Most Popular Baby Names of 1943
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1943 in the US: 66,174 girls were named Mary and 80,278 boys were named James, about 1 in 21 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 64th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was James's 4th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,395,293 girls and 1,427,297 boys born in 1943, with 5,365 different girl names and 4,039 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1942
- Sharon joined the girls' top 10; Michael joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Pamela (#106 to #54), Paula (#136 to #93) and Dianne (#109 to #88).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Danny (#110 to #88), Steven (#75 to #58) and Mike (#106 to #90).
- 5 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Maria (#97 to #103) and Warren (#97 to #102).
- 186 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1943
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1942, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1943
| # | Name | Babies | In 1942 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 66,174 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 43,432 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 39,620 | #3 |
| 4 | Linda | 38,439 | #4 |
| 5 | Carol | 31,686 | #5 |
| 6 | Sandra | 25,990 | #6 |
| 7 | Judith | 25,214 | #7 |
| 8 | Sharon | 24,712 | #11 |
| 9 | Nancy | 23,988 | #8 |
| 10 | Betty | 21,596 | #9 |
| 11 | Carolyn | 20,365 | #10 |
| 12 | Shirley | 17,816 | #12 |
| 13 | Judy | 17,383 | #15 |
| 14 | Margaret | 17,153 | #14 |
| 15 | Karen | 16,816 | #16 |
| 16 | Joyce | 16,485 | #13 |
| 17 | Donna | 14,912 | #20 |
| 18 | Susan | 14,888 | #21 |
| 19 | Dorothy | 14,793 | #17 |
| 20 | Janet | 13,316 | #19 |
| 21 | Joan | 13,232 | #18 |
| 22 | Kathleen | 12,153 | #24 |
| 23 | Elizabeth | 11,644 | #22 |
| 24 | Diane | 11,326 | #28 |
| 25 | Virginia | 10,847 | #23 |
| 26 | Janice | 10,651 | #25 |
| 27 | Marilyn | 10,145 | #27 |
| 28 | Helen | 9,800 | #26 |
| 29 | Martha | 9,704 | #29 |
| 30 | Gloria | 9,684 | #31 |
| 31 | Frances | 9,449 | #30 |
| 32 | Beverly | 9,435 | #32 |
| 33 | Ruth | 9,370 | #33 |
| 34 | Bonnie | 8,870 | #34 |
| 35 | Brenda | 8,435 | #40 |
| 36 | Jean | 8,096 | #36 |
| 37 | Ann | 7,829 | #38 |
| 38 | Alice | 7,648 | #39 |
| 39 | Phyllis | 7,610 | #37 |
| 40 | Doris | 7,128 | #41 |
| 41 | Peggy | 6,511 | #42 |
| 42 | Carole | 6,506 | #35 |
| 43 | Lois | 6,132 | #44 |
| 44 | Jane | 6,032 | #46 |
| 45 | Marie | 5,980 | #43 |
| 46 | Elaine | 5,966 | #45 |
| 47 | Charlotte | 5,482 | #51 |
| 48 | Catherine | 5,427 | #49 |
| 49 | Joanne | 5,270 | #48 |
| 50 | Rose | 5,206 | #50 |
| 51 | Geraldine | 5,189 | #47 |
| 52 | Rita | 5,011 | #55 |
| 53 | Evelyn | 4,912 | #53 |
| 54 | Pamela | 4,839 | #106 |
| 55 | Gail | 4,810 | #60 |
| 56 | Wanda | 4,705 | #54 |
| 57 | Sally | 4,659 | #56 |
| 58 | Norma | 4,542 | #52 |
| 59 | Connie | 4,512 | #70 |
| 60 | Joann | 4,464 | #58 |
| 61 | Patsy | 4,355 | #57 |
| 62 | Diana | 4,337 | #68 |
| 63 | Jo | 4,300 | #65 |
| 64 | Anna | 4,232 | #59 |
| 65 | Jacqueline | 4,189 | #69 |
| 66 | Roberta | 4,169 | #66 |
| 67 | Ellen | 4,152 | #64 |
| 68 | Eileen | 4,092 | #88 |
| 69 | Annie | 4,070 | #62 |
| 70 | Louise | 4,044 | #61 |
| 71 | Sarah | 3,990 | #67 |
| 72 | Sue | 3,850 | #73 |
| 73 | Darlene | 3,774 | #78 |
| 74 | Dolores | 3,698 | #63 |
| 75 | Kathryn | 3,647 | #82 |
| 76 | Mildred | 3,626 | #71 |
| 77 | Sylvia | 3,623 | #72 |
| 78 | Katherine | 3,616 | #81 |
| 79 | Marjorie | 3,608 | #74 |
| 80 | Anne | 3,535 | #76 |
| 81 | Kay | 3,494 | #75 |
| 82 | Ruby | 3,470 | #77 |
| 83 | Glenda | 3,403 | #89 |
| 84 | Christine | 3,316 | #96 |
| 85 | Irene | 3,299 | #80 |
| 86 | Suzanne | 3,280 | #103 |
| 87 | Rebecca | 3,270 | #85 |
