Names that Peaked in 1939
Across 2 pages
of 2
The names
Robert
English from German
"bright fame"
Robert was the Number 1 boys' name in the US in both 1925 and 1950, and in fact was in the Top 25 for more than a century, giving it true classic status. Strong if not quite stylish, Robert remains…
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…
Richard
German
"dominant ruler"
A classic old Norman name popular for a thousand years and favored for kings (Richard Nixon was named for Richard the Lionhearted), as well as the hoi polloi (as in every Tom, Dick and Harry),…
Kenneth
Scottish and Irish
"born of fire, handsome"
Kenneth may have lost much of its luster now, but Kenneth has had its moments of glory. The first king of Scotland was Kenneth, and Sir Kenneth, a Christian crusader, was the hero of the Sir Walter…
Benny
Diminutive of Benjamin, Hebrew
"son of the right hand"
Benny is a diminutive form of Benjamin, which comes from Hebrew and means "son of the right hand" or "son of the south." Benny can also serve as a nickname for other names like Benedict, Bennett, or…
Barbara
Greek
"foreign woman"
Barbara is back and among the fastest-rising names of recent years! Credit goes to 2023's breakout movie Barbie , which gave a new stylish feel to the classic Barbara and set it up to rank alongside…
Jeraldine
Jeraldine is a feminine variant of Gerald, which has Germanic origins meaning 'ruler with the spear.' This elegant elaboration adds the feminine suffix '-ine' to create a distinctly female version of…
Glennis
Glennis is a feminine name with Celtic and Scottish origins, deriving from the Welsh 'glân' meaning 'clean' or 'pure,' or possibly from Scottish place names containing 'glen' (valley). The name…
Jeanette
French, diminutive of Jeanne
Relic of a past period of French favorites, out to pasture with Claudette and Paulette.
Peggie
Peggie is a feminine name that serves as an affectionate variant spelling of Peggy, which itself originated as a diminutive of Margaret. The name Margaret derives from Greek 'margarites' meaning…
Marleen
Marleen is a feminine name of Dutch and German origin, derived as a variation of Marlene or a diminutive of Maria combined with the suffix '-leen.' It gained popularity in the mid-20th century,…
Patricia
Latin
"noble, patrician"
Patricia still sounds patrician, though its scores of nicknames definitely don't. Wildly popular from the forties (alternately Number 3 and 4 throughout the decade) to the sixties, Patricia has been…
Sally
Diminutive of Sarah
"princess"
Sally is a cheerful, fresh-faced girl-next-door name that was originally a nickname for Sarah, but has long been used independently. Sally was popular in the eighteenth century and then again from…
Treva
Welsh
"large homestead"
Trevor with a New York accent.
Arlyn
Arlyn is a masculine name with multiple possible origins. It may derive from the Old English elements 'earn' (eagle) and 'lin' (lake), creating a meaning of 'eagle lake.' Alternatively, it could be a…
Gale
Nature name
Gale for boys is more a storm name than a short form of Abigail. Since Gale has resurfaced as the name of Liam Hemsworth's daring character in The Hunger Games , it has new force for boys.
Gerald
English and Irish from German
"ruler with the spear"
Both a saint's name and a presidential one via Gerald Ford—who was born Leslie—Gerald is a quintessential 1930s-40s name, when it ranked as high as Number 19. Hence all those nice middle-aged and…
Gerold
Gerold is a masculine name of Germanic origin, derived from elements meaning 'spear' and 'rule' or 'power'. This traditional name was popular during medieval times, particularly among nobility in…
Jerome
Greek
"sacred name"
Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists. Musical…
Harlon
Harlon is a masculine name with English and Germanic origins, likely derived as a variant of Harlan. The name Harlan comes from Old English elements meaning 'army land' or 'hare land.' Harlon emerged…