State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1936 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 10,405 South Dakota births in 1936 across 393 distinct names.

Distinctively South Dakota

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

#37Lavonneoutside the national top 200
#38Marlysoutside the national top 200
#52Lilaoutside the national top 200
#55Merleoutside the national top 200
#62Ramona#197 nationally
#68Deloris#196 nationally
#72Colleen#198 nationally
#77Harlanoutside the national top 200
#38Lyle#159 nationally
#88Lorenoutside the national top 200
#92Eldonoutside the national top 200
#61Violet#169 nationally

Girls

#1Shirley289US #2
#2Mary226US #1
#3Betty151US #4
#4Donna124US #22
#5Beverly119US #17
#6Barbara106US #3
#7Carol106US #10
#8Marilyn103US #13
#9Patricia99US #5
#10Darlene90US #83
#11Joyce86US #12
#12Dorothy85US #6
#13Joan84US #7
#14Marlene84US #39
#15Janice78US #31
#16Lois76US #26
#17Helen71US #11
#18Phyllis62US #25
#19Janet61US #21
#20Jean60US #20
#21Sharon59US #60
#22Margaret57US #9
#23Doris56US #15
#24Delores55US #58
#25Norma55US #29
#26Arlene53US #54
#27Bonnie52US #65
#28Ruth52US #16
#29Virginia50US #14
#30Alice46US #27
#31Joann46US #55
#32Marjorie43US #49
#33Audrey39US #68
#34Frances39US #19
#35Elaine38US #50
#36Joanne36US #48
#37Lavonne36
#38Marlys35
#39Nancy34US #8
#40Karen32US #132
#41Rose32US #37
#42Evelyn31US #34
#43Kay31US #98
#44Connie30US #134
#45Gloria30US #32
#46Charlotte27US #61
#47Eleanor26US #47
#48Geraldine26US #41
#49Lorraine26US #76
#50Anna25US #36
#51Irene25US #57
#52Lila25
#53Marie25US #33
#54Carolyn24US #23
#55Peggy24US #35
#56Sylvia24US #53
#57Judith22US #43
#58Loretta22US #70
#59Myrna22US #149
#60Roberta22US #64
#61Violet22US #169
#62Ramona21US #197
#63Elizabeth20US #18
#64Gladys20US #84
#65Maxine20US #127
#66Mildred20US #40
#67Ruby20US #51
#68Deloris19US #196
#69Dolores19US #30
#70Sandra19US #38
#71Yvonne19US #81
#72Colleen18US #198
#73Eileen18US #103
#74Jane18US #42
#75Kathleen18US #67
#76Rita18US #69
#77Sally18US #59
#78Bernice17US #95
#79Esther17US #107
#80Hazel17US #96
#81Jeanette17US #94
#82Anita16US #104
#83Joy16US #144
#84Leona16US #161
#85Marcia16US #138
#86Verna16US #189
#87Ann15US #28
#88Florence15US #80
#89Harriet15US #154
#90June15US #62
#91Wanda15US #56
#92Clara14US #91
#93Luella14
#94Margie14US #102
#95Marion14US #93
#96Theresa14US #88
#97Wilma14US #78
#98Marian13US #114
#99Carole12US #73
#100Constance12US #133

Boys

#1Robert298US #1
#2James281US #2
#3Donald239US #7
#4Richard205US #5
#5John164US #3
#6Ronald124US #12
#7William116US #4
#8Roger104US #35
#9Larry101US #25
#10Kenneth95US #14
#11Charles89US #6
#12Gerald88US #19
#13Marvin74US #49
#14David71US #10
#15Jerry68US #18
#16Dale67US #59
#17George67US #9
#18Raymond65US #17
#19Dennis63US #74
#20Thomas62US #8
#21Wayne61US #45
#22Harold57US #21
#23Duane56US #110
#24Edward53US #13
#25Gary53US #38
#26Eugene52US #29
#27Dean50US #125
#28Jack47US #20
#29Leroy45US #57
#30Paul44US #15
#31Joseph43US #11
#32Melvin41US #53
#33Gene40US #66
#34Darrell38US #133
#35Jerome37US #98
#36Keith36US #122
#37Lawrence36US #37
#38Lyle36US #159
#39Don33US #51
#40Daniel32US #41
#41Francis32US #50
#42Ralph32US #31
#43Vernon32US #93
#44Gordon30US #75
#45Jim30US #85
#46Earl29US #47
#47Norman29US #43
#48Leonard28US #54
#49Allen26US #81
#50Floyd26US #86
#51Frank26US #16
#52Howard26US #40
#53Douglas25US #78
#54Harvey24US #97
#55Merle24
#56Russell24US #69
#57Bob23US #77
#58Carl23US #27
#59Glenn23US #80
#60Glen22US #119
#61Terry22US #126
#62Bill21US #61
#63Joe21US #23
#64Lloyd21US #88
#65Rodney21US #152
#66Stanley21US #58
#67Bernard20US #68
#68Henry20US #28
#69Lowell20US #150
#70Dick19US #141
#71Michael19US #33
#72Roy19US #42
#73Albert18US #34
#74Arthur18US #30
#75Calvin18US #124
#76Clarence18US #52
#77Harlan18
#78Leo18US #94
#79Leslie18US #128
#80Alvin17US #96
#81Bruce17US #73
#82Fred17US #36
#83Lee17US #76
#84Walter17US #26
#85Clifford16US #90
#86Delbert16US #163
#87Harry16US #39
#88Loren16
#89Wesley16US #145
#90Alfred15US #60
#91Curtis15US #107
#92Eldon15
#93Milton15US #120
#94Orville15
#95Tom15US #112
#96Virgil15US #149
#97Warren15US #95
#98Darrel14
#99Herbert14US #62
#100Louis14US #44

On the move since 1935

Rising

↑36Daniel#40
↑36Russell#56
↑32Violet#61
↑31Peggy#55
↑31Lowell#69
↑30Glenn#59
↑28Joe#63
↑25Ruby#67

Falling

↓43Walter#84
↓42June#90
↓33Alvin#80
↓33Wesley#89
↓28Ann#87
↓27Elizabeth#63
↓26Arthur#74
↓24Lloyd#64

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1935 rankings.