Most popular baby names of 1941

In 1941, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (66,752 babies, 5.4% of boys) and Mary for girls (58,049 babies, 4.8% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Richard for boys and Barbara, Patricia, Carol and Linda for girls. SSA recorded 4,002 different boy names and 5,085 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1941
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	66,752	–
2	Robert	64,247	–
3	John	57,519	–
4	William	47,797	–
5	Richard	39,111	–
6	Charles	32,739	–
7	David	30,553	–
8	Thomas	26,643	–
9	Ronald	24,407	▲ 1
10	Donald	22,640	▼ 1
11	Larry	20,135	▲ 2
12	Joseph	19,808	–
13	George	19,260	▼ 2
14	Jerry	16,799	–
15	Kenneth	16,143	–
16	Michael	15,935	▲ 2
17	Edward	15,581	▼ 1
18	Paul	15,167	▼ 1
19	Gary	14,568	–
20	Gerald	10,941	▲ 1
21	Frank	10,795	▼ 1
22	Raymond	9,947	–
23	Dennis	9,562	▲ 1
24	Harold	8,103	▼ 1
25	Roger	8,094	▲ 1
26	Walter	7,746	▼ 1
27	Billy	7,655	–
28	Henry	7,164	▲ 3
29	Carl	7,161	▲ 3
30	Joe	7,158	▼ 2
31	Daniel	7,049	▲ 3
32	Jack	6,950	▼ 3
33	Arthur	6,738	–
34	Lawrence	6,652	▲ 2
35	Bobby	6,590	▼ 5
36	Willie	6,528	▼ 1
37	Wayne	6,111	▲ 2
38	Ralph	6,041	▼ 1
39	Roy	5,950	▲ 3
40	Albert	5,927	▲ 1
41	Stephen	5,811	▲ 8
42	Eugene	5,755	▼ 4
43	Fred	5,618	▼ 3
44	Peter	5,607	▼ 1
45	Jimmy	5,337	▼ 1
46	Anthony	5,239	–
47	Howard	5,068	▼ 2
48	Harry	5,056	▼ 1
49	Norman	4,459	▼ 1
50	Louis	4,446	–
51	Bruce	4,302	▲ 4
52	Philip	4,166	▲ 8
53	Douglas	4,146	▲ 3
54	Leonard	3,985	–
55	Johnny	3,983	▼ 4
56	Melvin	3,951	▼ 3
57	Stanley	3,926	▲ 2
58	Earl	3,805	▼ 6
59	Dale	3,790	▼ 2
60	Francis	3,738	▲ 1
61	Ernest	3,726	▼ 3
62	Clarence	3,671	▲ 2
63	Marvin	3,626	–
64	Terry	3,606	▲ 9
65	Samuel	3,537	–
66	Don	3,533	▼ 4
67	Leroy	3,524	▼ 1
68	Bill	3,453	▼ 1
69	Frederick	3,288	▼ 1
70	Patrick	3,155	▲ 4
71	Tommy	3,087	▲ 5
72	Gene	3,073	▼ 2
73	Allen	3,060	▼ 2
74	Alfred	3,052	▼ 5
75	Russell	3,032	▼ 3
76	Herbert	2,964	▼ 1
77	Phillip	2,870	▲ 2
78	Eddie	2,850	▲ 3
79	Ronnie	2,848	▲ 22
80	Jim	2,843	▼ 2
81	Lee	2,744	▼ 1
82	Andrew	2,707	▲ 2
83	Ray	2,695	▼ 6
84	Alan	2,624	▲ 4
85	Martin	2,605	–
86	Glenn	2,523	▼ 3
87	Bernard	2,509	▼ 5
88	Tom	2,500	▲ 4
89	Jimmie	2,473	▼ 3
90	Steven	2,468	▲ 29
91	Barry	2,464	▲ 18
92	Gordon	2,404	▼ 1
93	Leon	2,375	▼ 4
94	Clifford	2,363	–
95	Theodore	2,330	▼ 5
96	Lloyd	2,251	▲ 4
97	Edwin	2,213	▼ 1
98	Franklin	2,205	▼ 11
99	Jesse	2,184	▼ 6
100	Curtis	2,164	▼ 3

