Most popular baby names of 1942

In 1942, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (77,180 babies, 5.6% of boys) and Mary for girls (63,255 babies, 4.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Richard for boys and Barbara, Patricia, Linda and Carol for girls. SSA recorded 4,044 different boy names and 5,378 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1942
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	77,180	–
2	Robert	71,841	–
3	John	66,041	–
4	William	54,891	–
5	Richard	43,592	–
6	David	35,905	▲ 1
7	Charles	35,855	▼ 1
8	Thomas	31,097	–
9	Ronald	27,136	–
10	Donald	23,956	–
11	Joseph	22,429	▲ 1
12	Larry	22,099	▼ 1
13	Michael	21,728	▲ 3
14	George	21,275	▼ 1
15	Kenneth	18,210	–
16	Jerry	17,487	▼ 2
17	Edward	17,469	–
18	Gary	17,067	▲ 1
19	Paul	16,493	▼ 1
20	Dennis	13,281	▲ 3
21	Frank	12,248	–
22	Gerald	11,483	▼ 2
23	Douglas	11,234	▲ 30
24	Raymond	11,116	▼ 2
25	Roger	9,174	–
26	Walter	8,681	–
27	Harold	8,582	▼ 3
28	Daniel	8,507	▲ 3
29	Arthur	8,028	▲ 4
30	Lawrence	7,639	▲ 4
31	Henry	7,562	▼ 3
32	Stephen	7,503	▲ 9
33	Joe	7,383	▼ 3
34	Jack	7,365	▼ 2
35	Billy	7,314	▼ 8
36	Carl	7,267	▼ 7
37	Willie	7,092	▼ 1
38	Ralph	6,635	–
39	Peter	6,587	▲ 5
40	Albert	6,496	–
41	Wayne	6,484	▼ 4
42	Roy	6,311	▼ 3
43	Bobby	6,249	▼ 8
44	Anthony	6,210	▲ 2
45	Eugene	6,091	▼ 3
46	Fred	6,088	▼ 3
47	Jimmy	5,948	▼ 2
48	Harry	5,629	–
49	Howard	5,570	▼ 2
50	Bruce	5,385	▲ 1
51	Louis	5,151	▼ 1
52	Terry	4,810	▲ 12
53	Norman	4,683	▼ 4
54	Philip	4,603	▼ 2
55	Johnny	4,587	–
56	Stanley	4,587	▲ 1
57	Leonard	4,369	▼ 3
58	Francis	4,297	▲ 2
59	Samuel	4,190	▲ 6
60	Melvin	4,189	▼ 4
61	Ernest	4,079	–
62	Earl	4,049	▼ 4
63	Dale	3,864	▼ 4
64	Patrick	3,804	▲ 6
65	Bill	3,795	▲ 3
66	Marvin	3,792	▼ 3
67	Clarence	3,741	▼ 5
68	Frederick	3,738	▲ 1
69	Leroy	3,717	▼ 2
70	Russell	3,675	▲ 5
71	Allen	3,571	▲ 2
72	Don	3,564	▼ 6
73	Tommy	3,531	▼ 2
74	Jim	3,514	▲ 6
75	Steven	3,505	▲ 15
76	Alfred	3,408	▼ 2
77	Phillip	3,373	–
78	Ronnie	3,363	▲ 1
79	Barry	3,209	▲ 12
80	Andrew	3,142	▲ 2
81	Alan	3,134	▲ 3
82	Gene	3,127	▼ 10
83	Herbert	3,112	▼ 7
84	Ray	3,066	▼ 1
85	Martin	3,046	–
86	Eddie	3,018	▼ 8
87	Lee	2,922	▼ 6
88	Glenn	2,888	▼ 2
89	Tom	2,875	▼ 1
90	Bernard	2,724	▼ 3
91	Theodore	2,665	▲ 4
92	Gordon	2,606	–
