Popular Names

Popular female names, 1920 - 1929, from the US Social Security Department. Full list HERE (numbers, I assume, are totals)

Mary,57196
Dorothy,20192
Margaret,18338
Helen,18251
Ann,17766
Betty,16426
Jane,14558
Ellen,13408
Elizabet,12514
Ruth,11566
Catherin,11176
Lou,10410
Rose,9967
Frances,9210
Virginia,9186
Evelyn,8833
Doris,8080
Mildred,7729
Lily,6905
Alice,6738
Florence,5860
Wilma,5512
Shirley,5171
Barbara,5007
Irene,4872
Patricia,4825
Lori,4747
Lois,4716
Martha,4544
Ada,4429
Gwen,4388
Josephin,4286
Ruby,4194
Nora,4146
Joan,4024
Clara,3872
Emily,3821
Edith,3790
Paula,3779
Sarah,3600
Edna,3596
Thelma,3594
Ethel,3532
Esther,3497
Gloria,3487
Grace,3440
Violet,3339
Bernice,3269
Caroline,3245

Popular male names, 1920 - 1929, from the US Social Security Department. Full list HERE

William,37108
Robert,34262
John,34051
James,30474
Joseph,19254
Charles,18592
George,15003
Richard,12704
Edward,12385
Harry,12360
Donald,11865
Thomas,10702
Frank,9525
Raymond,8651
Paul,7556
Walter,6981
Leonard,6726
Jack,6641
Frederic,6123
Henry,6004
Lewis,5993
Arthur,5775
Kenneth,5540
Albert,5257
David,4931
Ralph,4758
Eugene,4730
Carl,4660
Francis,3965
Clarence,3920
Howard,3892
Laurence,3816
Earl,3751
Samuel,3694
Roy,3684
Herbert,3240
Ernest,3186
Daniel,3111
Alfred,2948
Michael,2802
Stanley,2788
Anthony,2705
Norman,2699
Gerald,2516
Bernard,2457
Theodore,2343
Russell,2273
Glen,2265
Jesse,2237
Melvin,2213

*Good to know my name was popular in the 20s (#28!) thirty years before I was born.

Interesting, Lois. I was puzzled by the spelling of names like Elizabeth, then realised that they were cut off at 8 letters.

None of those surnames and place names that have become so popular now. Madison, India etc.

Names Registered in Victoria, Australia 1929

(Female on the way)

Male Given Name/Number of Babies Registered With that Name
John 1380
William 821
Ronald 656
Robert 619
James 503
Kenneth 451
Kevin 403
Keith 366
Raymond 363
Donald 343
George 320
Leslie 292
Thomas 274
Brian 272
Alan 266
Ian 260
Francis 246
Norman 245
Peter 226
Arthur 224
Edward 215
Maxwell 209
David 208
Geoffrey 205
Charles 200
Allan 196
Albert 181
Stanley 174
Frederick 167
Leonard 165
Harold 164
Douglas 154
Colin 142
Bruce 141
Gordon 140
Eric 135
Henry 133
Reginald 130
Jack 129
Noel 126
Richard 124
Frank 124
Walter 110
Roy 109
Alfred 109
Joseph 108
Desmond 103
Graham 101
Ernest 100
Alexander 100
Herbert 83
Patrick 82
Neil 80
Maurice 80
Bernard 76
Lawrence 72
Laurence 71
Ivan 71
Lindsay 69
Mervyn 66
Leo 62
Graeme 61
Victor 59
Michael 59
Allen 58
Russell 50
Harry 48
Neville 46
Bryan 45
Clifford 42
Anthony 42
Malcolm 40
Rex 39
Ralph 39
Phillip 39
Lionel 39
Andrew 39
Vincent 38
Sydney 38
Murray 38
Edwin 38
Trevor 37
Philip 37
Clarence 36
Not 34
Gerald 34
Leon 33
Hugh 33
Barry 33
Paul 31
Cecil 31
Clive 30
Cyril 29
Vernon 28
Fredrick 28
Wallace 27
Lance 26
Daniel 26
Basil 26
Terence 24

Female Given Name/Number of Babies Registered With that Name
Margaret 730
Patricia 621
Betty 583
Dorothy 575
Joan 563
Shirley 490
Mary 436
Elizabeth 326
Norma 313
June 307
Joyce 280
Jean 275
Kathleen 226
Lorna 200
Nancy 189
Beryl 186
Marjorie 184
Valerie 181
Valda 170
Barbara 154
Thelma 152
Eileen 149
Marie 146
Audrey 145
Mavis 139
Phyllis 130
Lois 124
Edna 115
Doreen 110
Irene 108
Valma 104
Florence 102
Gladys 97
Wilma 94
Elsie 94
Evelyn 93
Yvonne 89
Ruth 89
Catherine 89
Alice 88
Hazel 83
Elaine 83
Olive 81
Helen 80
Dawn 80
Heather 78
Judith 77
Frances 75
Doris 73
Iris 69
Annie 68
Sylvia 65
Maureen 64
Pauline 60
Gwendoline 60
Marion 59
Lorraine 59
Gwenda 59
Fay 59
Ellen 59
Dulcie 59
Lillian 57
Gloria 57
Beverley 57
Lesley 56
Alma 56
Aileen 56
Roma 55
Edith 55
Ivy 53
Enid 52
Rita 50
Pamela 50
Winifred 49
Marjory 48
Ethel 47
Carmel 47
Peggy 45
Muriel 45
Gweneth 45
Merle 43
Sheila 40
Ruby 40
Joy 40
Eunice 40
Elva 39
Violet 38
Hilda 38
Daphne 37
Jessie 36
Amy 36
Alison 36
Agnes 36
Veronica 35
Josephine 35
Rose 33
Isabel 33
Grace 33
Vera 32
Una 32

You're on this list too Lois.

Pam - I thought Bruce and Barry and Sheila would be higher on the list, being Australian!!!!!

Kiwidoc, you have been watching too much Monty Python!

I am puzzled by the 34 men called Not. Where are they now? Disappeared with Dulcie?

>6 pamelad:

I would guess that "Not" is an abbreviation for "not indicated" or some such. Two mixups occurred in my Mom's family, because her parents were Ruthenian (Ukrainian) immigrants, who never lost their thick accents. One uncle ended up with the closest English equivalent to the way the Ukrainian name sounded (rather than an actual translation), and my Mom's first name was left completely blank.