Names that Peaked in 1936

Mary

Hebrew or Egyptian

"drop of the sea; bitter; beloved; love"

Mary is the English form of Maria, which ultimately was derived from the Hebrew name Maryam/Mariam. The original meaning of Maryam is uncertain, but theories include "drop of the sea" (from Hebrew…

Marilyn

English, combination of Mary and Lynn

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake"

For a name that was in the Top 20 for a whole decade – the 1930's – Marilyn has attained the status of almost a one-person name. Just say the name Marilyn, and most people will know who you mean. Yet…

Toby

Female diminutive of Tobias, Greek from Hebrew

"God is good"

Toby is an early unisex name with a Shakespearean pedigree; when used for a girl it retains its tomboyish quality. Fits well with the growing trend of boyish nicknames for girls -- alongside rising…

Claudette

French, feminine variation of Claude

"lame; enclosure"

Once seen as a dated French Claudette-Colbert feminization, along with Annette and Paulette, we can see Claudette moving into a more plausible Colette-Cosette arena. While some may be put off by the…

Arline

Arline is a feminine name with several possible origins. It may be a variant of Arlene, derived from the Gaelic name Airlín, which possibly means 'pledge' or is associated with the word for…

Rosemarie

Combination of Rose and Marie

"rose flower + drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved"

Rosemarie had its moment in the sun back in the middle of the last century, when parents were looking for new ways to recycle traditional family names. So a child might combine her two grandma's…

Shirley

English

"bright meadow"

Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents…

Patsy

English, diminutive of Patricia

"noble, patrician"

This sassy, spunky name was used for the mostly Irish jump-roping pigtailed girls of the thirties and forties -- and some Irish and Italian boys as well. Its most noted bearer was iconic country…

Marylyn

English combination of Mary and Lynn

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake"

Variant of Marilyn

Carlene

English feminization of Carl or Charles, German, French

"free man"

A handful of baby girls are still named Carlene every year, but today other feminizations of Charles or Carl, from Carly to Charlotte, are much more popular.

Marlys

Marlys is a feminine name that likely developed as a variant of Marlene or Marlis, which themselves derive from combinations of Mary and other elements like Elizabeth or Louise. The name has Germanic…

Ardyce

Ardyce is a feminine name of Greek derivation, likely a variation of Ardis, ultimately stemming from elements meaning 'arrow' or 'point.' The name gained modest popularity in the United States during…

Marylin

English combination of Mary and Lynn

"drop of the sea, bitter, or beloved + lake"

Variant of Marilyn

Shirlene

Shirlene is a feminine name that emerged as a variant of Shirley, which originally began as an English surname meaning 'bright clearing' or 'bright meadow.' Popular primarily in the mid-20th century,…