Top names of the 1940s
The following table shows the 200 most popular given names for male and female
babies born during the 1940s. For each rank and sex, the table shows
the name and the number of occurrences of that name. The 200 most popular names
were taken from a universe that includes 15,157,029 male births and
14,894,724 female births
Males | Females | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | Name | Number | Name | Number |
1 | James | 795,753 | Mary | 640,066 |
2 | Robert | 758,091 | Linda | 531,653 |
3 | John | 711,578 | Barbara | 425,261 |
4 | William | 556,446 | Patricia | 411,412 |
5 | Richard | 477,458 | Carol | 292,328 |
6 | David | 426,349 | Sandra | 265,536 |
7 | Charles | 361,747 | Nancy | 252,054 |
8 | Thomas | 350,760 | Sharon | 221,230 |
9 | Michael | 336,559 | Judith | 218,033 |
10 | Ronald | 282,458 | Susan | 212,013 |
11 | Larry | 255,899 | Betty | 194,622 |
12 | Donald | 247,820 | Carolyn | 181,852 |
13 | Joseph | 230,273 | Margaret | 173,023 |
14 | Gary | 217,762 | Shirley | 171,777 |
15 | George | 209,000 | Judy | 167,716 |
16 | Kenneth | 198,542 | Karen | 167,700 |
17 | Paul | 183,342 | Donna | 165,523 |
18 | Edward | 174,789 | Kathleen | 152,980 |
19 | Jerry | 167,244 | Joyce | 151,493 |
20 | Dennis | 162,109 | Dorothy | 132,255 |
21 | Frank | 119,417 | Janet | 130,755 |
22 | Daniel | 112,771 | Diane | 122,877 |
23 | Raymond | 109,067 | Janice | 118,892 |
24 | Roger | 107,597 | Joan | 117,706 |
25 | Stephen | 106,803 | Elizabeth | 116,543 |
26 | Gerald | 103,340 | Brenda | 112,410 |
27 | Walter | 83,727 | Gloria | 105,049 |
28 | Harold | 82,172 | Virginia | 98,998 |
29 | Steven | 81,205 | Marilyn | 98,975 |
30 | Douglas | 80,758 | Martha | 95,383 |
31 | Lawrence | 80,453 | Beverly | 95,121 |
32 | Terry | 76,967 | Helen | 90,740 |
33 | Wayne | 75,125 | Bonnie | 86,886 |
34 | Arthur | 73,966 | Ruth | 85,662 |
35 | Jack | 73,921 | Frances | 85,443 |
36 | Carl | 72,733 | Jean | 80,367 |
37 | Henry | 72,481 | Ann | 76,794 |
38 | Willie | 72,415 | Phyllis | 76,138 |
39 | Bruce | 72,094 | Pamela | 73,120 |
40 | Joe | 72,013 | Jane | 72,536 |
41 | Peter | 69,329 | Alice | 72,391 |
42 | Billy | 67,827 | Peggy | 72,121 |
43 | Roy | 65,642 | Cheryl | 70,959 |
44 | Ralph | 64,974 | Doris | 64,140 |
45 | Anthony | 64,825 | Catherine | 62,082 |
46 | Jimmy | 63,522 | Elaine | 60,103 |
47 | Albert | 60,275 | Cynthia | 58,060 |
48 | Bobby | 58,889 | Marie | 57,519 |
49 | Eugene | 57,269 | Lois | 56,854 |
50 | Johnny | 57,196 | Connie | 56,601 |
51 | Fred | 56,666 | Christine | 54,562 |
52 | Harry | 56,244 | Diana | 53,697 |
53 | Howard | 53,528 | Gail | 53,140 |
54 | Mark | 50,729 | Joanne | 51,653 |
55 | Alan | 50,303 | Rose | 51,640 |
56 | Louis | 49,425 | Wanda | 50,775 |
57 | Philip | 48,731 | Carole | 50,304 |
58 | Patrick | 48,616 | Rita | 49,852 |
59 | Dale | 46,809 | Charlotte | 49,478 |
60 | Danny | 46,655 | Jo | 48,447 |
61 | Stanley | 46,263 | Evelyn | 48,158 |
