Most Popular Baby Names of 1945
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and James were the most popular baby names of 1945 in the US: 59,278 girls were named Mary and 74,464 boys were named James, about 1 in 22 girls and 1 in 18 boys born that year. It was Mary's 66th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1880), and it was James's 6th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,307,090 girls and 1,345,855 boys born in 1945, with 5,240 different girl names and 3,782 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1944
- Susan joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1944.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Laura (#119 to #77), Rosemary (#99 to #79) and Dianne (#90 to #72).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Gregory (#152 to #96), Timothy (#92 to #70) and Mark (#93 to #72).
- 5 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Dolores (#92 to #103) and Theodore (#96 to #101).
- 208 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1945
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1944, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1945
| # | Name | Babies | In 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 59,278 | #1 |
| 2 | Linda | 41,465 | #3 |
| 3 | Barbara | 38,273 | #2 |
| 4 | Patricia | 35,844 | #4 |
| 5 | Carol | 30,389 | #5 |
| 6 | Sandra | 24,700 | #6 |
| 7 | Nancy | 21,456 | #7 |
| 8 | Sharon | 20,838 | #8 |
| 9 | Judith | 20,192 | #9 |
| 10 | Susan | 19,222 | #13 |
| 11 | Betty | 18,387 | #10 |
| 12 | Carolyn | 17,244 | #11 |
| 13 | Judy | 17,001 | #12 |
| 14 | Shirley | 16,150 | #15 |
| 15 | Margaret | 15,685 | #14 |
| 16 | Karen | 15,680 | #16 |
| 17 | Donna | 15,397 | #17 |
| 18 | Joyce | 13,950 | #18 |
| 19 | Kathleen | 13,802 | #20 |
| 20 | Janet | 12,326 | #21 |
| 21 | Dorothy | 12,323 | #19 |
| 22 | Diane | 12,223 | #24 |
| 23 | Gloria | 11,037 | #25 |
| 24 | Janice | 10,781 | #28 |
| 25 | Joan | 10,394 | #22 |
| 26 | Elizabeth | 10,343 | #23 |
| 27 | Marilyn | 9,534 | #27 |
| 28 | Virginia | 9,244 | #26 |
| 29 | Brenda | 9,203 | #30 |
| 30 | Martha | 8,752 | #29 |
| 31 | Helen | 8,301 | #31 |
| 32 | Cheryl | 8,149 | #36 |
| 33 | Ruth | 8,046 | #32 |
| 34 | Frances | 7,940 | #33 |
| 35 | Bonnie | 7,745 | #34 |
| 36 | Jane | 7,639 | #41 |
| 37 | Beverly | 7,618 | #35 |
| 38 | Jean | 7,429 | #37 |
| 39 | Ann | 7,038 | #39 |
| 40 | Phyllis | 6,530 | #40 |
| 41 | Alice | 6,359 | #38 |
| 42 | Pamela | 6,169 | #44 |
| 43 | Diana | 6,047 | #60 |
| 44 | Elaine | 5,887 | #46 |
| 45 | Peggy | 5,839 | #45 |
| 46 | Doris | 5,820 | #42 |
| 47 | Connie | 5,337 | #51 |
| 48 | Lois | 5,148 | #47 |
| 49 | Marie | 5,084 | #48 |
| 50 | Catherine | 5,031 | #49 |
| 51 | Carole | 4,842 | #43 |
| 52 | Gail | 4,832 | #56 |
| 53 | Joanne | 4,618 | #55 |
| 54 | Rose | 4,557 | #52 |
| 55 | Charlotte | 4,529 | #50 |
| 56 | Geraldine | 4,475 | #53 |
| 57 | Evelyn | 4,377 | #57 |
| 58 | Wanda | 4,295 | #58 |
| 59 | Rita | 4,282 | #54 |
| 60 | Jo | 4,224 | #61 |
| 61 | Ellen | 4,189 | #63 |
| 62 | Christine | 4,077 | #75 |
| 63 | Jacqueline | 3,989 | #64 |
| 64 | Sally | 3,982 | #59 |
| 65 | Kathryn | 3,971 | #68 |
| 66 | Sue | 3,914 | #62 |
| 67 | Paula | 3,798 | #82 |
| 68 | Suzanne | 3,770 | #78 |
| 69 | Annie | 3,741 | #71 |
| 70 | Eileen | 3,637 | #73 |
| 71 | Darlene | 3,626 | #76 |
| 72 | Dianne | 3,611 | #90 |
| 73 | Anna | 3,607 | #74 |
| 74 | Norma | 3,603 | #66 |
| 75 | Roberta | 3,602 | #70 |
| 76 | Sarah | 3,592 | #67 |
| 77 | Laura | 3,589 | #119 |
| 78 | Louise | 3,514 | #69 |
| 79 | Rosemary | 3,500 | #99 |
| 80 | Joann | 3,465 | #65 |
| 81 | Anne | 3,407 | #86 |
| 82 | Katherine | 3,393 | #77 |
| 83 | Sylvia | 3,375 | #83 |
| 84 | Patsy | 3,350 | #72 |
| 85 | Rebecca | 3,331 | #84 |
| 86 | Maria | 3,313 | #80 |