Top 100 girl names, 1941
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	58,049	–
2	Barbara	39,543	–
3	Patricia	36,904	–
4	Carol	24,187	▲ 2
5	Linda	23,721	▲ 3
6	Judith	23,318	▼ 2
7	Betty	20,904	▼ 2
8	Nancy	20,883	▼ 1
9	Sandra	19,498	▲ 1
10	Shirley	16,955	▼ 1
11	Carolyn	16,273	▲ 4
12	Margaret	15,695	▼ 1
13	Joyce	15,683	–
14	Dorothy	14,566	▼ 2
15	Sharon	14,271	▲ 2
16	Judy	13,967	–
17	Joan	13,380	▼ 3
18	Janet	11,137	▲ 1
19	Karen	10,831	▲ 15
20	Donna	10,446	▲ 3
21	Elizabeth	10,268	▼ 1
22	Janice	10,061	–
23	Virginia	10,044	▼ 2
24	Helen	9,887	▼ 6
25	Martha	9,157	▲ 1
26	Gloria	9,008	▲ 4
27	Susan	8,888	▲ 9
28	Ruth	8,863	▼ 4
29	Beverly	8,727	▼ 2
30	Marilyn	8,557	▼ 5
31	Frances	8,468	▼ 3
32	Jean	7,840	▼ 3
33	Bonnie	7,761	▲ 6
34	Alice	7,445	▼ 2
35	Phyllis	7,346	▼ 2
36	Kathleen	7,160	▲ 4
37	Ann	7,122	▼ 2
38	Doris	7,081	▼ 7
39	Peggy	6,560	▼ 2
40	Diane	6,428	▲ 5
41	Brenda	6,332	▲ 1
42	Marie	6,153	▼ 1
43	Lois	6,106	▼ 5
44	Elaine	5,377	▲ 6
45	Geraldine	5,228	▲ 1
46	Jane	5,089	▲ 1
47	Norma	5,021	▼ 4
48	Carole	4,966	▲ 1
49	Rose	4,954	▼ 5
50	Evelyn	4,929	▼ 2
51	Catherine	4,884	▲ 2
52	Patsy	4,788	▲ 5
53	Wanda	4,735	▼ 1
54	Joanne	4,665	–
55	Charlotte	4,564	–
56	Anna	4,432	▼ 5
57	Dolores	4,384	▲ 10
58	Joann	4,275	▲ 5
59	Annie	4,073	▼ 3
60	Sarah	3,983	–
61	Sally	3,965	–
62	Louise	3,910	▼ 3
63	Rita	3,879	▲ 7
64	Mildred	3,847	▼ 6
65	Sylvia	3,788	▼ 3
66	Jo	3,757	▲ 6
67	Ellen	3,664	▲ 7
68	Gail	3,609	▼ 3
69	Ruby	3,581	▼ 3
70	Kay	3,538	▲ 7
71	Marjorie	3,517	▼ 7
72	Roberta	3,396	▼ 1
73	Jacqueline	3,388	▲ 3
74	Irene	3,370	▼ 1
75	Sue	3,358	▲ 6
76	Darlene	3,344	▲ 3
77	Arlene	3,291	▼ 2
78	Eleanor	3,250	▼ 10
79	Connie	3,205	▲ 9
80	Delores	3,160	▲ 3
81	Loretta	3,100	▼ 12
82	Anne	3,097	▲ 2
83	Marlene	3,068	▼ 3
84	Juanita	3,045	▼ 6
85	Katherine	3,004	▲ 6
86	Rebecca	2,924	▲ 10
87	Kathryn	2,869	▲ 16
88	Julia	2,845	▲ 4
89	Edna	2,834	▼ 3
90	June	2,766	▼ 8
91	Anita	2,741	▼ 4
92	Josephine	2,726	▼ 3
93	Lorraine	2,688	▲ 2
94	Rosemary	2,677	▼ 9
95	Theresa	2,675	▲ 7
96	Glenda	2,643	▲ 11
97	Suzanne	2,611	▲ 12
98	Jeanette	2,596	▼ 8
99	Emma	2,546	▼ 5
100	Diana	2,544	▲ 17

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1941. 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.