Most Popular Baby Names of 1944
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1944 in the US: 62,476 girls were named Mary and 76,951 boys were named James, about 1 in 21 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 65th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was James's 5th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,327,223 girls and 1,362,875 boys born in 1944, with 5,241 different girl names and 3,907 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1943
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1943; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1943.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Cheryl (#102 to #36), Maria (#103 to #80) and Sherry (#123 to #100).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Alan (#67 to #55), Danny (#88 to #76) and Russell (#73 to #63).
- 3 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Arlene (#90 to #101) and Gordon (#98 to #105).
- 220 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1944
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1943, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1944
| # | Name | Babies | In 1943 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 62,476 | #1 |
| 2 | Barbara | 39,196 | #2 |
| 3 | Linda | 38,415 | #4 |
| 4 | Patricia | 36,874 | #3 |
| 5 | Carol | 30,456 | #5 |
| 6 | Sandra | 26,024 | #6 |
| 7 | Nancy | 23,218 | #9 |
| 8 | Sharon | 22,433 | #8 |
| 9 | Judith | 22,431 | #7 |
| 10 | Betty | 19,761 | #10 |
| 11 | Carolyn | 18,670 | #11 |
| 12 | Judy | 17,119 | #13 |
| 13 | Susan | 16,330 | #18 |
| 14 | Margaret | 16,320 | #14 |
| 15 | Shirley | 16,309 | #12 |
| 16 | Karen | 15,944 | #15 |
| 17 | Donna | 15,173 | #17 |
| 18 | Joyce | 14,770 | #16 |
| 19 | Dorothy | 13,379 | #19 |
| 20 | Kathleen | 13,004 | #22 |
| 21 | Janet | 12,592 | #20 |
| 22 | Joan | 11,920 | #21 |
| 23 | Elizabeth | 11,034 | #23 |
| 24 | Diane | 10,710 | #24 |
| 25 | Gloria | 9,968 | #30 |
| 26 | Virginia | 9,895 | #25 |
| 27 | Marilyn | 9,738 | #27 |
| 28 | Janice | 9,733 | #26 |
| 29 | Martha | 9,335 | #29 |
| 30 | Brenda | 8,999 | #35 |
| 31 | Helen | 8,696 | #28 |
| 32 | Ruth | 8,674 | #33 |
| 33 | Frances | 8,487 | #31 |
| 34 | Bonnie | 8,456 | #34 |
| 35 | Beverly | 8,292 | #32 |
| 36 | Cheryl | 7,972 | #102 |
| 37 | Jean | 7,650 | #36 |
| 38 | Alice | 7,102 | #38 |
| 39 | Ann | 7,081 | #37 |
| 40 | Phyllis | 7,022 | #39 |
| 41 | Jane | 6,564 | #44 |
| 42 | Doris | 6,324 | #40 |
| 43 | Carole | 6,268 | #42 |
| 44 | Pamela | 6,204 | #54 |
| 45 | Peggy | 6,019 | #41 |
| 46 | Elaine | 5,629 | #46 |
| 47 | Lois | 5,529 | #43 |
| 48 | Marie | 5,297 | #45 |
| 49 | Catherine | 5,256 | #48 |
| 50 | Charlotte | 4,928 | #47 |
| 51 | Connie | 4,796 | #59 |
| 52 | Rose | 4,710 | #50 |
| 53 | Geraldine | 4,666 | #51 |
| 54 | Rita | 4,530 | #52 |
| 55 | Joanne | 4,529 | #49 |
| 56 | Gail | 4,526 | #55 |
| 57 | Evelyn | 4,516 | #53 |
| 58 | Wanda | 4,431 | #56 |
| 59 | Sally | 4,388 | #57 |
| 60 | Diana | 4,311 | #62 |
| 61 | Jo | 4,226 | #63 |
| 62 | Sue | 4,034 | #72 |
| 63 | Ellen | 3,998 | #67 |
| 64 | Jacqueline | 3,975 | #65 |
| 65 | Joann | 3,973 | #60 |
| 66 | Norma | 3,863 | #58 |
| 67 | Sarah | 3,857 | #71 |
| 68 | Kathryn | 3,855 | #75 |
| 69 | Louise | 3,842 | #70 |
| 70 | Roberta | 3,744 | #66 |
| 71 | Annie | 3,738 | #69 |
| 72 | Patsy | 3,729 | #61 |
| 73 | Eileen | 3,649 | #68 |
| 74 | Anna | 3,635 | #64 |
| 75 | Christine | 3,584 | #84 |
| 76 | Darlene | 3,532 | #73 |
| 77 | Katherine | 3,525 | #78 |
| 78 | Suzanne | 3,462 | #86 |
| 79 | Glenda | 3,367 | #83 |
| 80 | Maria | 3,361 | #103 |
| 81 | Mildred | 3,318 | #76 |
| 82 | Paula | 3,315 | #93 |
| 83 | Sylvia | 3,292 | #77 |
| 84 | Rebecca | 3,246 | #87 |
| 85 | Marjorie | 3,218 | #79 |
| 86 | Anne | 3,209 | #80 |