| 87 | Lorraine | 3,207 | #93 |
| 88 | Marcia | 3,206 | #89 |
| 89 | Sheila | 3,178 | #103 |
| 90 | Cynthia | 3,127 | #105 |
| 91 | Kay | 3,058 | #88 |
| 92 | Glenda | 2,963 | #79 |
| 93 | Mildred | 2,960 | #81 |
| 94 | Marjorie | 2,929 | #85 |
| 95 | Ruby | 2,904 | #87 |
| 96 | Theresa | 2,895 | #96 |
| 97 | Irene | 2,883 | #91 |
| 98 | Jeanne | 2,861 | #108 |
| 99 | Arlene | 2,771 | #101 |
| 100 | Anita | 2,768 | #95 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1945
| # | Name | Babies | In 1944 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 74,464 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 69,947 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 66,117 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 50,218 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 46,046 | #5 |
| 6 | David | 37,110 | #6 |
| 7 | Charles | 32,469 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 31,874 | #8 |
| 9 | Michael | 29,902 | #9 |
| 10 | Ronald | 23,665 | #10 |
| 11 | Larry | 22,824 | #12 |
| 12 | Donald | 22,138 | #11 |
| 13 | Gary | 21,345 | #15 |
| 14 | Joseph | 20,823 | #13 |
| 15 | George | 19,327 | #14 |
| 16 | Kenneth | 18,096 | #16 |
| 17 | Paul | 16,995 | #17 |
| 18 | Edward | 15,870 | #18 |
| 19 | Dennis | 14,990 | #20 |
| 20 | Jerry | 14,704 | #19 |
| 21 | Frank | 10,874 | #21 |
| 22 | Roger | 10,571 | #23 |
| 23 | Raymond | 9,858 | #22 |
| 24 | Daniel | 9,708 | #25 |
| 25 | Gerald | 8,857 | #24 |
| 26 | Stephen | 8,641 | #28 |
| 27 | Walter | 7,574 | #26 |
| 28 | Harold | 7,524 | #27 |
| 29 | Douglas | 7,394 | #34 |
| 30 | Lawrence | 7,163 | #32 |
| 31 | Willie | 7,030 | #31 |
| 32 | Jack | 6,857 | #30 |
| 33 | Terry | 6,834 | #43 |
| 34 | Arthur | 6,802 | #29 |
| 35 | Wayne | 6,738 | #37 |
| 36 | Joe | 6,625 | #33 |
| 37 | Henry | 6,606 | #35 |
| 38 | Peter | 6,483 | #40 |
| 39 | Carl | 6,314 | #36 |
| 40 | Roy | 6,183 | #39 |
| 41 | Jimmy | 6,159 | #41 |
| 42 | Billy | 6,022 | #38 |
| 43 | Steven | 5,974 | #52 |
| 44 | Ralph | 5,785 | #42 |
| 45 | Johnny | 5,699 | #45 |
| 46 | Anthony | 5,686 | #46 |
| 47 | Harry | 5,650 | #49 |
| 48 | Bruce | 5,615 | #51 |
| 49 | Albert | 5,432 | #44 |
| 50 | Eugene | 5,167 | #48 |
| 51 | Fred | 5,118 | #47 |
| 52 | Alan | 5,073 | #55 |
| 53 | Bobby | 5,052 | #50 |
| 54 | Howard | 4,768 | #53 |
| 55 | Louis | 4,480 | #54 |
| 56 | Danny | 4,175 | #76 |
| 57 | Leonard | 4,125 | #56 |
| 58 | Philip | 4,112 | #60 |
| 59 | Stanley | 4,058 | #57 |
| 60 | Ernest | 4,005 | #59 |
| 61 | Dale | 3,957 | #61 |
| 61 | Samuel | 3,957 | #62 |
| 63 | Patrick | 3,854 | #64 |
| 64 | Russell | 3,806 | #63 |
| 65 | Norman | 3,726 | #58 |
| 66 | Bill | 3,711 | #66 |
| 67 | Ronnie | 3,651 | #69 |
| 68 | Jim | 3,625 | #68 |
| 69 | Mike | 3,592 | #80 |
| 70 | Timothy | 3,591 | #92 |
| 71 | Earl | 3,567 | #65 |
| 72 | Mark | 3,545 | #93 |
| 73 | Don | 3,482 | #72 |
| 74 | Allen | 3,481 | #77 |
| 75 | Tommy | 3,449 | #70 |
| 76 | Francis | 3,448 | #71 |
| 77 | Frederick | 3,437 | #73 |
| 78 | Melvin | 3,408 | #67 |
| 79 | Steve | 3,384 | #89 |
| 80 | Marvin | 3,294 | #75 |
| 81 | Eddie | 3,223 | #79 |
| 82 | Clarence | 3,196 | #74 |
| 83 | Leroy | 3,170 | #78 |
| 84 | Barry | 3,138 | #84 |
| 85 | Phillip | 3,081 | #83 |
| 86 | Andrew | 3,007 | #81 |
| 87 | Lee | 2,942 | #85 |
| 88 | Alfred | 2,894 | #82 |
| 89 | Tom | 2,893 | #87 |
| 90 | Martin | 2,823 | #91 |
| 91 | Jeffrey | 2,782 | #101 |
| 92 | Ray | 2,740 | #86 |
| 93 | Glenn | 2,734 | #88 |
| 94 | Herbert | 2,664 | #90 |
| 95 | Victor | 2,631 | #107 |
| 96 | Gregory | 2,474 | #152 |
| 97 | Curtis | 2,393 | #97 |
| 98 | Bernard | 2,388 | #94 |
| 99 | Clifford | 2,384 | #99 |
| 100 | Gene | 2,373 | #95 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1944, or the year after, 1946, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.