Most Popular Baby Names of the 1940s

The top U.S. baby names across the 1940s (1940–1949), totaled over the whole decade. The decade's #1 names were Mary for girls and James for boys.

Girls — Top 50

#NameBabies
1Mary640,070
2Linda531,658
3Barbara425,267
4Patricia411,412
5Carol292,330
6Sandra265,536
7Nancy252,058
8Sharon221,236
9Judith218,035
10Susan212,014
11Betty194,622
12Carolyn181,855
13Margaret173,025
14Shirley171,780
15Judy167,718
16Karen167,699
17Donna165,523
18Kathleen152,981
19Joyce151,493
20Dorothy132,255
21Janet130,754
22Diane122,877
23Janice118,892
24Joan117,708
25Elizabeth116,551
26Brenda112,414
27Gloria105,054
28Virginia98,998
29Marilyn98,977
30Martha95,386
31Beverly95,124
32Helen90,742
33Bonnie86,886
34Ruth85,664
35Frances85,447
36Jean80,364
37Ann76,797
38Phyllis76,142
39Pamela73,121
40Jane72,537
41Alice72,392
42Peggy72,121
43Cheryl70,959
44Doris64,142
45Catherine62,086
46Elaine60,104
47Cynthia58,060
48Marie57,521
49Lois56,854
50Connie56,604

Boys — Top 50

#NameBabies
1James795,767
2Robert758,115
3John711,600
4William556,469
5Richard477,472
6David426,365
7Charles361,760
8Thomas350,771
9Michael336,564
10Ronald282,478
11Larry255,907
12Donald247,829
13Joseph230,281
14Gary217,769
15George209,005
16Kenneth198,551
17Paul183,356
18Edward174,798
19Jerry167,250
20Dennis162,113
21Frank119,420
22Daniel112,776
23Raymond109,070
24Roger107,597
25Stephen106,810
26Gerald103,342
27Walter83,726
28Harold82,177
29Steven81,205
30Douglas80,757
31Lawrence80,459
32Terry76,966
33Wayne75,130
34Arthur73,966
35Jack73,920
36Carl72,739
37Henry72,486
38Willie72,419
39Bruce72,096
40Joe72,013
41Peter69,328
42Billy67,831
43Roy65,645
44Ralph64,980
45Anthony64,824
46Jimmy63,522
47Albert60,276
48Bobby58,890
49Eugene57,273
50Johnny57,199