| 87 | Ruby | 3,189 | #82 |
| 88 | Kay | 3,170 | #81 |
| 89 | Marcia | 3,140 | #96 |
| 90 | Dianne | 3,107 | #88 |
| 91 | Irene | 3,087 | #85 |
| 92 | Dolores | 3,081 | #74 |
| 93 | Lorraine | 3,046 | #94 |
| 94 | Juanita | 2,960 | #91 |
| 95 | Anita | 2,825 | #98 |
| 96 | Theresa | 2,817 | #99 |
| 97 | Delores | 2,756 | #99 |
| 98 | Loretta | 2,746 | #89 |
| 99 | Rosemary | 2,744 | #97 |
| 100 | Sherry | 2,733 | #123 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1944
| # | Name | Babies | In 1943 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 76,951 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 70,855 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 66,616 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 52,375 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 45,643 | #5 |
| 6 | David | 37,382 | #6 |
| 7 | Charles | 34,662 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 31,604 | #8 |
| 9 | Michael | 26,717 | #10 |
| 10 | Ronald | 25,513 | #9 |
| 11 | Donald | 23,468 | #11 |
| 12 | Larry | 22,026 | #12 |
| 13 | Joseph | 21,176 | #13 |
| 14 | George | 20,419 | #14 |
| 15 | Gary | 20,058 | #16 |
| 16 | Kenneth | 18,093 | #15 |
| 17 | Paul | 16,661 | #19 |
| 18 | Edward | 16,482 | #18 |
| 19 | Jerry | 16,282 | #17 |
| 20 | Dennis | 13,676 | #20 |
| 21 | Frank | 11,340 | #21 |
| 22 | Raymond | 10,635 | #22 |
| 23 | Roger | 10,581 | #24 |
| 24 | Gerald | 10,023 | #23 |
| 25 | Daniel | 9,314 | #25 |
| 26 | Walter | 8,159 | #26 |
| 27 | Harold | 7,980 | #27 |
| 28 | Stephen | 7,793 | #29 |
| 29 | Arthur | 7,255 | #30 |
| 30 | Jack | 7,253 | #34 |
| 31 | Willie | 7,195 | #36 |
| 32 | Lawrence | 7,130 | #32 |
| 33 | Joe | 7,062 | #35 |
| 34 | Douglas | 6,998 | #28 |
| 35 | Henry | 6,975 | #31 |
| 36 | Carl | 6,825 | #33 |
| 37 | Wayne | 6,724 | #41 |
| 38 | Billy | 6,545 | #37 |
| 39 | Roy | 6,533 | #38 |
| 40 | Peter | 6,340 | #39 |
| 41 | Jimmy | 6,320 | #42 |
| 42 | Ralph | 6,273 | #40 |
| 43 | Terry | 5,974 | #49 |
| 44 | Albert | 5,855 | #43 |
| 45 | Johnny | 5,661 | #52 |
| 46 | Anthony | 5,604 | #44 |
| 47 | Fred | 5,580 | #45 |
| 48 | Eugene | 5,505 | #47 |
| 49 | Harry | 5,478 | #50 |
| 50 | Bobby | 5,410 | #46 |
| 51 | Bruce | 5,262 | #51 |
| 52 | Steven | 5,113 | #58 |
| 53 | Howard | 5,025 | #48 |
| 54 | Louis | 4,678 | #53 |
| 55 | Alan | 4,277 | #67 |
| 56 | Leonard | 4,183 | #55 |
| 57 | Stanley | 4,121 | #54 |
| 58 | Norman | 4,065 | #56 |
| 59 | Ernest | 4,042 | #61 |
| 60 | Philip | 3,992 | #57 |
| 61 | Dale | 3,990 | #59 |
| 62 | Samuel | 3,946 | #62 |
| 63 | Russell | 3,931 | #73 |
| 64 | Patrick | 3,881 | #69 |
| 65 | Earl | 3,874 | #60 |
| 66 | Bill | 3,815 | #65 |
| 67 | Melvin | 3,745 | #63 |
| 68 | Jim | 3,744 | #75 |
| 69 | Ronnie | 3,739 | #71 |
| 70 | Tommy | 3,696 | #77 |
| 71 | Francis | 3,652 | #64 |
| 72 | Don | 3,589 | #72 |
| 73 | Frederick | 3,583 | #70 |
| 74 | Clarence | 3,575 | #68 |
| 75 | Marvin | 3,569 | #66 |
| 76 | Danny | 3,511 | #88 |
| 77 | Allen | 3,422 | #76 |
| 78 | Leroy | 3,410 | #74 |
| 79 | Eddie | 3,315 | #80 |
| 80 | Mike | 3,084 | #90 |
| 81 | Andrew | 3,056 | #79 |
| 82 | Alfred | 3,047 | #78 |
| 83 | Phillip | 3,002 | #81 |
| 84 | Barry | 2,979 | #82 |
| 85 | Lee | 2,929 | #91 |
| 86 | Ray | 2,904 | #84 |
| 87 | Tom | 2,902 | #87 |
| 88 | Glenn | 2,849 | #85 |
| 89 | Steve | 2,836 | #93 |
| 90 | Herbert | 2,773 | #86 |
| 91 | Martin | 2,767 | #83 |
| 92 | Timothy | 2,754 | #99 |
| 93 | Mark | 2,742 | #101 |
| 94 | Bernard | 2,619 | #92 |
| 95 | Gene | 2,602 | #89 |
| 96 | Theodore | 2,574 | #96 |
| 97 | Curtis | 2,465 | #100 |
| 98 | Jimmie | 2,398 | #95 |
| 99 | Clifford | 2,394 | #94 |
| 100 | Warren | 2,349 | #102 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1943, or the year after, 1945, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.