Most Popular Baby Names of 1942
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1942 in the US: 63,256 girls were named Mary and 77,182 boys were named James, about 1 in 21 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 63rd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was James's 3rd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,350,719 girls and 1,381,161 boys born in 1942, with 5,376 different girl names and 4,043 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1941
- Carolyn joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1941.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Eileen (#121 to #88), Diana (#100 to #68) and Sheila (#110 to #94).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Douglas (#53 to #23), Victor (#118 to #99) and Steven (#90 to #75).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Suzanne (#97 to #103) and Franklin (#98 to #103).
- 246 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1942
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1941, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1942
| # | Name | Babies | In 1941 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 63,256 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 44,739 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 39,465 | #3 |
| 4 | Linda | 31,613 | #5 |
| 5 | Carol | 30,272 | #4 |
| 6 | Sandra | 24,994 | #9 |
| 7 | Judith | 24,792 | #6 |
| 8 | Nancy | 23,327 | #8 |
| 9 | Betty | 21,659 | #7 |
| 10 | Carolyn | 19,978 | #11 |
| 11 | Sharon | 19,648 | #15 |
| 12 | Shirley | 17,750 | #10 |
| 13 | Joyce | 16,728 | #13 |
| 14 | Margaret | 16,549 | #12 |
| 15 | Judy | 15,667 | #16 |
| 16 | Karen | 15,387 | #19 |
| 17 | Dorothy | 15,037 | #14 |
| 18 | Joan | 14,514 | #17 |
| 19 | Janet | 13,065 | #18 |
| 20 | Donna | 12,987 | #20 |
| 21 | Susan | 12,015 | #27 |
| 22 | Elizabeth | 11,186 | #21 |
| 23 | Virginia | 10,803 | #23 |
| 24 | Kathleen | 10,696 | #36 |
| 25 | Janice | 10,286 | #22 |
| 26 | Helen | 10,016 | #24 |
| 27 | Marilyn | 9,906 | #30 |
| 28 | Diane | 9,551 | #40 |
| 29 | Martha | 9,513 | #25 |
| 30 | Frances | 9,471 | #31 |
| 31 | Gloria | 9,450 | #26 |
| 32 | Beverly | 9,411 | #29 |
| 33 | Ruth | 9,315 | #28 |
| 34 | Bonnie | 8,823 | #33 |
| 35 | Carole | 8,407 | #48 |
| 36 | Jean | 8,257 | #32 |
| 37 | Phyllis | 7,793 | #35 |
| 38 | Ann | 7,666 | #37 |
| 39 | Alice | 7,382 | #34 |
| 40 | Brenda | 7,241 | #41 |
| 41 | Doris | 7,176 | #38 |
| 42 | Peggy | 6,580 | #39 |
| 43 | Marie | 6,559 | #42 |
| 44 | Lois | 6,406 | #43 |
| 45 | Elaine | 5,986 | #44 |
| 46 | Jane | 5,707 | #46 |
| 47 | Geraldine | 5,437 | #45 |
| 48 | Joanne | 5,342 | #54 |
| 49 | Catherine | 5,267 | #51 |
| 50 | Rose | 5,253 | #49 |
| 51 | Charlotte | 5,022 | #55 |
| 52 | Norma | 4,971 | #47 |
| 53 | Evelyn | 4,940 | #50 |
| 54 | Wanda | 4,792 | #53 |
| 55 | Rita | 4,706 | #63 |
| 56 | Sally | 4,655 | #61 |
| 57 | Patsy | 4,559 | #52 |
| 58 | Joann | 4,506 | #58 |
| 59 | Anna | 4,488 | #56 |
| 60 | Gail | 4,445 | #68 |
| 61 | Louise | 4,343 | #62 |
| 62 | Annie | 4,293 | #59 |
| 63 | Dolores | 4,267 | #57 |
| 64 | Ellen | 4,197 | #67 |
| 65 | Jo | 4,175 | #66 |
| 66 | Roberta | 4,105 | #72 |
| 67 | Sarah | 4,100 | #60 |
| 68 | Diana | 3,857 | #100 |
| 69 | Jacqueline | 3,831 | #73 |
| 70 | Connie | 3,825 | #79 |
| 71 | Mildred | 3,808 | #64 |
| 72 | Sylvia | 3,728 | #65 |
| 73 | Sue | 3,631 | #75 |
| 74 | Marjorie | 3,625 | #71 |
| 75 | Kay | 3,622 | #70 |
| 76 | Anne | 3,526 | #82 |
| 77 | Ruby | 3,519 | #69 |
| 78 | Darlene | 3,517 | #76 |
| 79 | Loretta | 3,406 | #81 |
| 80 | Irene | 3,383 | #74 |
| 81 | Katherine | 3,376 | #85 |
| 82 | Kathryn | 3,350 | #87 |
| 83 | Arlene | 3,331 | #77 |
| 84 | Marlene | 3,253 | #83 |
| 85 | Rebecca | 3,241 | #86 |
| 86 | Delores | 3,171 | #80 |