62 | Leonard | 44,284 | Geraldine | 47,933 |
63 | Timothy | 43,504 | Jacqueline | 45,557 |
64 | Gregory | 43,223 | Ellen | 45,406 |
65 | Samuel | 43,126 | Sally | 45,343 |
66 | Ronnie | 42,455 | Rebecca | 45,311 |
67 | Norman | 42,163 | Kathryn | 44,581 |
68 | Ernest | 41,760 | Deborah | 44,055 |
69 | Russell | 41,331 | Norma | 43,030 |
70 | Francis | 39,517 | Suzanne | 41,404 |
71 | Melvin | 39,232 | Anna | 41,280 |
72 | Earl | 39,124 | Sue | 40,943 |
73 | Frederick | 39,111 | Darlene | 40,321 |
74 | Allen | 39,049 | Patsy | 40,278 |
75 | Bill | 37,756 | Joann | 40,016 |
76 | Tommy | 37,043 | Sarah | 39,975 |
77 | Phillip | 36,988 | Katherine | 39,911 |
78 | Marvin | 36,442 | Paula | 39,046 |
79 | Steve | 36,284 | Annie | 38,714 |
80 | Don | 36,253 | Louise | 38,663 |
81 | Clarence | 36,197 | Roberta | 38,049 |
82 | Barry | 36,190 | Sylvia | 37,285 |
83 | Glenn | 35,714 | Anne | 36,145 |
84 | Jim | 35,631 | Theresa | 35,789 |
85 | Eddie | 34,805 | Sheila | 35,741 |
86 | Mike | 34,643 | Maria | 35,569 |
87 | Andrew | 34,618 | Laura | 35,070 |
88 | Jeffrey | 34,339 | Kathy | 34,765 |
89 | Leroy | 33,859 | Eileen | 34,694 |
90 | Alfred | 31,994 | Marcia | 34,394 |
91 | Martin | 31,403 | Rosemary | 34,296 |
92 | Lee | 30,977 | Glenda | 33,348 |
93 | Tom | 29,884 | Dolores | 33,099 |
94 | Ray | 29,653 | Mildred | 33,069 |
95 | Herbert | 28,705 | Lorraine | 33,046 |
96 | Gene | 27,739 | Marjorie | 32,901 |
97 | Bernard | 26,445 | Sherry | 32,757 |
98 | Theodore | 26,246 | Kay | 32,653 |
99 | Curtis | 26,004 | Anita | 32,528 |
100 | Keith | 25,870 | Dianne | 32,295 |
101 | Clifford | 25,819 | Ruby | 31,871 |
102 | Rodney | 24,845 | Irene | 31,819 |
103 | Gordon | 24,467 | Juanita | 30,445 |
104 | Jimmie | 24,360 | Maureen | 30,261 |
105 | Jesse | 24,336 | Loretta | 30,119 |
106 | Vincent | 23,897 | Jeanne | 30,115 |
107 | Warren | 23,738 | Constance | 29,911 |
108 | Lloyd | 23,601 | Lynn | 29,387 |
109 | Leon | 23,577 | Marlene | 29,293 |
110 | Jerome | 23,110 | Arlene | 29,093 |
111 | Edwin | 22,973 | Delores | 28,503 |
112 | Brian | 22,792 | Lynda | 27,951 |
113 | Victor | 22,520 | Julia | 27,892 |
114 | Bob | 21,376 | Marsha | 27,415 |
115 | Floyd | 20,995 | Charlene | 26,782 |
116 | Lewis | 20,930 | June | 25,167 |
117 | Harvey | 20,762 | Jeanette | 24,728 |
118 | Alvin | 20,715 | Edna | 24,699 |
119 | Clyde | 20,707 | Josephine | 24,323 |
120 | Craig | 20,290 | Eleanor | 23,760 |
121 | Vernon | 20,038 | Yvonne | 23,673 |
122 | Leslie | 19,388 | Vicki | 23,493 |
123 | Franklin | 19,311 | Vivian | 22,913 |
124 | Calvin | 19,241 | Emma | 22,788 |
125 | Jon | 19,034 | Georgia | 22,393 |
126 | Jay | 18,656 | Lillian | 22,311 |
127 | Charlie | 18,263 | Edith | 22,149 |
128 | Darrell | 18,226 | Pauline | 21,912 |
129 | Jackie | 18,124 | Wilma | 21,192 |
130 | Dan | 18,017 | Victoria | 20,752 |
131 | Allan | 17,829 | Ethel | 20,582 |
132 | Randall | 17,775 | Lucille | 20,453 |
