State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1938 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 9,457 South Dakota births in 1938 across 382 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.

#43Marlysoutside the national top 200
#48Darreloutside the national top 200
#32Lyle#183 nationally
#54Lavonneoutside the national top 200
#59Jeraldoutside the national top 200
#69Harlanoutside the national top 200
#62Ramona#190 nationally
#73Merleoutside the national top 200
#76Janisoutside the national top 200
#84Lorenoutside the national top 200
#85Mavisoutside the national top 200
#87Darwinoutside the national top 200

Girls

#1Mary225US #1
#2Carol152US #6
#3Shirley132US #5
#4Donna108US #20
#5Barbara105US #2
#6Sharon103US #30
#7Betty98US #4
#8Janice96US #24
#9Marilyn95US #19
#10Patricia93US #3
#11Beverly83US #18
#12Dorothy80US #8
#13Joyce80US #11
#14Joan68US #10
#15Darlene64US #76
#16Janet64US #16
#17Karen62US #50
#18Margaret62US #9
#19Marlene56US #51
#20Delores53US #75
#21Jean51US #27
#22Nancy51US #7
#23Ruth51US #21
#24Helen48US #13
#25Alice47US #29
#26Norma46US #34
#27Phyllis45US #28
#28Joann44US #68
#29Deanna43US #115
#30Lois41US #33
#31Marjorie41US #53
#32Gloria39US #36
#33Loretta39US #62
#34Kay38US #81
#35Judy36US #41
#36Arlene35US #63
#37Elaine35US #42
#38Connie34US #110
#39Carolyn33US #15
#40Doris32US #25
#41Sandra32US #14
#42Bonnie30US #65
#43Marlys30
#44Virginia29US #22
#45Judith28US #12
#46Yvonne28US #101
#47Evelyn26US #38
#48Geraldine26US #45
#49Kathleen26US #58
#50Audrey25US #87
#51Carole25US #46
#52Rose25US #39
#53Jane24US #44
#54Lavonne24
#55Sylvia23US #56
#56Charlotte22US #70
#57Frances22US #23
#58Myrna22US #134
#59Marie21US #37
#60Jeanette20US #91
#61Lorraine20US #93
#62Ramona20US #190
#63Roberta20US #73
#64Rosalie19US #66
#65Irene18US #72
#66Joanne18US #57
#67Lucille18US #106
#68Sally18US #54
#69Eileen17US #113
#70Elizabeth17US #17
#71Gladys17US #103
#72Jacqueline17US #69
#73June17US #79
#74Kathryn17US #114
#75Eleanor16US #60
#76Janis16
#77Mildred16US #52
#78Rita16US #74
#79Agnes15US #157
#80Diane15US #64
#81Wilma15US #85
#82Ann14US #32
#83Georgia14US #138
#84Grace14US #100
#85Mavis14
#86Peggy14US #35
#87Ellen13US #89
#88Esther13US #120
#89Josephine13US #83
#90Linda13US #31
#91Maxine13US #130
#92Anita12US #99
#93Bernice12US #112
#94Bonita12
#95Catherine12US #48
#96Deloris12US #196
#97Dolores12US #43
#98Edith12US #102
#99Ella12US #140
#100Florence12US #90

Boys

#1Robert266US #1
#2James232US #2
#3Donald184US #7
#4Richard184US #5
#5John154US #3
#6Larry141US #16
#7William127US #4
#8Ronald125US #10
#9Charles118US #6
#10David111US #8
#11Jerry107US #17
#12Roger91US #31
#13Dennis87US #49
#14Gary82US #22
#15Gerald79US #19
#16Kenneth77US #14
#17Wayne59US #40
#18Dale56US #56
#19Harold54US #23
#20Duane53US #114
#21Leroy53US #61
#22Paul53US #15
#23George51US #11
#24Marvin51US #53
#25Eugene49US #33
#26Thomas45US #9
#27Raymond44US #20
#28Joseph42US #12
#29Douglas40US #60
#30Edward39US #13
#31Jack35US #25
#32Lyle35US #183
#33Melvin35US #54
#34Norman34US #43
#35Darrell32US #128
#36Rodney32US #133
#37Terry31US #86
#38Jim30US #81
#39Ralph29US #35
#40Gene28US #65
#41Leonard27US #57
#42Don26US #52
#43Bruce25US #66
#44Carl25US #29
#45Daniel25US #39
#46Gordon25US #78
#47Clifford24US #89
#48Darrel24
#49Lloyd24US #92
#50Jerome23US #93
#51Keith23US #120
#52Albert22US #37
#53Clarence22US #58
#54Allen21US #73
#55Alvin21US #98
#56Francis21US #51
#57Arthur20US #32
#58Bill20US #67
#59Jerald20
#60Lowell20US #164
#61Walter20US #26
#62Bernard19US #75
#63Dean19US #129
#64Ray19US #72
#65Russell19US #70
#66Stanley19US #59
#67Curtis18US #101
#68Glen18US #121
#69Harlan18
#70Lawrence18US #36
#71Lester18US #115
#72Michael18US #21
#73Merle17
#74Vernon17US #103
#75Wallace17US #139
#76Bob16US #94
#77Dick16US #165
#78Fred16US #38
#79Howard16US #42
#80Leo16US #104
#81Leslie16US #135
#82Tom16US #106
#83Virgil16US #151
#84Loren15
#85Patrick15US #88
#86Calvin14US #122
#87Darwin14
#88Delbert14US #169
#89Earl14US #50
#90Harvey14US #99
#91Henry14US #30
#92Warren14US #102
#93Alan13US #91
#94Alfred13US #69
#95Arnold13US #111
#96Floyd13US #96
#97Frank13US #18
#98Eldon12
#99Ernest12US #55
#100Harry12US #44

On the move since 1937

Rising

↑49Terry#37
↑46Kathleen#49
↑45Judy#35
↑43Rodney#36
↑33Charlotte#56
↑28Clarence#53
↑27Curtis#67
↑26Lester#71

Falling

↓59Arnold#95
↓54Frank#97
↓43Anita#92
↓36Floyd#96
↓35Lawrence#70
↓34Florence#100
↓30Leo#80
↓30Earl#89

Every state

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