State roster

Top names in California

The names most likely to appear on 1920 California birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 54,142 California births in 1920 across 1,069 distinct names.

Distinctively California

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

#52Jesusoutside the national top 200
#60Carmenoutside the national top 200
#76Beverlyoutside the national top 200
#68Antonio#190 nationally
#80Gloria#195 nationally
#87Peteoutside the national top 200
#76Bob#189 nationally
#88Salvadoroutside the national top 200
#87Isabel#199 nationally
#93Franciscooutside the national top 200
#97Carlosoutside the national top 200
#100Juanoutside the national top 200

Girls

#1Mary1,554US #1
#2Dorothy1,091US #2
#3Margaret720US #4
#4Helen719US #3
#5Virginia633US #7
#6Betty599US #11
#7Ruth545US #5
#8Barbara522US #47
#9Frances514US #9
#10Evelyn386US #12
#11Alice382US #15
#12Elizabeth372US #8
#13Marjorie348US #24
#14Doris345US #14
#15Jean327US #33
#16Marie301US #13
#17June289US #53
#18Mildred288US #6
#19Eleanor273US #25
#20Josephine269US #28
#21Florence245US #16
#22Patricia238US #104
#23Lois233US #38
#24Rose229US #20
#25Lillian223US #18
#26Lorraine218US #70
#27Jane213US #48
#28Irene192US #17
#29Phyllis187US #72
#30Lucille181US #29
#31Marian174US #73
#32Edith173US #32
#33Anna170US #10
#34Louise168US #19
#35Bernice166US #40
#36Marion165US #43
#37Esther162US #39
#38Geraldine161US #60
#39Edna159US #27
#40Grace158US #37
#41Shirley156US #56
#42Norma149US #69
#43Maria143US #130
#44Catherine136US #21
#45Pauline136US #36
#46Charlotte135US #79
#47Thelma135US #31
#48Gladys131US #22
#49Katherine131US #45
#50Martha131US #23
#51Ann130US #49
#52Jeanne127US #114
#53Beatrice122US #41
#54Dolores120US #110
#55Elsie120US #51
#56Hazel119US #34
#57Ethel118US #30
#58Gertrude118US #42
#59Eva116US #58
#60Carmen114
#61Anita106US #131
#62Julia106US #55
#63Juanita104US #61
#64Vivian103US #64
#65Ellen98US #92
#66Muriel97US #123
#67Ruby97US #26
#68Genevieve96US #86
#69Emma95US #46
#70Kathryn95US #67
#71Vera92US #75
#72Kathleen91US #91
#73Clara89US #44
#74Audrey88US #103
#75Maxine88US #81
#76Beverly87
#77Jennie85US #97
#78Rita85US #52
#79Alma83US #80
#80Gloria82US #195
#81Viola82US #59
#82Marguerite81US #93
#83Jessie79US #84
#84Laura79US #63
#85Nancy79US #95
#86Violet79US #77
#87Isabel78US #199
#88Anne77US #65
#89Wilma77US #78
#90Pearl76US #62
#91Agnes75US #54
#92Elaine74US #107
#93Ida73US #66
#94Janet68US #124
#95Angelina67US #193
#96Annie66US #35
#97Harriet66US #112
#98Sarah66US #50
#99Emily65US #119
#100Velma65US #105

Boys

#1Robert1,821US #3
#2John1,309US #1
#3William1,211US #2
#4George899US #6
#5James834US #4
#6Charles662US #5
#7Frank631US #9
#8Richard555US #10
#9Jack544US #20
#10Edward460US #8
#11Joseph451US #7
#12Donald435US #16
#13Raymond327US #15
#14Harold321US #12
#15Albert318US #19
#16Joe310US #35
#17Thomas309US #11
#18Walter305US #13
#19Henry301US #17
#20Arthur281US #18
#21Paul279US #14
#22Harry267US #21
#23Kenneth253US #23
#24David251US #25
#25Manuel239US #118
#26Ralph237US #22
#27Fred203US #33
#28Louis198US #28
#29Ernest180US #37
#30Eugene173US #30
#31Alfred170US #42
#32Roy161US #32
#33Howard156US #24
#34Earl153US #31
#35Lawrence146US #36
#36Jose140US #130
#37Stanley139US #40
#38Herbert132US #41
#39Carl130US #27
#40Clarence128US #26
#41Norman126US #47
#42Warren126US #39
#43Leonard120US #38
#44Peter117US #57
#45Anthony111US #43
#46Francis111US #34
#47Tony111US #136
#48Vernon111US #65
#49Edwin104US #53
#50Melvin103US #54
#51Bill101US #121
#52Jesus101
#53Daniel100US #52
#54Russell95US #51
#55Gordon93US #85
#56Leo93US #48
#57Lloyd92US #58
#58Ray91US #67
#59Theodore91US #63
#60Victor90US #81
#61Elmer87US #45
#62Gerald85US #64
#63Frederick82US #60
#64Philip80US #71
#65Andrew78US #49
#66Glenn75US #80
#67Clifford74US #59
#68Antonio73US #190
#69Leroy72US #56
#70Douglas67US #106
#71Leslie65US #110
#72Vincent65US #73
#73Clyde64US #68
#74Alvin63US #76
#75Milton63US #74
#76Bob62US #189
#77Martin62US #78
#78Chester60US #55
#79Sam60US #84
#80Tom60US #131
#81Wallace60US #93
#82Gilbert59US #97
#83Marvin59US #62
#84Mike58US #141
#85Wilbur55US #98
#86Leland54US #177
#87Pete54
#88Salvador54
#89Floyd53US #61
#90Lewis53US #72
#91Everett52US #95
#92Lester52US #69
#93Francisco49
#94Benjamin48US #83
#95Bruce48US #149
#96Michael48US #50
#97Carlos47
#98Samuel47US #44
#99Harvey46US #87
#100Juan46

On the move since 1919

Rising

↑31Shirley#41
↑30Warren#42
↑29Julia#62
↑24Bill#51
↑23Gerald#62
↑22Kathleen#72
↑21Antonio#68
↑21Alvin#74

Falling

↓37Violet#86
↓27Benjamin#94
↓25Anne#88
↓23Pearl#90
↓21Elmer#61
↓21Harvey#99
↓18Lester#92
↓17Emily#99

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1919 rankings.