Most Popular Baby Names of 1940
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1940 in the US: 56,216 girls were named Mary and 62,481 boys were named James, about 1 in 20 girls and 1 in 19 boys born that year. It was Mary's 61st year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and James took #1 for boys from Robert.
Social Security records list 1,143,528 girls and 1,159,172 boys born in 1940, with 5,026 different girl names and 3,936 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1939
- Linda and Sandra joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1939.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Brenda (#86 to #42), Rebecca (#134 to #96) and Connie (#111 to #88).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Franklin (#106 to #87), Stephen (#65 to #49) and Phillip (#92 to #79).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Thelma (#88 to #101) and Floyd (#94 to #103).
- 183 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1940
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1939, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1940
| # | Name | Babies | In 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 56,216 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 36,736 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 32,665 | #3 |
| 4 | Judith | 22,385 | #8 |
| 5 | Betty | 22,077 | #4 |
| 6 | Carol | 21,759 | #6 |
| 7 | Nancy | 19,737 | #7 |
| 8 | Linda | 18,370 | #15 |
| 9 | Shirley | 17,881 | #5 |
| 10 | Sandra | 16,153 | #13 |
| 11 | Margaret | 15,063 | #10 |
| 12 | Dorothy | 14,875 | #9 |
| 13 | Joyce | 14,801 | #12 |
| 14 | Joan | 13,292 | #11 |
| 15 | Carolyn | 12,657 | #14 |
| 16 | Judy | 11,382 | #28 |
| 17 | Sharon | 11,121 | #23 |
| 18 | Helen | 10,203 | #16 |
| 19 | Janet | 10,105 | #17 |
| 20 | Elizabeth | 9,955 | #18 |
| 21 | Virginia | 9,554 | #21 |
| 22 | Janice | 9,318 | #24 |
| 23 | Donna | 9,232 | #20 |
| 24 | Ruth | 8,888 | #22 |
| 25 | Marilyn | 8,704 | #19 |
| 26 | Martha | 8,695 | #27 |
| 27 | Beverly | 8,657 | #25 |
| 28 | Frances | 8,621 | #26 |
| 29 | Jean | 8,063 | #32 |
| 30 | Gloria | 8,026 | #36 |
| 31 | Doris | 7,767 | #29 |
| 32 | Alice | 7,603 | #31 |
| 33 | Phyllis | 7,416 | #30 |
| 34 | Karen | 7,283 | #39 |
| 35 | Ann | 7,196 | #33 |
| 36 | Susan | 6,756 | #44 |
| 37 | Peggy | 6,128 | #34 |
| 38 | Lois | 6,125 | #35 |
| 39 | Bonnie | 5,957 | #61 |
| 40 | Kathleen | 5,697 | #48 |
| 41 | Marie | 5,542 | #37 |
| 42 | Brenda | 5,442 | #86 |
| 43 | Norma | 5,334 | #38 |
| 44 | Rose | 5,198 | #42 |
| 45 | Diane | 5,172 | #51 |
| 46 | Geraldine | 5,150 | #41 |
| 47 | Jane | 5,091 | #46 |
| 48 | Evelyn | 4,982 | #40 |
| 49 | Carole | 4,790 | #47 |
| 50 | Elaine | 4,782 | #45 |
| 51 | Anna | 4,717 | #43 |
| 52 | Wanda | 4,708 | #50 |
| 53 | Catherine | 4,584 | #49 |
| 54 | Joanne | 4,418 | #53 |
| 55 | Charlotte | 4,291 | #66 |
| 56 | Annie | 4,216 | #54 |
| 57 | Patsy | 4,079 | #56 |
| 58 | Mildred | 3,938 | #55 |
| 59 | Louise | 3,928 | #59 |
| 60 | Sarah | 3,869 | #68 |
| 61 | Sally | 3,803 | #52 |
| 62 | Sylvia | 3,802 | #62 |
| 63 | Joann | 3,789 | #57 |
| 64 | Marjorie | 3,681 | #60 |
| 65 | Gail | 3,621 | #73 |
| 66 | Ruby | 3,619 | #67 |
| 67 | Dolores | 3,604 | #58 |
| 68 | Eleanor | 3,584 | #63 |
| 69 | Loretta | 3,502 | #65 |
| 70 | Rita | 3,442 | #78 |
| 71 | Roberta | 3,431 | #71 |
| 72 | Jo | 3,427 | #70 |
| 73 | Irene | 3,394 | #74 |
| 74 | Ellen | 3,318 | #80 |
| 75 | Arlene | 3,257 | #69 |
| 76 | Jacqueline | 3,215 | #72 |
| 77 | Kay | 3,200 | #76 |
| 78 | Juanita | 3,174 | #77 |
| 79 | Darlene | 3,120 | #75 |
| 80 | Marlene | 3,118 | #64 |
| 81 | Sue | 3,104 | #92 |
| 82 | June | 2,949 | #83 |
| 83 | Delores | 2,929 | #79 |
| 84 | Anne | 2,897 | #85 |
| 85 | Rosemary | 2,874 | #93 |
| 86 | Edna | 2,835 | #81 |
