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Top baby names of 1946

One birth year · Mary · James lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in 1946, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. See also the whole 1940s. Then see which names rose and fell after 1946 and what is climbing now.

19451947Compare two names
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The 1946 lists

Girls100

  1. 1Mary67,471
  2. 2Linda52,710
  3. 3Patricia46,297
  4. 4Barbara45,126
  5. 5Carol34,284
  6. 6Sandra31,692
  7. 7Nancy28,345
  8. 8Susan28,267
  9. 9Sharon27,824
  10. 10Judith22,310
  11. 11Judy20,477
  12. 12Carolyn19,902
  13. 13Donna19,770
  14. 14Betty19,711
  15. 15Karen19,647
  16. 16Kathleen18,760
  17. 17Margaret18,136
  18. 18Shirley17,870
  19. 19Diane15,835
  20. 20Joyce15,209
  21. 21Janet14,142
  22. 22Janice14,039
  23. 23Dorothy12,797
  24. 24Brenda12,690
  25. 25Elizabeth11,753
  26. 26Gloria11,686
  27. 27Cheryl11,526
  28. 28Joan11,218
  29. 29Marilyn10,711
  30. 30Beverly10,430
  31. 31Virginia10,015
  32. 32Martha9,759
  33. 33Bonnie9,510
  34. 34Pamela9,367
  35. 35Jane8,971
  36. 36Helen8,852
  37. 37Jean8,554
  38. 38Ruth8,474
  39. 39Frances8,450
  40. 40Ann8,077
  41. 41Phyllis8,048
  42. 42Diana7,544
  43. 43Peggy7,400
  44. 44Alice7,363
  45. 45Connie7,215
  46. 46Cynthia6,895
  47. 47Elaine6,803
  48. 48Catherine6,367
  49. 49Gail6,227
  50. 50Christine6,202
  51. 51Doris5,987
  52. 52Suzanne5,948
  53. 53Jo5,828
  54. 54Marie5,758
  55. 55Lois5,700
  56. 56Rita5,533
  57. 57Joanne5,506
  58. 58Ellen5,237
  59. 59Wanda5,235
  60. 60Rose5,183
  61. 61Sue5,144
  62. 62Jacqueline5,083
  63. 63Kathryn4,999
  64. 64Charlotte4,970
  65. 65Evelyn4,890
  66. 66Geraldine4,849
  67. 67Sally4,842
  68. 68Rebecca4,840
  69. 69Paula4,724
  70. 70Sheila4,706
  71. 71Darlene4,662
  72. 72Carole4,621
  73. 73Sherry4,518
  74. 74Rosemary4,486
  75. 75Laura4,478
  76. 76Dianne4,278
  77. 77Norma4,266
  78. 78Katherine4,197
  79. 79Kathy4,179
  80. 80Eileen4,168
  81. 81Anne4,115
  82. 82Sylvia4,093
  83. 83Jeanne4,045
  84. 84Anita4,027
  85. 85Patsy4,017
  86. 86Roberta4,016
  87. 87Anna3,999
  88. 88Maria3,960
  89. 89Marcia3,946
  90. 90Joann3,945
  91. 91Louise3,925
  92. 92Sarah3,910
  93. 93Lorraine3,886
  94. 94Lynn3,884
  95. 95Maureen3,684
  96. 96Theresa3,684
  97. 97Annie3,651
  98. 98Marsha3,611
  99. 99Glenda3,568
  100. 100Constance3,419

US babies given each name in 1946.

Boys100

  1. 1James87,438
  2. 2Robert84,136
  3. 3John79,267
  4. 4William60,034
  5. 5Richard58,870
  6. 6David46,444
  7. 7Michael41,194
  8. 8Thomas38,877
  9. 9Charles38,215
  10. 10Ronald31,858
  11. 11Larry28,447
  12. 12Gary26,931
  13. 13Donald26,273
  14. 14Joseph24,284
  15. 15Kenneth22,042
  16. 16George21,575
  17. 17Dennis21,447
  18. 18Paul21,063
  19. 19Edward18,585
  20. 20Jerry17,567
  21. 21Daniel12,867
  22. 22Frank12,667
  23. 23Roger12,411
  24. 24Stephen11,832
  25. 25Raymond11,289
  26. 26Terry10,678
  27. 27Gerald10,033
  28. 28Steven8,878
  29. 29Wayne8,807
  30. 30Walter8,668
  31. 31Lawrence8,517
  32. 32Bruce8,459
  33. 33Harold8,373
  34. 34Douglas8,336
  35. 35Jack7,801
  36. 36Arthur7,537
  37. 37Joe7,536
  38. 38Peter7,483
  39. 39Carl7,380
  40. 40Willie7,339
  41. 41Henry7,317
  42. 42Jimmy7,128
  43. 43Roy6,925
  44. 44Anthony6,771
  45. 45Billy6,716
  46. 46Danny6,650
  47. 47Johnny6,611
  48. 48Ralph6,587
  49. 49Alan6,490
  50. 50Harry6,027
  51. 51Fred6,012
  52. 52Albert6,007
  53. 53Bobby5,771
  54. 54Ronnie5,727
  55. 55Howard5,694
  56. 56Gregory5,672
  57. 57Eugene5,670
  58. 58Mark5,331
  59. 59Patrick5,305
  60. 60Timothy5,152
  61. 61Philip5,093
  62. 62Dale5,024
  63. 63Louis4,918
  64. 64Mike4,854
  65. 65Stanley4,767
  66. 66Russell4,741
  67. 67Leonard4,704
  68. 68Barry4,624
  69. 69Steve4,570
  70. 70Samuel4,523
  71. 71Ernest4,395
  72. 72Bill4,354
  73. 73Jim4,336
  74. 74Allen4,294
  75. 75Frederick4,231
  76. 76Norman4,161
  77. 77Tommy4,144
  78. 78Jeffrey4,125
  79. 79Don4,110
  80. 80Francis4,006
  81. 81Glenn3,892
  82. 82Earl3,830
  83. 83Phillip3,775
  84. 84Andrew3,758
  85. 85Eddie3,746
  86. 86Melvin3,742
  87. 87Tom3,624
  88. 88Marvin3,600
  89. 89Clarence3,567
  90. 90Leroy3,472
  91. 91Lee3,346
  92. 92Martin3,333
  93. 93Rodney3,304
  94. 94Alfred3,238
  95. 95Ray3,169
  96. 96Keith2,860
  97. 97Herbert2,818
  98. 98Gene2,759
  99. 99Curtis2,723
  100. 100Clifford2,616

US babies given each name in 1946.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in 1946?
Mary was the #1 girl name in the US in 1946, given to 67,471 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in 1946?
James was the #1 boy name in the US in 1946, given to 87,438 babies.

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