State roster

Top names in Arkansas

The names most likely to appear on 1938 Arkansas birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 36,911 Arkansas births in 1938 across 852 distinct names.

Distinctively Arkansas

Names that rank far higher here than they do nationally — the ones that say Arkansas more than they say America.

#45Ermaoutside the national top 200
#60Melbaoutside the national top 200
#69Johnnieoutside the national top 200
#69Doyleoutside the national top 200
#47Rosie#170 nationally
#55Velma#174 nationally
#86Troyoutside the national top 200
#51Jessie#163 nationally
#89Bettyeoutside the national top 200
#50Minnie#161 nationally
#74Mae#183 nationally
#95Loydoutside the national top 200

Girls

#1Mary1,159US #1
#2Betty818US #4
#3Shirley610US #5
#4Barbara552US #2
#5Dorothy411US #8
#6Carolyn283US #15
#7Patsy283US #55
#8Martha270US #26
#9Wanda245US #49
#10Joyce244US #11
#11Patricia232US #3
#12Virginia223US #22
#13Helen218US #13
#14Linda200US #31
#15Margaret197US #9
#16Doris194US #25
#17Norma186US #34
#18Ruby182US #61
#19Peggy177US #35
#20Frances168US #23
#21Nancy161US #7
#22Bobbie152US #127
#23Alice147US #29
#24Bonnie146US #65
#25Jo131US #78
#26Wilma131US #85
#27Anna130US #40
#28Ruth128US #21
#29Emma127US #96
#30Willie125US #121
#31Annie118US #47
#32Elizabeth111US #17
#33Mildred110US #52
#34Billie104US #139
#35Louise102US #59
#36Evelyn100US #38
#37Marilyn100US #19
#38Hazel97US #111
#39Lois97US #33
#40Glenda93US #123
#41Juanita92US #80
#42Margie90US #109
#43Clara87US #98
#44Lillie87US #132
#45Erma80
#46Donna78US #20
#47Rosie78US #170
#48Sarah77US #67
#49Gloria76US #36
#50Minnie75US #161
#51Joann73US #68
#52Ann71US #32
#53Edna71US #82
#54Thelma71US #86
#55Velma71US #174
#56Carol70US #6
#57Sue69US #104
#58Jean68US #27
#59Ethel67US #94
#60Melba67
#61Jessie66US #150
#62Gladys63US #103
#63Janice63US #24
#64Sylvia63US #56
#65Marie62US #37
#66Rose61US #39
#67Alma60US #147
#68Bertha60US #131
#69Johnnie60
#70Ida58US #141
#71Bernice57US #112
#72Georgia57US #138
#73Geraldine56US #45
#74Mae56US #183
#75Bessie55US #155
#76Charlene55US #143
#77Phyllis55US #28
#78Vera55US #156
#79Geneva54US #171
#80Jane54US #44
#81Mattie54US #153
#82Maxine54US #130
#83Sandra54US #14
#84Ella53US #140
#85Christine52US #129
#86Loretta52US #62
#87Charlotte51US #70
#88Joy50US #159
#89Bettye49
#90Beverly49US #18
#91Eva49US #126
#92Joan49US #10
#93Katherine49US #105
#94Faye48US #162
#95Lula48US #191
#96Pauline47US #97
#97Ruthie46
#98Catherine45US #48
#99Frankie45
#100Lola45US #199

Boys

#1James1,368US #2
#2Charles771US #6
#3John673US #3
#4Robert636US #1
#5William618US #4
#6Billy606US #24
#7Bobby507US #27
#8Donald379US #7
#9Jerry331US #17
#10Jimmy305US #45
#11Joe289US #28
#12George270US #11
#13Thomas252US #9
#14Willie234US #34
#15David228US #8
#16Kenneth217US #14
#17Harold214US #23
#18Richard185US #5
#19Paul171US #15
#20Carl160US #29
#21Johnny153US #63
#22Tommy149US #77
#23Edward148US #13
#24Roy145US #41
#25Jack140US #25
#26Larry140US #16
#27Henry134US #30
#28Jimmie128US #76
#29Raymond115US #20
#30Walter112US #26
#31Don106US #52
#32Gerald103US #19
#33Joseph102US #12
#34Ronald101US #10
#35Lee96US #80
#36Earl94US #50
#37Bill93US #67
#38Frank92US #18
#39Eugene88US #33
#40Eddie87US #79
#41Wayne86US #40
#42Clarence85US #58
#43Fred83US #38
#44Gene82US #65
#45Arthur81US #32
#46Howard80US #42
#47Ralph77US #35
#48Floyd76US #96
#49Albert74US #37
#50Jackie73US #105
#51Jessie71US #163
#52Marvin70US #53
#53Ray70US #72
#54Curtis69US #101
#55Gary69US #22
#56Freddie68US #132
#57Herman67US #108
#58Leon67US #85
#59Alvin66US #98
#60Jesse66US #107
#61Dale65US #56
#62Louis63US #47
#63Leroy62US #61
#64Cecil60US #118
#65Clyde60US #97
#66Herbert60US #68
#67Bob59US #94
#68Jim59US #81
#69Doyle58
#70Ernest58US #55
#71Melvin58US #54
#72Samuel58US #62
#73Franklin55US #100
#74Johnnie54US #123
#75Norman54US #43
#76Harvey51US #99
#77Vernon51US #103
#78Alfred50US #69
#79Calvin50US #122
#80Charlie50US #112
#81Lloyd50US #92
#82Lester47US #115
#83Benny46US #179
#84Harry46US #44
#85Lewis45US #109
#86Troy45
#87Elmer44US #130
#88Glen44US #121
#89Lawrence44US #36
#90Carroll43US #175
#91Earnest43US #176
#92Leonard43US #57
#93Marion43US #145
#94Darrell42US #128
#95Loyd42
#96Roger42US #31
#97Andrew39US #82
#98Allen38US #73
#99Clifford38US #89
#100Homer38US #171

On the move since 1937

Rising

↑39Gary#55
↑32Donna#46
↑31Minnie#50
↑27Lillie#44
↑24Marilyn#37
↑23Erma#45
↑22Joann#51
↑21Linda#14

Falling

↓37Geneva#79
↓35Joan#92
↓27Johnnie#74
↓26Loretta#86
↓25Ella#84
↓23Lawrence#89
↓21Georgia#72
↓20Alma#67

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1937 rankings.