NameYears

Every year/1940s

Baby names of 1940

In 1940 the most given names in the United States were Mary for girls (56,214 births) and James for boys (62,481).

← 19391941 →1920193019501960

Top 100 girls’ names

  1. Mary56,214
  2. Barbara36,735
  3. Patricia32,667
  4. Judith22,385
  5. Betty22,077
  6. Carol21,759
  7. Nancy19,737
  8. Linda18,369
  9. Shirley17,880
  10. Sandra16,154
  11. Margaret15,062
  12. Dorothy14,875
  13. Joyce14,802
  14. Joan13,292
  15. Carolyn12,657
  16. Judy11,383
  17. Sharon11,120
  18. Helen10,203
  19. Janet10,105
  20. Elizabeth9,956
  21. Virginia9,554
  22. Janice9,318
  23. Donna9,232
  24. Ruth8,887
  25. Marilyn8,703
  26. Martha8,695
  27. Beverly8,658
  28. Frances8,621
  29. Jean8,064
  30. Gloria8,026
  31. Doris7,767
  32. Alice7,603
  33. Phyllis7,416
  34. Karen7,283
  35. Ann7,196
  36. Susan6,756
  37. Peggy6,128
  38. Lois6,124
  39. Bonnie5,957
  40. Kathleen5,697
  41. Marie5,542
  42. Brenda5,442
  43. Norma5,334
  44. Rose5,198
  45. Diane5,172
  46. Geraldine5,150
  47. Jane5,092
  48. Evelyn4,982
  49. Carole4,790
  50. Elaine4,782
  51. Anna4,717
  52. Wanda4,708
  53. Catherine4,584
  54. Joanne4,418
  55. Charlotte4,291
  56. Annie4,216
  57. Patsy4,078
  58. Mildred3,938
  59. Louise3,927
  60. Sarah3,869
  61. Sally3,803
  62. Sylvia3,802
  63. Joann3,790
  64. Marjorie3,681
  65. Gail3,621
  66. Ruby3,619
  67. Dolores3,604
  68. Eleanor3,584
  69. Loretta3,502
  70. Rita3,442
  71. Roberta3,431
  72. Jo3,427
  73. Irene3,394
  74. Ellen3,318
  75. Arlene3,257
  76. Jacqueline3,215
  77. Kay3,200
  78. Juanita3,174
  79. Darlene3,120
  80. Marlene3,118
  81. Sue3,106
  82. June2,949
  83. Delores2,929
  84. Anne2,897
  85. Rosemary2,874
  86. Edna2,836
  87. Anita2,828
  88. Connienew2,795
  89. Josephine2,744
  90. Jeanette2,727
  91. Katherinenew2,709
  92. Julia2,708
  93. Wilma2,621
  94. Emma2,606
  95. Lorraine2,579
  96. Rebeccanew2,555
  97. Lillian2,525
  98. Edithnew2,510
  99. Audrey2,501
  100. Florence2,468

Top 100 boys’ names

  1. James62,481
  2. Robert61,194
  3. John54,784
  4. William44,781
  5. Richard37,425
  6. Charles31,690
  7. David27,691
  8. Thomas23,992
  9. Donald23,113
  10. Ronald20,740
  11. George18,313
  12. Joseph18,207
  13. Larry17,200
  14. Jerry15,213
  15. Kenneth15,131
  16. Edward14,404
  17. Paul14,097
  18. Michael13,228
  19. Gary12,573
  20. Frank10,596
  21. Gerald10,237
  22. Raymond9,568
  23. Harold8,078
  24. Dennis7,845
  25. Walter7,723
  26. Roger7,597
  27. Billy7,596
  28. Joe7,216
  29. Jack7,049
  30. Bobby6,882
  31. Henry6,822
  32. Carl6,752
  33. Arthur6,510
  34. Daniel6,225
  35. Willie6,175
  36. Lawrence6,173
  37. Ralph5,838
  38. Eugene5,802
  39. Wayne5,727
  40. Fred5,582
  41. Albert5,571
  42. Roy5,564
  43. Peter5,049
  44. Jimmy4,962
  45. Howard4,824
  46. Anthony4,769
  47. Harry4,681
  48. Norman4,576
  49. Stephen4,422
  50. Louis4,324
  51. Johnny4,006
  52. Earl3,945
  53. Melvin3,935
  54. Leonard3,817
  55. Bruce3,789
  56. Douglas3,732
  57. Dale3,699
  58. Ernest3,698
  59. Stanley3,693
  60. Philip3,674
  61. Francis3,607
  62. Don3,547
  63. Marvin3,502
  64. Clarence3,487
  65. Samuel3,362
  66. Leroy3,311
  67. Bill3,267
  68. Frederick3,096
  69. Alfred3,062
  70. Gene3,061
  71. Allen3,028
  72. Russell3,012
  73. Terry2,982
  74. Patrick2,883
  75. Herbert2,875
  76. Tommy2,827
  77. Ray2,795
  78. Jim2,715
  79. Phillip2,628
  80. Lee2,623
  81. Eddie2,576
  82. Bernard2,468
  83. Glenn2,465
  84. Andrew2,431
  85. Martin2,423
  86. Jimmie2,408
  87. Franklinnew2,391
  88. Alan2,377
  89. Leon2,318
  90. Theodore2,306
  91. Gordon2,296
  92. Tom2,287
  93. Jesse2,205
  94. Clifford2,185
  95. Jerome2,178
  96. Edwin2,116
  97. Curtis2,103
  98. Harveynew2,088
  99. Bob2,082
  100. Lloyd2,067

1940 in numbers

The Social Security data for 1940 holds 1,143,517 girls under 5,027 different names. The ten most common names covered 23% of them — in 2024 the figure is 7.1%. New to the top 100 that year:Connie, Katherine, Rebecca, Edith. Leaving it:Thelma, Yvonne, Theresa, Ethel.

The Social Security data for 1940 holds 1,159,168 boys under 3,937 different names. The ten most common names covered 33% of them — in 2024 the figure is 8.0%. New to the top 100 that year:Franklin, Harvey. Leaving it:Floyd, Vernon.