Most popular baby names of 1939

In 1939, the most popular names for US babies were Robert for boys (59,659 babies, 5.4% of boys) and Mary for girls (54,900 babies, 5.0% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, John, William and Richard for boys and Barbara, Patricia, Betty and Shirley for girls. SSA recorded 3,968 different boy names and 4,950 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1939
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Robert	59,659	–
2	James	59,636	–
3	John	51,025	–
4	William	42,073	–
5	Richard	35,385	–
6	Charles	30,786	–
7	David	25,359	▲ 1
8	Donald	24,055	▼ 1
9	Thomas	22,128	–
10	Ronald	19,835	–
11	George	17,888	–
12	Joseph	17,723	–
13	Kenneth	14,715	▲ 1
14	Larry	14,531	▲ 2
15	Edward	14,428	▼ 2
16	Jerry	13,729	▲ 1
17	Paul	13,336	▼ 2
18	Michael	10,829	▲ 3
19	Gerald	10,057	–
20	Frank	9,990	▼ 2
21	Gary	9,681	▲ 1
22	Raymond	9,252	▼ 2
23	Harold	8,300	–
24	Billy	7,475	–
25	Walter	7,323	▲ 1
26	Jack	7,306	▼ 1
27	Joe	7,188	▲ 1
28	Roger	7,155	▲ 3
29	Bobby	7,056	▼ 2
30	Carl	6,593	▼ 1
31	Henry	6,561	▼ 1
32	Arthur	6,380	–
33	Willie	6,309	▲ 1
34	Dennis	6,212	▲ 15
35	Ralph	5,958	–
36	Lawrence	5,882	–
37	Eugene	5,869	▼ 4
38	Daniel	5,797	▲ 1
39	Wayne	5,653	▲ 1
40	Fred	5,538	▼ 2
41	Albert	5,478	▼ 4
42	Roy	5,155	▼ 1
43	Jimmy	4,752	▲ 2
44	Norman	4,742	▼ 1
45	Harry	4,661	▼ 1
46	Peter	4,639	▲ 2
47	Howard	4,613	▼ 5
48	Anthony	4,609	▼ 2
49	Louis	4,224	▼ 2
50	Earl	3,896	–
51	Melvin	3,853	▲ 3
52	Marvin	3,758	▲ 1
53	Francis	3,721	▼ 2
54	Leonard	3,711	▲ 3
55	Ernest	3,688	–
56	Don	3,589	▼ 4
57	Stanley	3,570	▲ 2
58	Douglas	3,564	▲ 2
59	Dale	3,531	▼ 3
60	Clarence	3,483	▼ 2
61	Leroy	3,388	–
62	Johnny	3,370	▲ 1
63	Samuel	3,254	▼ 1
64	Bruce	3,233	▲ 2
65	Stephen	3,176	▲ 9
66	Philip	3,174	▼ 2
67	Bill	3,161	–
68	Herbert	3,097	–
69	Gene	3,013	▼ 4
70	Alfred	2,990	▼ 1
71	Frederick	2,972	–
72	Allen	2,929	▲ 1
73	Russell	2,833	▼ 3
74	Ray	2,709	▼ 2
75	Jim	2,636	▲ 6
76	Bernard	2,624	▼ 1
77	Tommy	2,622	–
78	Lee	2,589	▲ 2
79	Patrick	2,530	▲ 9
80	Jimmie	2,524	▼ 4
81	Eddie	2,512	▼ 2
82	Gordon	2,508	▼ 4
83	Terry	2,443	▲ 3
84	Andrew	2,440	▼ 2
85	Alan	2,330	▲ 6
86	Leon	2,327	▼ 1
87	Glenn	2,303	▼ 4
88	Clifford	2,291	▲ 1
89	Bob	2,244	▲ 5
90	Theodore	2,196	▼ 6
91	Martin	2,192	▼ 4
92	Phillip	2,175	▲ 3
93	Jerome	2,153	–
94	Floyd	2,094	▲ 2
95	Lloyd	2,087	▼ 3
96	Edwin	2,063	▼ 6
97	Tom	2,028	▲ 9
98	Curtis	2,012	▲ 3
99	Jesse	2,010	▲ 8
100	Vernon	1,994	▲ 3

