Most popular baby names of 1937

In 1937, the most popular names for US babies were Robert for boys (61,842 babies, 5.8% of boys) and Mary for girls (55,643 babies, 5.2% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, John, William and Richard for boys and Barbara, Patricia, Shirley and Betty for girls. SSA recorded 4,020 different boy names and 4,930 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1937
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Robert	61,842	–
2	James	56,562	–
3	John	48,753	–
4	William	40,724	–
5	Richard	32,975	–
6	Charles	30,521	–
7	Donald	27,869	–
8	David	20,980	▲ 2
9	Thomas	19,771	▼ 1
10	George	18,439	▼ 1
11	Ronald	18,140	▲ 1
12	Joseph	17,323	▼ 1
13	Edward	14,930	–
14	Kenneth	13,218	–
15	Paul	12,880	–
16	Larry	10,320	▲ 9
17	Jerry	10,302	▲ 1
18	Frank	10,126	▼ 2
19	Raymond	9,571	▼ 2
20	Gerald	9,424	▼ 1
21	Harold	8,551	–
22	Billy	8,298	–
23	Jack	8,196	▼ 3
24	Bobby	7,745	–
25	Joe	7,744	▼ 2
26	Walter	7,486	–
27	Michael	7,094	▲ 6
28	Carl	6,914	▼ 1
29	Gary	6,763	▲ 9
30	Henry	6,668	▼ 2
31	Arthur	6,321	▼ 1
32	Willie	6,231	–
33	Eugene	6,000	▼ 4
34	Ralph	5,922	▼ 3
35	Fred	5,738	▲ 1
36	Roger	5,712	▼ 1
37	Albert	5,664	▼ 3
38	Lawrence	5,505	▼ 1
39	Daniel	5,123	▲ 2
40	Roy	4,888	▲ 2
41	Harry	4,814	▼ 2
42	Howard	4,700	▼ 2
43	Norman	4,673	–
44	Wayne	4,613	▲ 1
45	Jimmy	4,517	▲ 1
46	Louis	4,355	▼ 2
47	Anthony	4,339	▲ 1
48	Earl	3,942	▼ 1
49	Marvin	3,912	–
50	Melvin	3,890	▲ 3
51	Don	3,814	–
52	Peter	3,809	▲ 4
53	Ernest	3,759	▲ 2
54	Clarence	3,756	▼ 2
55	Francis	3,730	▼ 5
56	Leroy	3,555	▲ 1
57	Stanley	3,484	▲ 1
58	Leonard	3,480	▼ 4
59	Dale	3,340	–
60	Alfred	3,181	–
61	Gene	3,165	▲ 5
62	Philip	3,162	▲ 1
63	Dennis	3,160	▲ 11
64	Bill	3,119	▼ 3
65	Herbert	3,040	▼ 3
66	Samuel	3,027	▲ 1
67	Russell	2,895	▲ 2
68	Frederick	2,878	▲ 2
69	Johnny	2,826	▲ 3
70	Bruce	2,809	▲ 3
71	Ray	2,725	▼ 6
72	Jimmie	2,679	▼ 1
73	Bernard	2,671	▼ 5
74	Douglas	2,610	▲ 4
75	Gordon	2,533	–
76	Allen	2,518	▲ 5
77	Franklin	2,514	▼ 13
78	Lee	2,499	▼ 2
79	Andrew	2,405	▲ 4
80	Floyd	2,388	▲ 6
81	Bob	2,364	▼ 4
82	Jim	2,347	▲ 3
83	Eddie	2,345	▼ 4
84	Tommy	2,327	▲ 7
85	Leon	2,325	▼ 3
86	Theodore	2,315	▲ 1
87	Martin	2,278	▲ 5
88	Edwin	2,263	▼ 4
89	Glenn	2,263	▼ 9
90	Clifford	2,230	–
91	Lloyd	2,157	▼ 3
92	Stephen	2,133	▲ 7
93	Clyde	2,105	▼ 4
94	Patrick	2,090	▲ 7
95	Harvey	2,081	▲ 2
96	Vernon	2,076	▼ 3
97	Leo	2,015	▼ 3
98	Phillip	2,005	▲ 4
99	Alvin	1,986	▼ 3
100	Jerome	1,979	▼ 2