| 87 | Anita | 2,828 | #97 |
| 88 | Connie | 2,795 | #111 |
| 89 | Josephine | 2,744 | #84 |
| 90 | Jeanette | 2,727 | #82 |
| 91 | Julia | 2,709 | #91 |
| 91 | Katherine | 2,709 | #101 |
| 93 | Wilma | 2,621 | #87 |
| 94 | Emma | 2,606 | #89 |
| 95 | Lorraine | 2,579 | #95 |
| 96 | Rebecca | 2,555 | #134 |
| 97 | Lillian | 2,525 | #99 |
| 98 | Edith | 2,510 | #102 |
| 99 | Audrey | 2,501 | #98 |
| 100 | Florence | 2,467 | #96 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1940
| # | Name | Babies | In 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 62,481 | #2 |
| 2 | Robert | 61,198 | #1 |
| 3 | John | 54,786 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 44,779 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 37,425 | #5 |
| 6 | Charles | 31,689 | #6 |
| 7 | David | 27,690 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 23,991 | #9 |
| 9 | Donald | 23,115 | #8 |
| 10 | Ronald | 20,741 | #10 |
| 11 | George | 18,315 | #11 |
| 12 | Joseph | 18,208 | #12 |
| 13 | Larry | 17,199 | #14 |
| 14 | Jerry | 15,213 | #16 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 15,132 | #13 |
| 16 | Edward | 14,405 | #15 |
| 17 | Paul | 14,097 | #17 |
| 18 | Michael | 13,228 | #18 |
| 19 | Gary | 12,573 | #21 |
| 20 | Frank | 10,595 | #20 |
| 21 | Gerald | 10,236 | #19 |
| 22 | Raymond | 9,567 | #22 |
| 23 | Harold | 8,080 | #23 |
| 24 | Dennis | 7,845 | #34 |
| 25 | Walter | 7,723 | #25 |
| 26 | Roger | 7,598 | #28 |
| 27 | Billy | 7,596 | #24 |
| 28 | Joe | 7,216 | #27 |
| 29 | Jack | 7,048 | #26 |
| 30 | Bobby | 6,882 | #29 |
| 31 | Henry | 6,822 | #31 |
| 32 | Carl | 6,752 | #30 |
| 33 | Arthur | 6,510 | #32 |
| 34 | Daniel | 6,225 | #38 |
| 35 | Willie | 6,176 | #33 |
| 36 | Lawrence | 6,173 | #36 |
| 37 | Ralph | 5,838 | #35 |
| 38 | Eugene | 5,804 | #37 |
| 39 | Wayne | 5,727 | #39 |
| 40 | Fred | 5,581 | #40 |
| 41 | Albert | 5,572 | #41 |
| 42 | Roy | 5,565 | #42 |
| 43 | Peter | 5,049 | #46 |
| 44 | Jimmy | 4,962 | #43 |
| 45 | Howard | 4,824 | #47 |
| 46 | Anthony | 4,769 | #48 |
| 47 | Harry | 4,681 | #45 |
| 48 | Norman | 4,576 | #44 |
| 49 | Stephen | 4,423 | #65 |
| 50 | Louis | 4,324 | #49 |
| 51 | Johnny | 4,006 | #62 |
| 52 | Earl | 3,944 | #50 |
| 53 | Melvin | 3,935 | #51 |
| 54 | Leonard | 3,817 | #54 |
| 55 | Bruce | 3,789 | #64 |
| 56 | Douglas | 3,732 | #58 |
| 57 | Dale | 3,699 | #59 |
| 58 | Ernest | 3,698 | #55 |
| 59 | Stanley | 3,694 | #57 |
| 60 | Philip | 3,674 | #66 |
| 61 | Francis | 3,607 | #53 |
| 62 | Don | 3,547 | #56 |
| 63 | Marvin | 3,502 | #52 |
| 64 | Clarence | 3,487 | #60 |
| 65 | Samuel | 3,364 | #63 |
| 66 | Leroy | 3,311 | #61 |
| 67 | Bill | 3,267 | #67 |
| 68 | Frederick | 3,096 | #71 |
| 69 | Alfred | 3,062 | #70 |
| 70 | Gene | 3,060 | #69 |
| 71 | Allen | 3,029 | #72 |
| 72 | Russell | 3,012 | #73 |
| 73 | Terry | 2,982 | #83 |
| 74 | Patrick | 2,883 | #79 |
| 75 | Herbert | 2,875 | #68 |
| 76 | Tommy | 2,827 | #77 |
| 77 | Ray | 2,795 | #74 |
| 78 | Jim | 2,715 | #75 |
| 79 | Phillip | 2,628 | #92 |
| 80 | Lee | 2,624 | #78 |
| 81 | Eddie | 2,576 | #81 |
| 82 | Bernard | 2,468 | #76 |
| 83 | Glenn | 2,465 | #87 |
| 84 | Andrew | 2,431 | #84 |
| 85 | Martin | 2,423 | #91 |
| 86 | Jimmie | 2,408 | #80 |
| 87 | Franklin | 2,391 | #106 |
| 88 | Alan | 2,377 | #85 |
| 89 | Leon | 2,318 | #86 |
| 90 | Theodore | 2,306 | #90 |
| 91 | Gordon | 2,296 | #82 |
| 92 | Tom | 2,287 | #97 |
| 93 | Jesse | 2,205 | #99 |
| 94 | Clifford | 2,185 | #88 |
| 95 | Jerome | 2,178 | #93 |
| 96 | Edwin | 2,116 | #96 |
| 97 | Curtis | 2,103 | #98 |
| 98 | Harvey | 2,088 | #102 |
| 99 | Bob | 2,082 | #89 |
| 100 | Lloyd | 2,067 | #95 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1939, or the year after, 1941, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.