Top Names of 1940

The most popular names recorded in 1940 were Mary for girls and James for boys. Full top-50 lists below, from official SSA data.

Girls

#NameBabies
1Mary56,214
2Barbara36,735
3Patricia32,667
4Judith22,385
5Betty22,077
6Carol21,759
7Nancy19,737
8Linda18,369
9Shirley17,880
10Sandra16,154
11Margaret15,062
12Dorothy14,875
13Joyce14,802
14Joan13,292
15Carolyn12,657
16Judy11,383
17Sharon11,120
18Helen10,203
19Janet10,105
20Elizabeth9,956
21Virginia9,554
22Janice9,318
23Donna9,232
24Ruth8,887
25Marilyn8,703
26Martha8,695
27Beverly8,658
28Frances8,621
29Jean8,064
30Gloria8,026
31Doris7,767
32Alice7,603
33Phyllis7,416
34Karen7,283
35Ann7,196
36Susan6,756
37Peggy6,128
38Lois6,124
39Bonnie5,957
40Kathleen5,697
41Marie5,542
42Brenda5,442
43Norma5,334
44Rose5,198
45Diane5,172
46Geraldine5,150
47Jane5,092
48Evelyn4,982
49Carole4,790
50Elaine4,782

Boys

#NameBabies
1James62,481
2Robert61,194
3John54,784
4William44,781
5Richard37,425
6Charles31,690
7David27,691
8Thomas23,992
9Donald23,113
10Ronald20,740
11George18,313
12Joseph18,207
13Larry17,200
14Jerry15,213
15Kenneth15,131
16Edward14,404
17Paul14,097
18Michael13,228
19Gary12,573
20Frank10,596
21Gerald10,237
22Raymond9,568
23Harold8,078
24Dennis7,845
25Walter7,723
26Roger7,597
27Billy7,596
28Joe7,216
29Jack7,049
30Bobby6,882
31Henry6,822
32Carl6,752
33Arthur6,510
34Daniel6,225
35Willie6,175
36Lawrence6,173
37Ralph5,838
38Eugene5,802
39Wayne5,727
40Fred5,582
41Albert5,571
42Roy5,564
43Peter5,049
44Jimmy4,962
45Howard4,824
46Anthony4,769
47Harry4,681
48Norman4,576
49Stephen4,422
50Louis4,324