Most popular baby names of 1932

The top three names for both boys and girls remained remarkably stable between 1931 and 1932. For girls, Mary, Betty, and Dorothy/Barbara held their ground, with only a minor shift as Barbara rose from fourth to third place, nudging Dorothy down one position. Among boys, the trio of Robert, James, and John maintained their exact rankings, showing American parents' continued preference for these classic male names.

Looking at the top 10 girls' names in 1932, Patricia showed notable momentum, climbing from 8th place in 1931 to 6th in 1932. The name Joan maintained its solid position at 5th, while Margaret slipped slightly from 7th to 8th. Helen dropped more significantly, falling from 6th to 8th place in just one year. Interestingly, Nancy made a strong showing, rising from 17th to 13th place, putting it just outside the top 10 but showing growing popularity.

The boys' top 10 displayed remarkable consistency, with all names maintaining their exact positions from 1931 to 1932. Robert, James, John, William, Richard, Charles, Donald, George, Joseph, and Thomas formed an unchanged block at the top of the rankings. This stability suggests parents were choosing tried-and-true traditional names for their sons during this period. The first notable shift comes with Ronald, which climbed significantly from 27th place in 1931 to 16th place in 1932, showing it was gaining favor rapidly.

Broader naming patterns reveal interesting trends in American naming preferences of the early 1930s. Girls' names often featured soft endings, with many top names ending in "-y" (Mary, Betty, Dorothy, Shirley) or "-a" (Barbara, Patricia). For boys, traditional biblical and royal names dominated the top rankings, with short, strong-sounding names like John, James, and Robert maintaining popularity. One-syllable boys' names like Jack (17th) and Frank (15th) appeared consistently in the top 20, suggesting parents preferred simpler, more straightforward names for their sons during this period.

Top baby names of 1932