The 1931 Baby Name Report

2,104,388 babies, 8,309 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1931

👑 #1 girls: Mary (52 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Robert (8 years running) 172 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary60,299
  2. Betty36,105
  3. Dorothy26,524
  4. Barbara21,803
  5. Joan19,119
  6. Helen17,664
  7. Margaret17,332
  8. Patricia16,470
  9. Shirley14,405
  10. Doris13,629

Top boys

  1. Robert60,520
  2. James51,213
  3. John48,422
  4. William43,280
  5. Richard31,823
  6. Charles29,933
  7. Donald29,102
  8. George20,686
  9. Joseph19,327
  10. Thomas16,846

Full top-50 rankings for 1931 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Marlene #388 → #95 (+293)
  2. Carole #321 → #212 (+109)
  3. Kay #358 → #259 (+99)
  4. Sheila #364 → #266 (+98)
  5. Sandra #392 → #297 (+95)
  6. Donnie #445 → #365 (+80)
  7. Dudley #405 → #328 (+77)
  8. Dawn #453 → #379 (+74)
  9. Edwina #485 → #411 (+74)
  10. Jerald #427 → #354 (+73)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Adelaide #465 → #543 (−78)
  2. Josefina #468 → #540 (−72)
  3. Basil #386 → #454 (−68)
  4. Emogene #441 → #506 (−65)
  5. George #429 → #492 (−63)
  6. Alfredo #340 → #394 (−54)
  7. Allie #404 → #456 (−52)
  8. Pablo #401 → #453 (−52)
  9. Leta #461 → #512 (−51)
  10. Zelma #338 → #387 (−49)

✨ Never recorded before 1931

Rockne (17) Joanie (12) Cherrill (9) Jorita (9) Enrica (8) Joyceann (8) Darle (8) Shirrell (8) Dauna (7) Dixianna (7)

172 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1931.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1931?
Mary was the #1 girl name and Robert the #1 boy name in 1931, out of 2,104,388 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1931?
Marlene made the biggest jump in 1931, climbing 293 spots to #95.
How many new baby names appeared in 1931?
172 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1931.