Most popular baby names of 1939

Looking at baby name trends between 1938 and 1939 in the United States, we see remarkable consistency at the top of the charts. The top three names for both boys and girls remained exactly the same year over year. For girls, Mary, Barbara, and Patricia held their ground as the most popular choices for American parents. Similarly, Robert, James, and John continued their reign as the top three boys' names, showing the strong traditional naming patterns of the late 1930s.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1939, we notice some subtle shifts in popularity. While the top three remained stable, Judith climbed from 12th place in 1938 to 8th place in 1939, representing the most significant rise within the top tier. Dorothy and Margaret each dropped one position compared to the previous year. Linda also showed impressive momentum, jumping from 31st place in 1938 to 15th place in 1939, suggesting its growing appeal among American parents.

The boys' top 10 showed minimal movement between 1938 and 1939. David gained a position, moving from 8th to 7th place, while Donald dropped from 7th to 8th. This slight shuffling represents the only change within the top 10 boys' names. Just outside the top 10, Michael continued its upward trajectory, moving from 21st place in 1938 to 18th in 1939, foreshadowing its eventual dominance in later decades.

Looking at broader naming patterns, short, classic names dominated both gender lists in 1939. For girls, names ending in the "-y" sound (like Mary, Betty, Shirley) remained quite popular, accounting for several top choices. Traditional biblical names maintained their strong presence in the boys' list, with John, James, David, and Thomas all appearing in the top 10. Interestingly, names with Germanic origins like Robert, Richard, and William continued their popularity despite the growing tensions with Germany at the outbreak of World War II, demonstrating how deeply rooted these classic names were in American culture.

Top baby names of 1939