Most Popular Names of 1940
Rankings below use available national records for one year and keep the source sex categories separate.
Popular Girl Names in 1940
#1 Mary56,216 births#2 Barbara36,736 births#3 Patricia32,665 births#4 Judith22,385 births#5 Betty22,077 births#6 Carol21,759 births#7 Nancy19,737 births#8 Linda18,370 births#9 Shirley17,881 births#10 Sandra16,153 births#11 Margaret15,063 births#12 Dorothy14,875 births#13 Joyce14,801 births#14 Joan13,292 births#15 Carolyn12,657 births#16 Judy11,382 births#17 Sharon11,121 births#18 Helen10,203 births#19 Janet10,105 births#20 Elizabeth9,955 births#21 Virginia9,554 births#22 Janice9,318 births#23 Donna9,232 births#24 Ruth8,888 births#25 Marilyn8,704 births#26 Martha8,695 births#27 Beverly8,657 births#28 Frances8,621 births#29 Jean8,063 births#30 Gloria8,026 births#31 Doris7,767 births#32 Alice7,603 births#33 Phyllis7,416 births#34 Karen7,283 births#35 Ann7,196 births#36 Susan6,756 births#37 Peggy6,128 births#38 Lois6,125 births#39 Bonnie5,957 births#40 Kathleen5,697 births#41 Marie5,542 births#42 Brenda5,442 births#43 Norma5,334 births#44 Rose5,198 births#45 Diane5,172 births#46 Geraldine5,150 births#47 Jane5,091 births#48 Evelyn4,982 births#49 Carole4,790 births#50 Elaine4,782 births#51 Anna4,717 births#52 Wanda4,708 births#53 Catherine4,584 births#54 Joanne4,418 births#55 Charlotte4,291 births#56 Annie4,216 births#57 Patsy4,079 births#58 Mildred3,938 births#59 Louise3,928 births#60 Sarah3,869 births#61 Sally3,803 births#62 Sylvia3,802 births#63 Joann3,789 births#64 Marjorie3,681 births#65 Gail3,621 births#66 Ruby3,619 births#67 Dolores3,604 births#68 Eleanor3,584 births#69 Loretta3,502 births#70 Rita3,442 births#71 Roberta3,431 births#72 Jo3,427 births#73 Irene3,394 births#74 Ellen3,318 births#75 Arlene3,257 births#76 Jacqueline3,215 births#77 Kay3,200 births#78 Juanita3,174 births#79 Darlene3,120 births#80 Marlene3,118 births#81 Sue3,104 births#82 June2,949 births#83 Delores2,929 births#84 Anne2,897 births#85 Rosemary2,874 births#86 Edna2,835 births#87 Anita2,828 births#88 Connie2,795 births#89 Josephine2,744 births#90 Jeanette2,727 births#91 Julia2,709 births#91 Katherine2,709 births#93 Wilma2,621 births#94 Emma2,606 births#95 Lorraine2,579 births#96 Rebecca2,555 births#97 Lillian2,525 births#98 Edith2,510 births#99 Audrey2,501 births#100 Florence2,467 births
Popular Boy Names in 1940
#1 James62,481 births#2 Robert61,198 births#3 John54,786 births#4 William44,779 births#5 Richard37,425 births#6 Charles31,689 births#7 David27,690 births#8 Thomas23,991 births#9 Donald23,115 births#10 Ronald20,741 births#11 George18,315 births#12 Joseph18,208 births#13 Larry17,199 births#14 Jerry15,213 births#15 Kenneth15,132 births#16 Edward14,405 births#17 Paul14,097 births#18 Michael13,228 births#19 Gary12,573 births#20 Frank10,595 births#21 Gerald10,236 births#22 Raymond9,567 births#23 Harold8,080 births#24 Dennis7,845 births#25 Walter7,723 births#26 Roger7,598 births#27 Billy7,596 births#28 Joe7,216 births#29 Jack7,048 births#30 Bobby6,882 births#31 Henry6,822 births#32 Carl6,752 births#33 Arthur6,510 births#34 Daniel6,225 births#35 Willie6,176 births#36 Lawrence6,173 births#37 Ralph5,838 births#38 Eugene5,804 births#39 Wayne5,727 births#40 Fred5,581 births#41 Albert5,572 births#42 Roy5,565 births#43 Peter5,049 births#44 Jimmy4,962 births#45 Howard4,824 births#46 Anthony4,769 births#47 Harry4,681 births#48 Norman4,576 births#49 Stephen4,423 births#50 Louis4,324 births#51 Johnny4,006 births#52 Earl3,944 births#53 Melvin3,935 births#54 Leonard3,817 births#55 Bruce3,789 births#56 Douglas3,732 births#57 Dale3,699 births#58 Ernest3,698 births#59 Stanley3,694 births#60 Philip3,674 births#61 Francis3,607 births#62 Don3,547 births#63 Marvin3,502 births#64 Clarence3,487 births#65 Samuel3,364 births#66 Leroy3,311 births#67 Bill3,267 births#68 Frederick3,096 births#69 Alfred3,062 births#70 Gene3,060 births#71 Allen3,029 births#72 Russell3,012 births#73 Terry2,982 births#74 Patrick2,883 births#75 Herbert2,875 births#76 Tommy2,827 births#77 Ray2,795 births#78 Jim2,715 births#79 Phillip2,628 births#80 Lee2,624 births#81 Eddie2,576 births#82 Bernard2,468 births#83 Glenn2,465 births#84 Andrew2,431 births#85 Martin2,423 births#86 Jimmie2,408 births#87 Franklin2,391 births#88 Alan2,377 births#89 Leon2,318 births#90 Theodore2,306 births#91 Gordon2,296 births#92 Tom2,287 births#93 Jesse2,205 births#94 Clifford2,185 births#95 Jerome2,178 births#96 Edwin2,116 births#97 Curtis2,103 births#98 Harvey2,088 births#99 Bob2,082 births#100 Lloyd2,067 births