
17	Lois	10,114	–
18	Joyce	9,658	▲ 5
19	Evelyn	9,536	–
20	Alice	9,516	▲ 1
21	Mildred	9,355	▼ 3
22	Marilyn	9,288	▲ 11
23	Anna	9,081	▼ 3
24	Nancy	9,068	▲ 8
25	Norma	8,511	–
26	Marie	8,426	▼ 4
27	Martha	7,831	–
28	Phyllis	7,770	▼ 4
29	Rose	7,688	▼ 3
30	Gloria	7,604	▼ 2
31	Louise	6,942	–
32	Marjorie	6,633	▼ 2
33	Irene	6,463	▼ 4
34	Beverly	6,455	▲ 5
35	Catherine	6,298	▼ 1
36	Ruby	5,993	–
37	Donna	5,978	▲ 10
38	Florence	5,867	▼ 3
39	Eleanor	5,823	▼ 1
40	Annie	5,756	▼ 3
41	Ann	5,531	▲ 5
42	Rita	5,470	▲ 10
43	Geraldine	5,448	–
44	Lillian	5,448	▼ 4
45	Thelma	5,250	▼ 4
46	Lorraine	5,166	▼ 4
47	June	5,093	▲ 1
48	Gladys	5,066	▼ 4
49	Josephine	4,988	▼ 4
50	Theresa	4,783	▼ 1
51	Edna	4,762	–
52	Pauline	4,656	▼ 2
53	Janet	4,602	▲ 29
54	Carol	4,598	▲ 9
55	Jane	4,575	▲ 7
56	Wanda	4,524	▲ 5
57	Juanita	4,513	▲ 3
58	Bernice	4,439	▼ 3
59	Lucille	4,327	▼ 2
60	Marion	4,306	▼ 7
61	Edith	4,273	▼ 2
62	Grace	4,218	▼ 8
63	Audrey	4,128	▼ 5
64	Clara	4,124	▲ 1
65	Ethel	4,101	▼ 9
66	Delores	4,098	▲ 8
67	Peggy	4,084	▲ 3
68	Wilma	4,074	▼ 2
69	Elaine	3,954	▼ 2
70	Sarah	3,920	▼ 2
71	Hazel	3,888	▼ 7
72	Carolyn	3,725	▲ 5
73	Emma	3,555	▼ 4
74	Jacqueline	3,413	▲ 13
75	Charlotte	3,406	▼ 2
76	Beatrice	3,390	▼ 4
77	Esther	3,350	▼ 6
78	Bonnie	3,265	▲ 8
79	Billie	3,241	–
80	Marian	3,212	▼ 5
81	Joanne	3,154	▲ 20
82	Rosemary	3,151	▼ 2
83	Anne	3,091	▲ 8
84	Kathleen	3,074	▲ 5
85	Katherine	3,033	▼ 1
86	Eva	3,019	▼ 3
87	Willie	3,018	▼ 11
88	Elsie	2,973	▼ 10
89	Laura	2,909	▲ 1
90	Julia	2,880	▼ 2
91	Vivian	2,872	▼ 10
92	Jeanne	2,720	–
93	Maxine	2,701	▼ 8
94	Ida	2,643	▲ 2
95	Bertha	2,605	▼ 2
96	Gertrude	2,555	▼ 1
97	Patsy	2,544	▲ 21
98	Sally	2,542	▲ 14
99	Maria	2,540	▲ 1
100	Ellen	2,522	▼ 3

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1930. 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.