Most popular names of the 1940s
The most popular names for babies born in the US in the 1940s were Mary for girls and James for boys. Mary was given to about 45 per 1,000 girls, and James to about 54 per 1,000 boys. New in the girls' top 10 compared with the 1930s: Linda, Carol, Sandra, Judith, Sharon and Susan. New in the boys' top 10: David, Michael and Ronald.
Girls
| # | Name | Share of girls | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 45 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Linda new | 35 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Barbara | 30 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | Patricia | 28 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | Carol new | 20 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | Sandra new | 18 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Nancy | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Judith new | 16 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Sharon new | 15 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Susan new | 14 per 1,000 |
Boys
| # | Name | Share of boys | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 54 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Robert | 51 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | John | 48 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | William | 38 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | Richard | 32 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | David new | 28 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Charles | 25 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Thomas | 23 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Michael new | 22 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Ronald new | 19 per 1,000 |
"Share" is the average share of babies of that sex who got the name in each year of the decade. Each small curve runs from 1880 to 2025. Source: US Social Security Administration.