| 87 | Eleanor | 3,165 | #78 |
| 88 | Eileen | 3,108 | #121 |
| 89 | Glenda | 3,089 | #96 |
| 90 | Juanita | 3,074 | #84 |
| 91 | Lorraine | 3,010 | #93 |
| 92 | Rosemary | 3,005 | #94 |
| 93 | Anita | 2,998 | #91 |
| 94 | Sheila | 2,973 | #110 |
| 95 | Julia | 2,906 | #88 |
| 96 | Christine | 2,900 | #101 |
| 97 | Maria | 2,817 | #102 |
| 98 | Theresa | 2,799 | #95 |
| 99 | Edna | 2,764 | #89 |
| 100 | Josephine | 2,748 | #92 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1942
| # | Name | Babies | In 1941 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 77,182 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 71,845 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 66,043 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 54,890 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 43,593 | #5 |
| 6 | David | 35,905 | #7 |
| 7 | Charles | 35,854 | #6 |
| 8 | Thomas | 31,100 | #8 |
| 9 | Ronald | 27,138 | #9 |
| 10 | Donald | 23,955 | #10 |
| 11 | Joseph | 22,429 | #12 |
| 12 | Larry | 22,099 | #11 |
| 13 | Michael | 21,728 | #16 |
| 14 | George | 21,275 | #13 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 18,210 | #15 |
| 16 | Jerry | 17,488 | #14 |
| 17 | Edward | 17,470 | #17 |
| 18 | Gary | 17,068 | #19 |
| 19 | Paul | 16,492 | #18 |
| 20 | Dennis | 13,281 | #23 |
| 21 | Frank | 12,248 | #21 |
| 22 | Gerald | 11,484 | #20 |
| 23 | Douglas | 11,233 | #53 |
| 24 | Raymond | 11,116 | #22 |
| 25 | Roger | 9,174 | #25 |
| 26 | Walter | 8,682 | #26 |
| 27 | Harold | 8,582 | #24 |
| 28 | Daniel | 8,507 | #31 |
| 29 | Arthur | 8,027 | #33 |
| 30 | Lawrence | 7,639 | #34 |
| 31 | Henry | 7,561 | #28 |
| 32 | Stephen | 7,503 | #41 |
| 33 | Joe | 7,383 | #30 |
| 34 | Jack | 7,365 | #32 |
| 35 | Billy | 7,313 | #27 |
| 36 | Carl | 7,268 | #29 |
| 37 | Willie | 7,094 | #36 |
| 38 | Ralph | 6,637 | #38 |
| 39 | Peter | 6,587 | #44 |
| 40 | Albert | 6,496 | #40 |
| 41 | Wayne | 6,484 | #37 |
| 42 | Roy | 6,311 | #39 |
| 43 | Bobby | 6,248 | #35 |
| 44 | Anthony | 6,210 | #46 |
| 45 | Eugene | 6,092 | #42 |
| 46 | Fred | 6,088 | #43 |
| 47 | Jimmy | 5,949 | #45 |
| 48 | Harry | 5,629 | #48 |
| 49 | Howard | 5,571 | #47 |
| 50 | Bruce | 5,385 | #51 |
| 51 | Louis | 5,151 | #50 |
| 52 | Terry | 4,810 | #64 |
| 53 | Norman | 4,683 | #49 |
| 54 | Philip | 4,604 | #52 |
| 55 | Johnny | 4,588 | #55 |
| 56 | Stanley | 4,587 | #57 |
| 57 | Leonard | 4,370 | #54 |
| 58 | Francis | 4,297 | #60 |
| 59 | Samuel | 4,190 | #65 |
| 60 | Melvin | 4,188 | #56 |
| 61 | Ernest | 4,079 | #61 |
| 62 | Earl | 4,050 | #58 |
| 63 | Dale | 3,863 | #59 |
| 64 | Patrick | 3,804 | #70 |
| 65 | Bill | 3,794 | #68 |
| 66 | Marvin | 3,792 | #63 |
| 67 | Clarence | 3,741 | #62 |
| 68 | Frederick | 3,738 | #69 |
| 69 | Leroy | 3,717 | #67 |
| 70 | Russell | 3,676 | #75 |
| 71 | Allen | 3,571 | #73 |
| 72 | Don | 3,564 | #66 |
| 73 | Tommy | 3,532 | #71 |
| 74 | Jim | 3,514 | #80 |
| 75 | Steven | 3,505 | #90 |
| 76 | Alfred | 3,408 | #74 |
| 77 | Phillip | 3,373 | #77 |
| 78 | Ronnie | 3,363 | #79 |
| 79 | Barry | 3,209 | #91 |
| 80 | Andrew | 3,142 | #82 |
| 81 | Alan | 3,134 | #84 |
| 82 | Gene | 3,127 | #72 |
| 83 | Herbert | 3,113 | #76 |
| 84 | Ray | 3,067 | #83 |
| 85 | Martin | 3,045 | #85 |
| 86 | Eddie | 3,019 | #78 |
| 87 | Lee | 2,923 | #81 |
| 88 | Glenn | 2,888 | #86 |
| 89 | Tom | 2,875 | #88 |
| 90 | Bernard | 2,724 | #87 |
| 91 | Theodore | 2,665 | #95 |
| 92 | Gordon | 2,606 | #92 |
| 93 | Leon | 2,550 | #93 |
| 94 | Jimmie | 2,541 | #89 |
| 95 | Clifford | 2,533 | #94 |
| 96 | Lloyd | 2,462 | #96 |
| 97 | Warren | 2,423 | #105 |
| 98 | Curtis | 2,420 | #100 |
| 99 | Victor | 2,397 | #118 |
| 100 | Jesse | 2,396 | #99 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1941, or the year after, 1943, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.