Most popular baby names of 1934

In 1934, the most popular names for US babies were Robert for boys (55,843 babies, 5.4% of boys) and Mary for girls (56,931 babies, 5.5% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, John, William and Richard for boys and Betty, Barbara, Shirley and Dorothy for girls. SSA recorded 4,205 different boy names and 4,973 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1934
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Robert	55,843	–
2	James	54,269	–
3	John	46,742	–
4	William	40,176	–
5	Richard	33,167	–
6	Donald	30,407	▲ 1
7	Charles	29,791	▼ 1
8	George	18,500	–
9	Thomas	17,372	▲ 1
10	Joseph	17,110	▼ 1
11	Ronald	14,088	▲ 1
12	David	14,003	▲ 1
13	Edward	13,917	▼ 2
14	Paul	12,196	–
15	Kenneth	11,801	–
16	Frank	10,636	–
17	Jack	9,985	–
18	Harold	9,926	–
19	Raymond	9,587	–
20	Billy	9,562	–
21	Walter	8,092	–
22	Gerald	7,816	–
23	Bobby	7,530	▲ 3
24	Eugene	7,145	▼ 1
25	Jerry	7,135	▲ 6
26	Joe	7,089	▲ 1
27	Henry	6,736	▼ 3
28	Carl	6,683	–
29	Arthur	6,442	▼ 4
30	Willie	6,348	▲ 2
31	Ralph	6,282	▼ 2
32	Albert	6,003	▼ 2
33	Fred	5,465	▲ 1
34	Lawrence	5,324	▲ 4
35	Roy	5,104	▲ 4
36	Harry	5,099	▼ 1
37	Howard	5,068	▼ 1
38	Norman	4,989	▼ 1
39	Roger	4,765	▲ 9
40	Louis	4,682	–
41	Earl	4,627	–
42	Daniel	4,502	–
43	Larry	4,473	▲ 15
44	Marvin	4,217	–
45	Clarence	4,213	▼ 2
46	Franklin	4,155	▼ 13
47	Michael	4,108	▲ 6
48	Wayne	4,035	▲ 4
49	Francis	4,006	▼ 4
50	Don	3,926	▲ 4
51	Ernest	3,850	▼ 1
52	Anthony	3,840	▼ 6
53	Leonard	3,836	▼ 6
54	Leroy	3,774	▲ 2
55	Melvin	3,702	▼ 4
56	Jimmy	3,696	▲ 8
57	Herbert	3,601	▼ 8
58	Stanley	3,568	▼ 3
59	Bill	3,534	–
60	Gary	3,354	▲ 20
61	Peter	3,290	▼ 1
62	Dale	3,241	▲ 3
63	Ray	3,176	▼ 1
64	Alfred	3,159	▼ 7
65	Bernard	3,146	▼ 2
66	Samuel	3,137	▼ 5
67	Gene	2,854	▼ 1
68	Jimmie	2,837	▲ 4
69	Philip	2,784	▲ 1
70	Russell	2,737	▼ 3
71	Gordon	2,640	–
72	Douglas	2,541	▲ 9
73	Floyd	2,533	▼ 4
74	Theodore	2,523	▼ 6
75	Bob	2,478	▲ 7
76	Andrew	2,443	–
77	Frederick	2,431	▲ 1
78	Bruce	2,401	▲ 13
79	Lee	2,378	–
80	Edwin	2,348	▼ 3
81	Glenn	2,341	▼ 7
82	Lloyd	2,339	▼ 9
83	Johnny	2,336	▲ 7
84	Clyde	2,323	▲ 3
85	Clifford	2,315	▲ 1
86	Leo	2,309	▼ 11
87	Leon	2,306	▼ 2
88	Allen	2,241	▼ 4
89	Vernon	2,227	▼ 6
90	Jim	2,207	▲ 8
91	Martin	2,178	▼ 2
92	Eddie	2,169	▲ 1
93	Alvin	2,147	▼ 5
94	Lewis	2,062	▼ 2
95	Dennis	2,053	▲ 11
96	Warren	2,024	▲ 3
97	Herman	2,011	▼ 1
98	Tommy	1,938	▲ 11
99	Harvey	1,934	▼ 2
100	Charlie	1,892	▼ 5