| 88 | Dianne | 3,193 | #109 |
| 89 | Loretta | 3,169 | #79 |
| 90 | Arlene | 3,146 | #83 |
| 91 | Juanita | 3,085 | #90 |
| 92 | Sheila | 3,063 | #94 |
| 93 | Paula | 3,042 | #136 |
| 94 | Lorraine | 3,015 | #91 |
| 95 | Julia | 2,972 | #95 |
| 96 | Marcia | 2,970 | #105 |
| 97 | Rosemary | 2,966 | #92 |
| 98 | Anita | 2,952 | #93 |
| 99 | Delores | 2,929 | #86 |
| 99 | Theresa | 2,929 | #98 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1943
| # | Name | Babies | In 1942 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 80,278 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 74,892 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 68,929 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 55,904 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 46,339 | #5 |
| 6 | David | 37,240 | #6 |
| 7 | Charles | 36,632 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 32,874 | #8 |
| 9 | Ronald | 29,239 | #9 |
| 10 | Michael | 24,745 | #13 |
| 11 | Donald | 24,421 | #10 |
| 12 | Larry | 22,978 | #12 |
| 13 | Joseph | 22,828 | #11 |
| 14 | George | 21,692 | #14 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 19,112 | #15 |
| 16 | Gary | 17,868 | #18 |
| 17 | Jerry | 17,730 | #16 |
| 18 | Edward | 17,713 | #17 |
| 19 | Paul | 17,253 | #19 |
| 20 | Dennis | 14,116 | #20 |
| 21 | Frank | 12,246 | #21 |
| 22 | Raymond | 11,391 | #24 |
| 23 | Gerald | 11,367 | #22 |
| 24 | Roger | 10,773 | #25 |
| 25 | Daniel | 9,168 | #28 |
| 26 | Walter | 9,035 | #26 |
| 27 | Harold | 8,670 | #27 |
| 28 | Douglas | 8,236 | #23 |
| 29 | Stephen | 7,932 | #32 |
| 30 | Arthur | 7,785 | #29 |
| 31 | Henry | 7,631 | #31 |
| 32 | Lawrence | 7,583 | #30 |
| 33 | Carl | 7,472 | #36 |
| 34 | Jack | 7,398 | #34 |
| 35 | Joe | 7,308 | #33 |
| 36 | Willie | 7,178 | #37 |
| 37 | Billy | 7,012 | #35 |
| 38 | Roy | 6,932 | #42 |
| 39 | Peter | 6,877 | #39 |
| 40 | Ralph | 6,771 | #38 |
| 41 | Wayne | 6,761 | #41 |
| 42 | Jimmy | 6,444 | #47 |
| 43 | Albert | 6,307 | #40 |
| 44 | Anthony | 6,202 | #44 |
| 45 | Fred | 6,168 | #46 |
| 46 | Bobby | 6,121 | #43 |
| 47 | Eugene | 5,902 | #45 |
| 48 | Howard | 5,739 | #49 |
| 49 | Terry | 5,737 | #52 |
| 50 | Harry | 5,720 | #48 |
| 51 | Bruce | 5,431 | #50 |
| 52 | Johnny | 5,381 | #55 |
| 53 | Louis | 5,033 | #51 |
| 54 | Stanley | 4,699 | #56 |
| 55 | Leonard | 4,617 | #57 |
| 56 | Norman | 4,522 | #53 |
| 57 | Philip | 4,473 | #54 |
| 58 | Steven | 4,267 | #75 |
| 59 | Dale | 4,235 | #63 |
| 60 | Earl | 4,186 | #62 |
| 61 | Ernest | 4,172 | #61 |
| 62 | Samuel | 4,143 | #59 |
| 63 | Melvin | 4,069 | #60 |
| 64 | Francis | 4,068 | #58 |
| 65 | Bill | 3,990 | #65 |
| 66 | Marvin | 3,939 | #66 |
| 67 | Alan | 3,855 | #81 |
| 68 | Clarence | 3,854 | #67 |
| 69 | Patrick | 3,848 | #64 |
| 70 | Frederick | 3,840 | #68 |
| 71 | Ronnie | 3,826 | #78 |
| 72 | Don | 3,817 | #72 |
| 73 | Russell | 3,752 | #70 |
| 74 | Leroy | 3,741 | #69 |
| 75 | Jim | 3,682 | #74 |
| 76 | Allen | 3,627 | #71 |
| 77 | Tommy | 3,611 | #73 |
| 78 | Alfred | 3,445 | #76 |
| 79 | Andrew | 3,352 | #80 |
| 80 | Eddie | 3,281 | #86 |
| 81 | Phillip | 3,251 | #77 |
| 82 | Barry | 3,193 | #79 |
| 83 | Martin | 3,081 | #85 |
| 84 | Ray | 3,063 | #84 |
| 85 | Glenn | 3,054 | #88 |
| 86 | Herbert | 3,044 | #83 |
| 87 | Tom | 2,909 | #89 |
| 88 | Danny | 2,898 | #110 |
| 89 | Gene | 2,865 | #82 |
| 90 | Mike | 2,803 | #106 |
| 91 | Lee | 2,789 | #87 |
| 92 | Bernard | 2,744 | #90 |
| 93 | Steve | 2,684 | #102 |
| 94 | Clifford | 2,667 | #95 |
| 95 | Jimmie | 2,628 | #94 |
| 96 | Theodore | 2,616 | #91 |
| 97 | Victor | 2,613 | #99 |
| 98 | Gordon | 2,608 | #92 |
| 99 | Timothy | 2,578 | #108 |
| 100 | Curtis | 2,525 | #98 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1942, or the year after, 1944, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.