133 | Joel | 17,424 | Florence | 20,394 |
134 | Gilbert | 17,351 | Sara | 20,275 |
135 | Benjamin | 17,184 | Margie | 20,260 |
136 | Lester | 17,080 | Thelma | 20,230 |
137 | Duane | 17,070 | Clara | 20,029 |
138 | Leo | 16,961 | Audrey | 19,718 |
139 | Tony | 16,961 | Grace | 19,370 |
140 | Herman | 16,853 | Teresa | 19,330 |
141 | Jose | 16,818 | Annette | 19,178 |
142 | Glen | 16,550 | Claudia | 19,174 |
143 | Johnnie | 16,420 | Gladys | 19,062 |
144 | Dean | 16,355 | Julie | 19,036 |
145 | Arnold | 16,037 | Marion | 18,491 |
146 | Lonnie | 15,900 | Gwendolyn | 18,343 |
147 | Christopher | 15,866 | Priscilla | 18,123 |
148 | Nicholas | 15,506 | Willie | 18,098 |
149 | Freddie | 15,376 | Esther | 17,638 |
150 | Chester | 15,285 | Eva | 17,562 |
151 | Eric | 15,188 | Andrea | 17,061 |
152 | Milton | 14,879 | Maryann | 17,052 |
153 | Cecil | 14,837 | Bernice | 17,030 |
154 | Lynn | 14,202 | Rosa | 16,795 |
155 | Manuel | 14,187 | Hazel | 16,657 |
156 | Randy | 14,165 | Billie | 16,370 |
157 | Roland | 13,091 | Bertha | 16,225 |
158 | Ted | 13,027 | Gayle | 16,198 |
159 | Dwight | 12,864 | Bobbie | 16,197 |
160 | Claude | 12,817 | Pat | 16,150 |
161 | Wesley | 12,465 | Maxine | 16,071 |
162 | Neil | 12,427 | Marian | 16,041 |
163 | Sam | 12,350 | Ella | 15,976 |
164 | Scott | 12,161 | Paulette | 15,901 |
165 | Dave | 11,740 | Joy | 15,565 |
166 | Wallace | 11,464 | Beatrice | 15,561 |
167 | Kevin | 11,272 | Cathy | 15,550 |
168 | Hugh | 10,993 | Lillie | 15,357 |
169 | Donnie | 10,986 | Janis | 14,862 |
170 | Elmer | 10,878 | Leslie | 14,855 |
171 | Micheal | 10,619 | Ida | 14,293 |
172 | Willard | 10,601 | Lynne | 14,236 |
173 | Juan | 10,556 | Deanna | 13,739 |
174 | Maurice | 10,478 | Faye | 13,710 |
175 | Jessie | 10,320 | Terry | 13,699 |
176 | Garry | 10,319 | Valerie | 13,694 |
177 | Marshall | 10,240 | Emily | 13,409 |
178 | Oscar | 10,186 | Rachel | 13,409 |
179 | Edgar | 9,805 | Lucy | 13,128 |
180 | Karl | 9,723 | Janie | 13,119 |
181 | Marion | 9,668 | Penny | 13,113 |
182 | Sidney | 9,610 | Jackie | 13,090 |
183 | Stuart | 9,526 | Harriet | 12,924 |
184 | Nathaniel | 9,490 | Regina | 12,713 |
185 | Alexander | 9,478 | Rosalie | 12,587 |
186 | Sammy | 9,360 | Alma | 12,401 |
187 | Everett | 9,313 | Angela | 12,259 |
188 | Benny | 9,302 | Vera | 12,189 |
189 | Guy | 8,953 | Jessie | 12,149 |
190 | Virgil | 8,949 | Marianne | 11,946 |
191 | Morris | 8,802 | Stephanie | 11,936 |
192 | Matthew | 8,761 | Jill | 11,865 |
193 | Earnest | 8,704 | Mattie | 11,781 |
194 | Lyle | 8,619 | Minnie | 11,735 |
195 | Max | 8,524 | Caroline | 11,625 |
196 | Bennie | 8,480 | Michele | 11,605 |
197 | Wendell | 8,378 | Veronica | 11,528 |
198 | Kent | 8,346 | Patty | 11,417 |
199 | Jonathan | 8,296 | Rosie | 11,404 |
200 | Fredrick | 8,231 | Stella | 11,363 |
Source: 100% sample based on Social Security card application data as of of March 2023. See the limitations of this data source. |