Top 100 girl names, 1934
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	56,931	–
2	Betty	31,088	–
3	Barbara	29,239	–
4	Shirley	22,841	▲ 5
5	Dorothy	21,281	▼ 1
6	Patricia	20,844	–
7	Joan	19,465	▼ 2
8	Margaret	15,145	▼ 1
9	Helen	14,101	▼ 1
10	Nancy	13,520	▲ 1
11	Doris	11,627	▼ 1
12	Joyce	11,459	–
13	Ruth	10,565	–
14	Carol	10,274	▲ 6
15	Virginia	10,002	–
16	Jean	9,718	▼ 2
17	Marilyn	9,382	▼ 1
18	Elizabeth	9,346	▼ 1
19	Frances	9,207	▼ 1
20	Lois	8,387	▼ 1
21	Janet	8,070	▲ 4
22	Beverly	7,887	▲ 4
23	Donna	7,870	▲ 1
24	Norma	7,787	▼ 1
25	Alice	7,784	▼ 3
26	Dolores	7,689	▼ 5
27	Martha	7,604	–
28	Phyllis	7,180	–
29	Evelyn	6,983	▲ 1
30	Gloria	6,814	▲ 1
31	Anna	6,680	▼ 2
32	Ann	6,641	▲ 2
33	Carolyn	6,473	▲ 8
34	Marie	6,326	▼ 1
35	Mildred	6,180	▼ 3
36	Peggy	6,027	–
37	Rose	5,583	▼ 2
38	Annie	5,017	▼ 1
39	Ruby	4,977	▲ 4
40	Louise	4,973	▼ 1
41	Marjorie	4,972	▼ 1
42	Catherine	4,934	▲ 2
43	Geraldine	4,837	▼ 1
44	Eleanor	4,718	▼ 6
45	Joanne	4,543	▲ 11
46	June	4,387	▼ 1
47	Wanda	4,368	▲ 1
48	Jane	4,358	▼ 1
49	Irene	4,346	▼ 3
50	Joann	4,149	▲ 22
51	Delores	3,991	▲ 1
52	Lillian	3,973	▼ 1
53	Arlene	3,917	▲ 21
54	Elaine	3,900	▲ 7
55	Edna	3,809	–
56	Lorraine	3,775	▼ 2
57	Marlene	3,755	▼ 7
58	Bonnie	3,753	▲ 10
59	Patsy	3,750	▲ 6
60	Josephine	3,742	▲ 2
61	Florence	3,736	▼ 12
62	Sally	3,725	▲ 14
63	Rita	3,683	▼ 10
64	Juanita	3,662	▼ 1
65	Thelma	3,646	▼ 8
66	Gladys	3,611	▼ 6
67	Sarah	3,601	▼ 9
68	Janice	3,588	▲ 13
69	Audrey	3,582	▼ 10
70	Sylvia	3,475	▲ 14
71	Pauline	3,445	▼ 7
72	Charlotte	3,434	▲ 7
73	Wilma	3,311	▼ 7
74	Kathleen	3,279	▲ 3
75	Jo	3,257	▲ 15
76	Clara	3,222	▼ 9
77	Theresa	3,192	▼ 7
78	Ethel	3,178	▼ 7
79	Grace	3,087	▼ 10
80	Jacqueline	3,038	▲ 6
81	Edith	3,012	▼ 1
82	Bernice	2,980	▲ 1
83	Loretta	2,978	▲ 4
84	Lucille	2,946	▼ 6
85	Emma	2,940	▼ 10
86	Marion	2,884	▼ 13
87	Hazel	2,811	▼ 5
88	Anne	2,786	▼ 3
89	Carole	2,655	▲ 18
90	Darlene	2,605	▲ 6
91	Esther	2,578	▼ 3
92	Billie	2,559	–
93	Sandra	2,550	▲ 52
94	Judith	2,459	▲ 25
95	Ellen	2,455	▲ 9
96	Laura	2,438	▼ 5
97	Marian	2,426	▼ 8
98	Vivian	2,413	–
99	Beatrice	2,410	▼ 5
100	Eva	2,389	▲ 1

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1934. 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.