Most popular baby names of 1933

The top three names for both boys and girls remained remarkably stable between 1932 and 1933. Mary, Betty, and Barbara continued their reign as the top three girls' names, while Robert, James, and John held their positions as the most popular boys' names. This consistency suggests these traditional favorites had a strong cultural foothold during the early 1930s, despite the economic challenges of the Great Depression era.

Looking at the top 10 girls' names in 1933, there was relatively little movement, though Nancy made a notable climb from 13th place in 1932 to 11th place in 1933, just missing the top 10. Joan, Patricia, Margaret, Helen, Shirley, and Doris maintained their positions in the top 10, showing America's continued preference for these classic feminine names. Names with softer endings like Mary, Betty, and Dorothy remained particularly popular, reflecting the era's preference for traditionally feminine-sounding names.

The boys' top 10 showed similar stability, with Ronald being the only name making a significant move, climbing from 16th in 1932 to 12th in 1933. Traditional masculine names continued to dominate, with shorter, stronger-sounding names like Robert, James, John, and William maintaining their popularity. Biblical names like John, Joseph, and Thomas remained fixtures in the top rankings, reflecting the continued importance of religious traditions in American naming practices.

Some broader patterns emerge when examining the full lists. Girls' names ending with the feminine "-a" sound (Barbara, Martha, Anna) or "-y"/"-ie" sound (Betty, Shirley, Dorothy) were common in both years. For boys, traditional English and Biblical names dominated the top spots, while nicknames as given names (like Billy, Bobby, and Joe) appeared throughout the rankings. Interestingly, names that would later become primarily feminine, like Beverly and Marion, still appeared on both gender lists during this period, showing how naming conventions continue to evolve over time.

Top baby names of 1933