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Top baby names of the 1940s

Ten birth years · Mary · James lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in the 1940s, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. Then see which names rose and fell since and what is climbing now.

1930s1950sCompare two names
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The 1940s lists

Girls100

  1. 1Mary640,080
  2. 2Linda531,660
  3. 3Barbara425,271
  4. 4Patricia411,412
  5. 5Carol292,333
  6. 6Sandra265,538
  7. 7Nancy252,061
  8. 8Sharon221,237
  9. 9Judith218,037
  10. 10Susan212,016
  11. 11Betty194,623
  12. 12Carolyn181,858
  13. 13Margaret173,028
  14. 14Shirley171,780
  15. 15Judy167,719
  16. 16Karen167,700
  17. 17Donna165,523
  18. 18Kathleen152,981
  19. 19Joyce151,494
  20. 20Dorothy132,257
  21. 21Janet130,755
  22. 22Diane122,878
  23. 23Janice118,893
  24. 24Joan117,708
  25. 25Elizabeth116,551
  26. 26Brenda112,415
  27. 27Gloria105,055
  28. 28Virginia99,000
  29. 29Marilyn98,977
  30. 30Martha95,384
  31. 31Beverly95,122
  32. 32Helen90,742
  33. 33Bonnie86,886
  34. 34Ruth85,666
  35. 35Frances85,448
  36. 36Jean80,363
  37. 37Ann76,797
  38. 38Phyllis76,143
  39. 39Pamela73,121
  40. 40Jane72,537
  41. 41Alice72,392
  42. 42Peggy72,122
  43. 43Cheryl70,959
  44. 44Doris64,144
  45. 45Catherine62,086
  46. 46Elaine60,105
  47. 47Cynthia58,061
  48. 48Marie57,521
  49. 49Lois56,854
  50. 50Connie56,604
  51. 51Christine54,565
  52. 52Diana53,698
  53. 53Gail53,140
  54. 54Joanne51,655
  55. 55Rose51,643
  56. 56Wanda50,775
  57. 57Carole50,303
  58. 58Rita49,853
  59. 59Charlotte49,478
  60. 60Jo48,449
  61. 61Evelyn48,157
  62. 62Geraldine47,933
  63. 63Jacqueline45,559
  64. 64Ellen45,404
  65. 65Sally45,344
  66. 66Rebecca45,313
  67. 67Kathryn44,581
  68. 68Deborah44,054
  69. 69Norma43,030
  70. 70Suzanne41,405
  71. 71Anna41,282
  72. 72Sue40,943
  73. 73Darlene40,321
  74. 74Patsy40,282
  75. 75Joann40,015
  76. 76Sarah39,977
  77. 77Katherine39,912
  78. 78Paula39,044
  79. 79Annie38,714
  80. 80Louise38,665
  81. 81Roberta38,051
  82. 82Sylvia37,288
  83. 83Anne36,146
  84. 84Theresa35,789
  85. 85Sheila35,740
  86. 86Maria35,571
  87. 87Laura35,071
  88. 88Kathy34,766
  89. 89Eileen34,695
  90. 90Marcia34,397
  91. 91Rosemary34,297
  92. 92Glenda33,348
  93. 93Dolores33,099
  94. 94Mildred33,071
  95. 95Lorraine33,047
  96. 96Marjorie32,901
  97. 97Sherry32,759
  98. 98Kay32,654
  99. 99Anita32,531
  100. 100Dianne32,296

US babies given each name in the 1940s.

Boys100

  1. 1James795,775
  2. 2Robert758,126
  3. 3John711,614
  4. 4William556,478
  5. 5Richard477,476
  6. 6David426,372
  7. 7Charles361,772
  8. 8Thomas350,775
  9. 9Michael336,568
  10. 10Ronald282,489
  11. 11Larry255,908
  12. 12Donald247,834
  13. 13Joseph230,285
  14. 14Gary217,772
  15. 15George209,013
  16. 16Kenneth198,553
  17. 17Paul183,364
  18. 18Edward174,801
  19. 19Jerry167,257
  20. 20Dennis162,114
  21. 21Frank119,417
  22. 22Daniel112,778
  23. 23Raymond109,076
  24. 24Roger107,602
  25. 25Stephen106,812
  26. 26Gerald103,342
  27. 27Walter83,728
  28. 28Harold82,176
  29. 29Steven81,204
  30. 30Douglas80,760
  31. 31Lawrence80,461
  32. 32Terry76,965
  33. 33Wayne75,131
  34. 34Arthur73,968
  35. 35Jack73,919
  36. 36Carl72,739
  37. 37Henry72,488
  38. 38Willie72,422
  39. 39Bruce72,097
  40. 40Joe72,015
  41. 41Peter69,330
  42. 42Billy67,833
  43. 43Roy65,648
  44. 44Ralph64,983
  45. 45Anthony64,825
  46. 46Jimmy63,523
  47. 47Albert60,278
  48. 48Bobby58,890
  49. 49Eugene57,275
  50. 50Johnny57,200
  51. 51Fred56,665
  52. 52Harry56,245
  53. 53Howard53,530
  54. 54Mark50,731
  55. 55Alan50,302
  56. 56Louis49,430
  57. 57Philip48,735
  58. 58Patrick48,619
  59. 59Dale46,815
  60. 60Danny46,661
  61. 61Stanley46,263
  62. 62Leonard44,289
  63. 63Timothy43,503
  64. 64Gregory43,222
  65. 65Samuel43,129
  66. 66Ronnie42,456
  67. 67Norman42,164
  68. 68Ernest41,762
  69. 69Russell41,336
  70. 70Francis39,519
  71. 71Melvin39,236
  72. 72Earl39,128
  73. 73Frederick39,114
  74. 74Allen39,049
  75. 75Bill37,756
  76. 76Tommy37,046
  77. 77Phillip36,989
  78. 78Marvin36,445
  79. 79Steve36,286
  80. 80Don36,255
  81. 81Clarence36,197
  82. 82Barry36,192
  83. 83Glenn35,717
  84. 84Jim35,632
  85. 85Eddie34,807
  86. 86Mike34,645
  87. 87Andrew34,618
  88. 88Jeffrey34,340
  89. 89Leroy33,864
  90. 90Alfred31,998
  91. 91Martin31,402
  92. 92Lee30,978
  93. 93Tom29,884
  94. 94Ray29,656
  95. 95Herbert28,710
  96. 96Gene27,739
  97. 97Bernard26,446
  98. 98Theodore26,249
  99. 99Curtis26,009
  100. 100Keith25,871

US babies given each name in the 1940s.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in the 1940s?
Mary was the #1 girl name in the US in the 1940s, given to 640,080 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in the 1940s?
James was the #1 boy name in the US in the 1940s, given to 795,775 babies.

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