Top 100 girl names, 1937
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	55,643	–
2	Barbara	34,917	▲ 1
3	Patricia	26,838	▲ 2
4	Shirley	26,823	▼ 2
5	Betty	25,337	▼ 1
6	Carol	17,336	▲ 4
7	Nancy	17,074	▲ 1
8	Dorothy	16,573	▼ 2
9	Joan	15,301	▼ 2
10	Margaret	15,143	▼ 1
11	Joyce	11,809	▲ 1
12	Helen	11,454	▼ 1
13	Marilyn	9,739	–
14	Beverly	9,632	▲ 3
15	Ruth	9,602	▲ 1
16	Virginia	9,516	▼ 2
17	Elizabeth	9,385	▲ 1
18	Janet	9,363	▲ 3
19	Frances	9,057	–
20	Carolyn	8,940	▲ 3
21	Donna	8,887	▲ 1
22	Doris	8,882	▼ 7
23	Jean	8,392	▼ 3
24	Martha	7,954	–
25	Janice	7,768	▲ 6
26	Sandra	7,520	▲ 12
27	Phyllis	7,245	▼ 2
28	Alice	7,120	▼ 1
29	Lois	6,932	▼ 3
30	Ann	6,713	▼ 2
31	Peggy	6,378	▲ 4
32	Gloria	6,334	–
33	Norma	6,235	▼ 4
34	Judith	6,146	▲ 9
35	Marie	6,075	▼ 2
36	Evelyn	5,760	▼ 2
37	Dolores	5,568	▼ 7
38	Anna	5,450	▼ 2
39	Rose	5,450	▼ 2
40	Marlene	5,037	▼ 1
41	Sharon	4,704	▲ 19
42	Jane	4,702	–
43	Mildred	4,645	▼ 3
44	Geraldine	4,556	▼ 3
45	Elaine	4,527	▲ 5
46	Annie	4,479	▼ 1
47	Catherine	4,459	▼ 3
48	Louise	4,381	▼ 2
49	Linda	4,378	▲ 48
50	Sylvia	4,371	▲ 3
51	Joanne	4,332	▼ 3
52	Ruby	4,289	▼ 1
53	Eleanor	4,275	▼ 6
54	Patsy	4,243	▼ 2
55	Wanda	4,202	▲ 1
56	Carole	4,198	▲ 17
57	Marjorie	4,091	▼ 8
58	Joann	3,936	▼ 3
59	Sally	3,925	–
60	Arlene	3,806	▼ 6
61	Kathleen	3,743	▲ 6
62	Irene	3,674	▼ 5
63	Loretta	3,673	▲ 7
64	Bonnie	3,595	▲ 1
65	Sarah	3,589	▼ 2
66	Roberta	3,568	▼ 2
67	Charlotte	3,537	▼ 6
68	Delores	3,529	▼ 10
69	Rita	3,421	–
70	Jacqueline	3,400	▼ 4
71	June	3,378	▼ 9
72	Darlene	3,285	▲ 11
73	Jo	3,226	▼ 1
74	Edna	3,223	▼ 3
75	Juanita	3,179	–
76	Diane	3,175	▲ 36
77	Yvonne	3,171	▲ 4
78	Thelma	3,062	▼ 4
79	Kay	3,010	▲ 19
80	Wilma	2,977	▼ 2
81	Florence	2,955	▼ 1
82	Josephine	2,942	▼ 5
83	Lorraine	2,940	▼ 7
84	Lillian	2,899	▼ 5
85	Audrey	2,889	▼ 17
86	Gladys	2,872	▼ 2
87	Pauline	2,818	▼ 5
88	Ethel	2,764	▲ 2
89	Emma	2,750	▼ 4
90	Jeanette	2,741	▲ 4
91	Judy	2,741	▲ 27
92	Anne	2,725	▼ 3
93	Anita	2,714	▲ 11
94	Grace	2,710	▼ 8
95	Theresa	2,702	▼ 7
96	Edith	2,647	▼ 9
97	Susan	2,641	▲ 13
98	Lucille	2,636	▼ 6
99	Gail	2,635	▲ 2
100	Clara	2,573	▼ 9

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1937. 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.