Top 100 girl names, 1939
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	54,900	–
2	Barbara	37,257	–
3	Patricia	29,701	–
4	Betty	23,642	–
5	Shirley	20,445	–
6	Carol	20,166	–
7	Nancy	19,722	–
8	Judith	16,626	▲ 4
9	Dorothy	15,169	▼ 1
10	Margaret	14,951	▼ 1
11	Joan	14,143	▼ 1
12	Joyce	13,393	▼ 1
13	Sandra	11,970	▲ 1
14	Carolyn	11,290	▲ 1
15	Linda	10,713	▲ 16
16	Helen	10,419	▼ 3
17	Janet	10,120	▼ 1
18	Elizabeth	9,709	▼ 1
19	Marilyn	9,538	–
20	Donna	9,371	–
21	Virginia	9,227	▲ 1
22	Ruth	9,063	▼ 1
23	Sharon	9,014	▲ 7
24	Janice	8,779	–
25	Beverly	8,704	▼ 7
26	Frances	8,577	▼ 3
27	Martha	8,492	▼ 1
28	Judy	8,081	▲ 13
29	Doris	7,687	▼ 4
30	Phyllis	7,590	▼ 2
31	Alice	7,366	▼ 2
32	Jean	7,292	▼ 5
33	Ann	6,551	▼ 1
34	Peggy	6,050	▲ 1
35	Lois	6,034	▼ 2
36	Gloria	5,939	–
37	Marie	5,890	–
38	Norma	5,827	▼ 4
39	Karen	5,541	▲ 11
40	Evelyn	5,331	▼ 2
41	Geraldine	5,160	▲ 4
42	Rose	5,040	▼ 3
43	Anna	4,929	▼ 3
44	Susan	4,887	▲ 28
45	Elaine	4,785	▼ 3
46	Jane	4,771	▼ 2
47	Carole	4,679	▼ 1
48	Kathleen	4,656	▲ 10
49	Catherine	4,577	▼ 1
50	Wanda	4,557	▼ 1
51	Diane	4,339	▲ 13
52	Sally	4,244	▲ 2
53	Joanne	4,225	▲ 4
54	Annie	4,155	▼ 7
55	Mildred	4,137	▼ 3
56	Patsy	4,110	▼ 1
57	Joann	3,993	▲ 11
58	Dolores	3,980	▼ 15
59	Louise	3,958	–
60	Marjorie	3,907	▼ 7
61	Bonnie	3,887	▲ 4
62	Sylvia	3,870	▼ 6
63	Eleanor	3,810	▼ 3
64	Marlene	3,773	▼ 13
65	Loretta	3,769	▼ 3
66	Charlotte	3,739	▲ 4
67	Ruby	3,712	▼ 6
68	Sarah	3,671	▼ 1
69	Arlene	3,578	▼ 6
70	Jo	3,524	▲ 8
71	Roberta	3,409	▲ 2
72	Jacqueline	3,388	▼ 3
73	Gail	3,355	▲ 4
74	Irene	3,331	▼ 3
75	Darlene	3,287	▲ 1
76	Kay	3,260	▲ 5
77	Juanita	3,212	▲ 3
78	Rita	3,188	▼ 4
79	Delores	3,018	▼ 4
80	Ellen	3,005	▲ 9
81	Edna	2,904	▲ 1
82	Jeanette	2,893	▲ 9
83	June	2,867	▼ 4
84	Josephine	2,837	▼ 1
85	Anne	2,769	▼ 1
86	Brenda	2,756	▲ 158
87	Wilma	2,701	▼ 2
88	Thelma	2,696	▼ 2
89	Emma	2,685	▲ 7
90	Yvonne	2,648	▲ 11
91	Julia	2,635	▲ 16
92	Sue	2,623	▲ 12
93	Rosemary	2,612	▲ 2
94	Theresa	2,611	▼ 2
95	Lorraine	2,593	▼ 2
96	Florence	2,591	▼ 6
97	Anita	2,588	▲ 2
98	Audrey	2,569	▼ 11
99	Lillian	2,551	▼ 11
100	Ethel	2,496	▼ 6

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1939. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.