art, music, and literature. Perhaps new parents tried to spare
their children the tough times by naming their babies for a more
gentle side of life. This was especially true for baby girl
names.
People often name their infants in harmony with the world
around them.
The decade of the 1930s was known for hard times and
unemployment. One song that said it all was, "Brother, Can You
Spare a Dime." The stock market crash of 1929 dragged on and
left many people penniless.
To get away from it all, people crowded around their radios
listening to the best-known comics of the day – Jack Benny,
Gracie Allen, and Fred Allen. In 1934, music producer, Cole
Porter, brought the house down with his swinging songs,
"Anything Goes," and "You're the Tops." For a few precious
moments, people could forget hunger and worry.
The following year, Cole Porter came out with "Begin the
Beguine," and "Just One of Those Things." Meanwhile, George
Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" made everyone feel like dancing.
In the art world, Childe Hassam caught the sunlight and placed
it in his paintings for all to see.
The 10 top baby boy names from 1930 to 1939, in order of
popularity, were Robert, James, John, William, Richard, Charles,
Donald, George, Thomas, and Joseph. They are essentially the
same popular names of the 1920s – with only one change. "Thomas"
took the place of "Edward." They are all Christian saints'
names. They are also royal names that go back in history for
centuries.
Robert (English) means "brilliant;" James (English) means
"steadfast;" John (Hebrew) means "honorable;" William (English)
means "staunch protector;" Richard (Germanic) means "strong
ruler;" Charles (German) means "well-loved;
Gaelic) means "world ruler;" George (Greek) means "loving the
land;" Thomas (Greek) means "twin;" and Joseph (Hebrew) means
"supported by God."
>From 1930 to 1939, the top baby girl names were a big change
from the names of the previous decade. New entries included
Shirley, Patricia, Joan, and Nancy. Most are powerful biblical
names, names of saints and world leaders.
These names, in order of their popularity, are Mary, Betty,
Barbara, Shirley, Patricia, Dorothy, Joan, Margaret, Nancy, and
Helen.
Mary (Hebrew) means "spiritual;" Betty (Hebrew) from
"Elizabeth" means "God-loving;
Shirley (English) is derived from a place name meaning "bright
meadow;" Patricia (Latin) means "of noble birth;" Dorothy
(Greek) means "gift of God;" Joan (Middle English) is the female
form of "John," meaning "God-loving;
"treasured pearl;" Nancy (Medieval English) is the pet form of
"Agnes," and means "generous;" Helen (Greek) means "beautiful."
People struggled to make it through the decade of the 1930s.
The stock market crash left the whole country shattered. Tens of
thousands abandoned farms to move into the city and look for
jobs that did not exist.
On the plus side, there was a new president, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, in the White House. A fast sleek car called the
"Pierce Arrow" was all the rage. Artists of the 1930's such as
William Graves Sharp and John Singer Sargent produced paintings
to lift the heart. Broadway came alive again with the smash
musical, "Over the Rainbow." Hemingway and Steinbeck were
writing masterpieces that have never been matched.
The glorious baby boy names and baby girl names of the 1930s
may have helped children weather the storm and dash happily into
the fabulous 1940s. Everyone knew the road ahead was filled with
sunshine.
(c) Benedict Manovill. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
About The Author: Find out more about baby names and their
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