Depression Era Baby Names -- Most Popular Boy Names And Girl Names Of The 1930s

The current economic downturn evokes memories of one of the darkest periods in American history -- the Great Depression of the 1930s. Comparisons between the two are common, because most Americans are experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Depression.

The 1929 Wall Street Crash changed nearly every aspect of American lives, including birth rates. Worried about their financial futures, many Depression-era couples put off having children until they had more money in the bank.

Although fewer babies were born during the Depression years, one thing remained steady -- the names Depression-era parents gave their newborns. According to the United States Social Security Administration (SSA), the most popular baby names remained stable during the 1930s.

Compared with today's hot and trendy names -- think Mason and Liam, Ava and Zoe -- names from the 1930s may sound staid, boring, or mundane. But in that time of instability and uncertainty, Depression-era parents wanted solid, respectable names for their children.

Many of these traditional American names are still in widespread use. While they may not be the most exciting names in the book, they are reliable ones that have stood the test of time.

Whether or not you consider them old-fashioned, 1930s retro names are a great way to pay tribute to a bygone historical era. Robert and Mary, John and Patricia -- there is more to these names than meets the eye. These solid names represent the American strength and spirit that was our grandparents' generation.

Robert, James, John, and William took the lead in boy names during the Great Depression. These were followed by Richard, Charles, and Donald. George, Thomas, and Joseph round out the list of ten most popular boy names.

For girls, Mary was the overwhelming choice of Depression-era parents. Betty, Barbara, Shirley, Patricia, and Dorothy were other popular names in the 1930s. Joan, Margaret, Nancy, and Helen round out the top ten.

The SSA has gathered data for the most popular boy and girl names of the 1930s, based on Social Security card applications. According to this government agency, the names were taken from "a universe that includes 10,846,238 male births and 11,043,322 female births."

The following table highlights the top ten Depression-era names for each rank and gender. It also includes the number of occurrences for each name.

Do you or your child have a traditional name like these Depression-era names? If you are expecting a child, what will you name your baby? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

© Annette Smith. All rights reserved.

• Babies Online staff. (n.d.) "Most Popular Baby Names of the 1930s." Babies Online. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
• Moss, Peggy. (n.d.) "BabyNames TV." BabyNames.com. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
• Rosenborg, Victoria and Street, Neil. (n.d.) "Depression-Era Baby Names." Baby Names Garden. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
• SSA Staff. (April 22, 2011.) "Popular Baby Names: Top Names of the 1930s." United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved October 22, 2011.

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