State roster

Top names in West Virginia

The names most likely to appear on 1936 West Virginia birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 36,327 West Virginia births in 1936 across 751 distinct names.

Distinctively West Virginia

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

#50Patty#183 nationally
#46Shelby#178 nationally
#73Fredaoutside the national top 200
#78Opaloutside the national top 200
#77Deloris#196 nationally
#79Junior#194 nationally
#89Shirleyoutside the national top 200
#94Beulahoutside the national top 200
#63Violet#169 nationally
#90Nina#194 nationally
#65Naomi#159 nationally
#78Homer#165 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,084US #1
#2Shirley1,037US #2
#3Betty814US #4
#4Barbara514US #3
#5Patricia435US #5
#6Nancy397US #8
#7Phyllis328US #25
#8Helen295US #11
#9Margaret282US #9
#10Dorothy237US #6
#11Norma235US #29
#12Ruth232US #16
#13Anna231US #36
#14Virginia223US #14
#15Peggy199US #35
#16Carol198US #10
#17Janet190US #21
#18Doris188US #15
#19Elizabeth166US #18
#20Frances164US #19
#21Martha157US #24
#22Lois156US #26
#23Carolyn148US #23
#24Donna148US #22
#25Janice145US #31
#26Wanda145US #56
#27Delores143US #58
#28Ruby140US #51
#29Joyce139US #12
#30Jo137US #72
#31Mildred134US #40
#32Alice133US #27
#33Jean127US #20
#34Joan122US #7
#35Wilma117US #78
#36Loretta113US #70
#37Evelyn110US #34
#38Charlotte108US #61
#39Joann107US #55
#40Patsy103US #52
#41Sylvia97US #53
#42Thelma97US #74
#43Edna95US #71
#44Eleanor92US #47
#45Rose92US #37
#46Shelby92US #178
#47Gloria90US #32
#48Bonnie88US #65
#49Hazel88US #96
#50Patty86US #183
#51Geraldine82US #41
#52Juanita82US #75
#53Emma79US #85
#54Nellie78US #135
#55Louise74US #46
#56Yvonne74US #81
#57Irene71US #57
#58Edith70US #87
#59Ethel70US #90
#60Pauline70US #82
#61Gladys68US #84
#62Sandra67US #38
#63Violet67US #169
#64Clara65US #91
#65Naomi65US #159
#66Dolores64US #30
#67Beverly63US #17
#68Ellen62US #99
#69Jane62US #42
#70Ann60US #28
#71Billie60US #117
#72Roberta60US #64
#73Freda58
#74Ella57US #126
#75Sarah56US #63
#76Elsie54US #123
#77Deloris53US #196
#78Opal52
#79Sally52US #59
#80Judith51US #43
#81June51US #62
#82Kathryn50US #113
#83Linda50US #97
#84Marilyn50US #13
#85Sue50US #109
#86Bessie49US #136
#87Lillian49US #79
#88Maxine49US #127
#89Geneva48US #153
#90Nina48US #194
#91Jacqueline46US #66
#92Marjorie46US #49
#93Velma46US #167
#94Beulah43
#95Eva43US #116
#96Myrtle43US #160
#97Sharon43US #60
#98Bernice42US #95
#99Josephine42US #77
#100Alma41US #137

Boys

#1James1,287US #2
#2Robert1,041US #1
#3William842US #4
#4Charles798US #6
#5John727US #3
#6Donald549US #7
#7Richard413US #5
#8David330US #10
#9Thomas326US #8
#10George299US #9
#11Paul298US #15
#12Ronald253US #12
#13Kenneth248US #14
#14Harold244US #21
#15Bobby222US #24
#16Jack219US #20
#17Joseph214US #11
#18Billy205US #22
#19Franklin191US #64
#20Edward185US #13
#21Carl181US #27
#22Ralph165US #31
#23Harry163US #39
#24Raymond158US #17
#25Jackie154US #106
#26Jerry145US #18
#27Roy144US #42
#28Frank139US #16
#29Larry128US #25
#30Joe126US #23
#31Walter124US #26
#32Eugene120US #29
#33Howard120US #40
#34Earl114US #47
#35Clarence101US #52
#36Gerald94US #19
#37Lawrence93US #37
#38Fred90US #36
#39Jimmy89US #46
#40Ernest88US #55
#41Gary88US #38
#42Ray81US #65
#43Russell80US #69
#44Bernard79US #68
#45Arthur78US #30
#46Henry78US #28
#47Samuel78US #67
#48Albert76US #34
#49Johnny73US #72
#50Gene72US #66
#51Melvin70US #53
#52Norman68US #43
#53Jimmie67US #71
#54Leonard67US #54
#55Cecil65US #114
#56Clyde63US #89
#57Wayne61US #45
#58Daniel59US #41
#59Lewis59US #101
#60Clifford58US #90
#61Dale58US #59
#62Arnold56US #111
#63Glenn56US #80
#64Alfred54US #60
#65Bill53US #61
#66Don53US #51
#67Dennis52US #74
#68Marvin52US #49
#69Lowell51US #150
#70Roger50US #35
#71Tommy49US #91
#72Lloyd48US #88
#73Willard46US #136
#74Phillip45US #102
#75Curtis44US #107
#76Eddie44US #79
#77Freddie44US #134
#78Homer44US #165
#79Junior44US #194
#80Keith44US #122
#81Lee44US #76
#82Glen43US #119
#83Herbert43US #62
#84Darrell42US #133
#85Jesse42US #104
#86Philip42US #63
#87Louis41US #44
#88Herman40US #105
#89Shirley40
#90Floyd39US #86
#91Vernon39US #93
#92Michael38US #33
#93Stanley38US #58
#94Frederick37US #70
#95Allen36US #81
#96Virgil36US #149
#97Chester35US #127
#98Elmer35US #121
#99Everett35US #154
#100Gordon35US #75

On the move since 1935

Rising

↑26Beverly#67
↑26Billie#71
↑25Louise#55
↑24Ethel#59
↑22Janice#25
↑21Irene#57
↑21Daniel#58
↑20Sylvia#41

Falling

↓32Alma#100
↓29Eva#95
↓29Josephine#99
↓27Sarah#75
↓26Dolores#66
↓23Herbert#83
↓20Lillian#87
↓19Beulah#94

Every state

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