Most Popular Baby Names of 1941
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1941 in the US: 58,048 girls were named Mary and 66,751 boys were named James, about 1 in 21 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 62nd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was James's 2nd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,208,119 girls and 1,228,318 boys born in 1941, with 5,083 different girl names and 4,001 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1940
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1940; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1940.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Diana (#117 to #100), Kathryn (#103 to #87) and Karen (#34 to #19).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Steven (#119 to #90), Ronnie (#101 to #79) and Barry (#109 to #91).
- 5 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Edith (#98 to #103) and Jerome (#95 to #101).
- 177 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1941
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1940, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1941
| # | Name | Babies | In 1940 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 58,048 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 39,543 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 36,905 | #3 |
| 4 | Carol | 24,187 | #6 |
| 5 | Linda | 23,721 | #8 |
| 6 | Judith | 23,320 | #4 |
| 7 | Betty | 20,905 | #5 |
| 8 | Nancy | 20,885 | #7 |
| 9 | Sandra | 19,500 | #10 |
| 10 | Shirley | 16,954 | #9 |
| 11 | Carolyn | 16,273 | #15 |
| 12 | Margaret | 15,696 | #11 |
| 13 | Joyce | 15,684 | #13 |
| 14 | Dorothy | 14,566 | #12 |
| 15 | Sharon | 14,272 | #17 |
| 16 | Judy | 13,968 | #16 |
| 17 | Joan | 13,380 | #14 |
| 18 | Janet | 11,136 | #19 |
| 19 | Karen | 10,831 | #34 |
| 20 | Donna | 10,446 | #23 |
| 21 | Elizabeth | 10,267 | #20 |
| 22 | Janice | 10,061 | #22 |
| 23 | Virginia | 10,043 | #21 |
| 24 | Helen | 9,887 | #18 |
| 25 | Martha | 9,156 | #26 |
| 26 | Gloria | 9,008 | #30 |
| 27 | Susan | 8,889 | #36 |
| 28 | Ruth | 8,863 | #24 |
| 29 | Beverly | 8,727 | #27 |
| 30 | Marilyn | 8,556 | #25 |
| 31 | Frances | 8,468 | #28 |
| 32 | Jean | 7,840 | #29 |
| 33 | Bonnie | 7,762 | #39 |
| 34 | Alice | 7,445 | #32 |
| 35 | Phyllis | 7,346 | #33 |
| 36 | Kathleen | 7,160 | #40 |
| 37 | Ann | 7,121 | #35 |
| 38 | Doris | 7,081 | #31 |
| 39 | Peggy | 6,561 | #37 |
| 40 | Diane | 6,427 | #45 |
| 41 | Brenda | 6,332 | #42 |
| 42 | Marie | 6,152 | #41 |
| 43 | Lois | 6,105 | #38 |
| 44 | Elaine | 5,376 | #50 |
| 45 | Geraldine | 5,229 | #46 |
| 46 | Jane | 5,090 | #47 |
| 47 | Norma | 5,021 | #43 |
| 48 | Carole | 4,966 | #49 |
| 49 | Rose | 4,955 | #44 |
| 50 | Evelyn | 4,928 | #48 |
| 51 | Catherine | 4,884 | #53 |
| 52 | Patsy | 4,788 | #57 |
| 53 | Wanda | 4,735 | #52 |
| 54 | Joanne | 4,665 | #54 |
| 55 | Charlotte | 4,564 | #55 |
| 56 | Anna | 4,432 | #51 |
| 57 | Dolores | 4,384 | #67 |
| 58 | Joann | 4,275 | #63 |
| 59 | Annie | 4,073 | #56 |
| 60 | Sarah | 3,982 | #60 |
| 61 | Sally | 3,965 | #61 |
| 62 | Louise | 3,910 | #59 |
| 63 | Rita | 3,879 | #70 |
| 64 | Mildred | 3,846 | #58 |
| 65 | Sylvia | 3,788 | #62 |
| 66 | Jo | 3,757 | #72 |
| 67 | Ellen | 3,664 | #74 |
| 68 | Gail | 3,609 | #65 |
| 69 | Ruby | 3,581 | #66 |
| 70 | Kay | 3,538 | #77 |
| 71 | Marjorie | 3,517 | #64 |
| 72 | Roberta | 3,396 | #71 |
| 73 | Jacqueline | 3,388 | #76 |
| 74 | Irene | 3,370 | #73 |
| 75 | Sue | 3,359 | #81 |
| 76 | Darlene | 3,344 | #79 |
| 77 | Arlene | 3,291 | #75 |
| 78 | Eleanor | 3,250 | #68 |
| 79 | Connie | 3,205 | #88 |
| 80 | Delores | 3,160 | #83 |
| 81 | Loretta | 3,100 | #69 |
| 82 | Anne | 3,096 | #84 |
| 83 | Marlene | 3,068 | #80 |
| 84 | Juanita | 3,044 | #78 |
| 85 | Katherine | 3,004 | #91 |
