State roster

Top names in Arkansas

The names most likely to appear on 1939 Arkansas birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 36,310 Arkansas births in 1939 across 823 distinct names.

Distinctively Arkansas

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

#56Ermaoutside the national top 200
#63Troyoutside the national top 200
#67Doyleoutside the national top 200
#48Rosie#171 nationally
#81Melbaoutside the national top 200
#22Bobbie#141 nationally
#39Billie#149 nationally
#71Mae#180 nationally
#72Velma#178 nationally
#90Nina#194 nationally
#97Johnnieoutside the national top 200
#70Geneva#172 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,111US #1
#2Betty820US #4
#3Shirley554US #5
#4Barbara499US #2
#5Dorothy361US #9
#6Wanda277US #50
#7Carolyn265US #14
#8Patsy263US #56
#9Linda259US #15
#10Martha256US #27
#11Joyce253US #12
#12Helen237US #16
#13Patricia218US #3
#14Margaret211US #10
#15Virginia211US #21
#16Peggy195US #34
#17Nancy192US #7
#18Doris188US #29
#19Ruby177US #67
#20Frances175US #26
#21Norma154US #38
#22Bobbie152US #141
#23Alice149US #31
#24Jo142US #70
#25Lois130US #35
#26Elizabeth128US #18
#27Bonnie126US #61
#28Ruth126US #22
#29Wilma124US #87
#30Glenda118US #112
#31Emma113US #89
#32Annie112US #54
#33Anna109US #43
#34Marilyn109US #19
#35Donna106US #20
#36Mildred102US #55
#37Evelyn101US #40
#38Thelma101US #88
#39Billie98US #149
#40Willie93US #126
#41Sarah88US #68
#42Gloria85US #36
#43Sandra84US #13
#44Juanita83US #77
#45Sue83US #92
#46Carol78US #6
#47Janice76US #24
#48Rosie76US #171
#49Loretta75US #65
#50Edna74US #81
#51Bertha73US #135
#52Georgia73US #131
#53Phyllis73US #30
#54Ann72US #33
#55Rose71US #42
#56Erma70
#57Marie69US #37
#58Lillie68US #143
#59Louise68US #59
#60Margie66US #113
#61Jean64US #32
#62Jessie63US #155
#63Joan62US #11
#64Charlotte61US #66
#65Ethel61US #100
#66Geraldine61US #41
#67Clara60US #103
#68Laura60US #107
#69Bernice59US #116
#70Geneva59US #172
#71Mae58US #180
#72Velma58US #178
#73Ella57US #132
#74Judy56US #28
#75Vera56US #153
#76Beverly55US #25
#77Hazel55US #118
#78Mattie55US #164
#79Alma54US #150
#80Maxine54US #137
#81Melba54
#82Anita53US #97
#83Eva53US #129
#84Minnie53US #165
#85Edith52US #102
#86Sylvia52US #62
#87Gladys51US #104
#88Joann51US #57
#89Catherine49US #49
#90Nina49US #194
#91Sharon48US #23
#92Ida47US #145
#93Bessie46US #158
#94Ellen46US #80
#95Janet46US #17
#96Christine45US #124
#97Johnnie44
#98Judith44US #8
#99Beatrice43US #136
#100Joy43US #166

Boys

#1James1,402US #2
#2Charles797US #6
#3John644US #3
#4Robert626US #1
#5William585US #4
#6Billy512US #24
#7Bobby472US #29
#8Jerry436US #16
#9Donald348US #8
#10Jimmy347US #43
#11Willie285US #33
#12Thomas278US #9
#13Joe261US #27
#14Kenneth252US #13
#15David251US #7
#16George250US #11
#17Richard209US #5
#18Harold195US #23
#19Roy168US #42
#20Edward164US #15
#21Paul159US #17
#22Larry156US #14
#23Tommy156US #77
#24Jimmie151US #80
#25Johnny149US #62
#26Carl145US #30
#27Henry139US #31
#28Raymond119US #22
#29Eddie109US #81
#30Don108US #56
#31Albert105US #41
#32Ronald101US #10
#33Gerald100US #19
#34Bill97US #67
#35Walter94US #25
#36Ralph93US #35
#37Fred91US #40
#38Earl90US #50
#39Jack90US #26
#40Jackie90US #105
#41Marvin88US #52
#42Joseph87US #12
#43Arthur83US #32
#44Lee83US #78
#45Clarence81US #60
#46Wayne81US #39
#47Frank80US #20
#48Howard79US #47
#49Melvin79US #51
#50Ray78US #74
#51Eugene76US #37
#52Floyd75US #94
#53Herman71US #111
#54Leon71US #86
#55Samuel71US #63
#56Gary70US #21
#57Gene70US #69
#58Louis68US #49
#59Bob65US #89
#60Johnnie65US #120
#61Leroy64US #61
#62Jesse63US #99
#63Troy63
#64Curtis62US #98
#65Alvin61US #103
#66Clyde59US #101
#67Doyle59
#68Jim59US #75
#69Freddie58US #138
#70Dale57US #59
#71Lawrence57US #36
#72Lonnie57US #150
#73Norman57US #44
#74Cecil56US #114
#75Glen56US #123
#76Herbert55US #68
#77Benny51US #172
#78Earnest50US #177
#79Lloyd50US #95
#80Ernest49US #55
#81Roger48US #28
#82Harry46US #45
#83Andrew45US #84
#84Alfred44US #70
#85Lewis44US #107
#86Calvin43US #126
#87Darrell43US #130
#88Harvey43US #102
#89Vernon43US #100
#90Daniel42US #38
#91Elmer42US #132
#92Jessie42US #154
#93Michael42US #18
#94Carroll41US #179
#95Charlie41US #112
#96Franklin41US #106
#97Clifton39US #194
#98Marion39US #155
#99Glenn38US #87
#100Leonard38US #54

On the move since 1938

Rising

↑40Sandra#43
↑37Loretta#49
↑29Joan#63
↑24Phyllis#53
↑23Charlotte#64
↑23Troy#63
↑22Melvin#49
↑20Georgia#52

Falling

↓41Jessie#92
↓39Hazel#77
↓37Joann#88
↓34Minnie#84
↓28Johnnie#97
↓25Gladys#87
↓24Louise#59
↓24Clara#67

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1938 rankings.