| 86 | Rebecca | 2,924 | #96 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 2,869 | #103 |
| 88 | Julia | 2,844 | #91 |
| 89 | Edna | 2,835 | #86 |
| 90 | June | 2,766 | #82 |
| 91 | Anita | 2,740 | #87 |
| 92 | Josephine | 2,726 | #89 |
| 93 | Lorraine | 2,688 | #95 |
| 94 | Rosemary | 2,677 | #85 |
| 95 | Theresa | 2,675 | #102 |
| 96 | Glenda | 2,643 | #107 |
| 97 | Suzanne | 2,611 | #109 |
| 98 | Jeanette | 2,596 | #90 |
| 99 | Emma | 2,546 | #94 |
| 100 | Diana | 2,544 | #117 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1941
| # | Name | Babies | In 1940 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 66,751 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 64,247 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 57,520 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 47,798 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 39,112 | #5 |
| 6 | Charles | 32,742 | #6 |
| 7 | David | 30,553 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 26,641 | #8 |
| 9 | Ronald | 24,407 | #10 |
| 10 | Donald | 22,641 | #9 |
| 11 | Larry | 20,134 | #13 |
| 12 | Joseph | 19,808 | #12 |
| 13 | George | 19,260 | #11 |
| 14 | Jerry | 16,799 | #14 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 16,143 | #15 |
| 16 | Michael | 15,935 | #18 |
| 17 | Edward | 15,580 | #16 |
| 18 | Paul | 15,166 | #17 |
| 19 | Gary | 14,568 | #19 |
| 20 | Gerald | 10,942 | #21 |
| 21 | Frank | 10,795 | #20 |
| 22 | Raymond | 9,951 | #22 |
| 23 | Dennis | 9,562 | #24 |
| 24 | Harold | 8,102 | #23 |
| 25 | Roger | 8,095 | #26 |
| 26 | Walter | 7,745 | #25 |
| 27 | Billy | 7,655 | #27 |
| 28 | Henry | 7,165 | #31 |
| 29 | Carl | 7,160 | #32 |
| 30 | Joe | 7,158 | #28 |
| 31 | Daniel | 7,050 | #34 |
| 32 | Jack | 6,950 | #29 |
| 33 | Arthur | 6,739 | #33 |
| 34 | Lawrence | 6,653 | #36 |
| 35 | Bobby | 6,589 | #30 |
| 36 | Willie | 6,526 | #35 |
| 37 | Wayne | 6,112 | #39 |
| 38 | Ralph | 6,040 | #37 |
| 39 | Roy | 5,950 | #42 |
| 40 | Albert | 5,927 | #41 |
| 41 | Stephen | 5,811 | #49 |
| 42 | Eugene | 5,754 | #38 |
| 43 | Fred | 5,619 | #40 |
| 44 | Peter | 5,607 | #43 |
| 45 | Jimmy | 5,336 | #44 |
| 46 | Anthony | 5,239 | #46 |
| 47 | Howard | 5,067 | #45 |
| 48 | Harry | 5,056 | #47 |
| 49 | Norman | 4,459 | #48 |
| 50 | Louis | 4,447 | #50 |
| 51 | Bruce | 4,302 | #55 |
| 52 | Philip | 4,166 | #60 |
| 53 | Douglas | 4,146 | #56 |
| 54 | Leonard | 3,986 | #54 |
| 55 | Johnny | 3,983 | #51 |
| 56 | Melvin | 3,951 | #53 |
| 57 | Stanley | 3,926 | #59 |
| 58 | Earl | 3,806 | #52 |
| 59 | Dale | 3,791 | #57 |
| 60 | Francis | 3,738 | #61 |
| 61 | Ernest | 3,726 | #58 |
| 62 | Clarence | 3,671 | #64 |
| 63 | Marvin | 3,626 | #63 |
| 64 | Terry | 3,606 | #73 |
| 65 | Samuel | 3,538 | #65 |
| 66 | Don | 3,533 | #62 |
| 67 | Leroy | 3,524 | #66 |
| 68 | Bill | 3,453 | #67 |
| 69 | Frederick | 3,288 | #68 |
| 70 | Patrick | 3,155 | #74 |
| 71 | Tommy | 3,087 | #76 |
| 72 | Gene | 3,073 | #70 |
| 73 | Allen | 3,060 | #71 |
| 74 | Alfred | 3,052 | #69 |
| 75 | Russell | 3,032 | #72 |
| 76 | Herbert | 2,964 | #75 |
| 77 | Phillip | 2,871 | #79 |
| 78 | Eddie | 2,850 | #81 |
| 79 | Ronnie | 2,848 | #101 |
| 80 | Jim | 2,843 | #78 |
| 81 | Lee | 2,742 | #80 |
| 82 | Andrew | 2,708 | #84 |
| 83 | Ray | 2,695 | #77 |
| 84 | Alan | 2,624 | #88 |
| 85 | Martin | 2,605 | #85 |
| 86 | Glenn | 2,523 | #83 |
| 87 | Bernard | 2,509 | #82 |
| 88 | Tom | 2,500 | #92 |
| 89 | Jimmie | 2,473 | #86 |
| 90 | Steven | 2,468 | #119 |
| 91 | Barry | 2,465 | #109 |
| 92 | Gordon | 2,404 | #91 |
| 93 | Leon | 2,375 | #89 |
| 94 | Clifford | 2,363 | #94 |
| 95 | Theodore | 2,330 | #90 |
| 96 | Lloyd | 2,252 | #100 |
| 97 | Edwin | 2,214 | #96 |
| 98 | Franklin | 2,205 | #87 |
| 99 | Jesse | 2,184 | #93 |
| 100 | Curtis | 2,164 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1940, or the year after, 1942, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.