93	Leon	2,550	–
94	Jimmie	2,541	▼ 5
95	Clifford	2,533	▼ 1
96	Lloyd	2,463	–
97	Warren	2,423	▲ 8
98	Curtis	2,419	▲ 2
99	Jesse	2,397	–
100	Victor	2,395	▲ 18

Top 100 girl names, 1942
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	63,255	–
2	Barbara	44,739	–
3	Patricia	39,464	–
4	Linda	31,614	▲ 1
5	Carol	30,271	▼ 1
6	Sandra	24,993	▲ 3
7	Judith	24,792	▼ 1
8	Nancy	23,328	–
9	Betty	21,659	▼ 2
10	Carolyn	19,977	▲ 1
11	Sharon	19,648	▲ 4
12	Shirley	17,749	▼ 2
13	Joyce	16,728	–
14	Margaret	16,548	▼ 2
15	Judy	15,667	▲ 1
16	Karen	15,386	▲ 3
17	Dorothy	15,035	▼ 3
18	Joan	14,514	▼ 1
19	Janet	13,064	▼ 1
20	Donna	12,986	–
21	Susan	12,015	▲ 6
22	Elizabeth	11,185	▼ 1
23	Virginia	10,802	–
24	Kathleen	10,696	▲ 12
25	Janice	10,286	▼ 3
26	Helen	10,016	▼ 2
27	Marilyn	9,907	▲ 3
28	Diane	9,550	▲ 12
29	Martha	9,511	▼ 4
30	Frances	9,471	▲ 1
31	Gloria	9,450	▼ 5
32	Beverly	9,411	▼ 3
33	Ruth	9,315	▼ 5
34	Bonnie	8,823	▼ 1
35	Carole	8,407	▲ 13
36	Jean	8,257	▼ 4
37	Phyllis	7,793	▼ 2
38	Ann	7,666	▼ 1
39	Alice	7,382	▼ 5
40	Brenda	7,241	▲ 1
41	Doris	7,176	▼ 3
42	Peggy	6,579	▼ 3
43	Marie	6,559	▼ 1
44	Lois	6,406	▼ 1
45	Elaine	5,986	▼ 1
46	Jane	5,708	–
47	Geraldine	5,438	▼ 2
48	Joanne	5,342	▲ 6
49	Catherine	5,267	▲ 2
50	Rose	5,253	▼ 1
51	Charlotte	5,022	▲ 4
52	Norma	4,971	▼ 5
53	Evelyn	4,940	▼ 3
54	Wanda	4,792	▼ 1
55	Rita	4,706	▲ 8
56	Sally	4,655	▲ 5
57	Patsy	4,559	▼ 5
58	Joann	4,506	–
59	Anna	4,488	▼ 3
60	Gail	4,445	▲ 8
61	Louise	4,343	▲ 1
62	Annie	4,294	▼ 3
63	Dolores	4,267	▼ 6
64	Ellen	4,197	▲ 3
65	Jo	4,175	▲ 1
66	Roberta	4,105	▲ 6
67	Sarah	4,100	▼ 7
68	Diana	3,857	▲ 32
69	Jacqueline	3,831	▲ 4
70	Connie	3,825	▲ 9
71	Mildred	3,807	▼ 7
72	Sylvia	3,728	▼ 7
73	Sue	3,630	▲ 2
74	Marjorie	3,625	▼ 3
75	Kay	3,623	▼ 5
76	Anne	3,525	▲ 6
77	Ruby	3,519	▼ 8
78	Darlene	3,517	▼ 2
79	Loretta	3,406	▲ 2
80	Irene	3,383	▼ 6
81	Katherine	3,376	▲ 4
82	Kathryn	3,350	▲ 5
83	Arlene	3,331	▼ 6
84	Marlene	3,253	▼ 1
85	Rebecca	3,241	▲ 1
86	Delores	3,170	▼ 6
87	Eleanor	3,165	▼ 9
88	Eileen	3,107	▲ 33
89	Glenda	3,089	▲ 7
90	Juanita	3,074	▼ 6
91	Lorraine	3,010	▲ 2
92	Rosemary	3,004	▲ 2
93	Anita	2,998	▼ 2
94	Sheila	2,973	▲ 16
95	Julia	2,905	▼ 7
96	Christine	2,901	▲ 5
97	Maria	2,817	▲ 5
98	Theresa	2,799	▼ 3
99	Edna	2,763	▼ 10
100	Josephine	2,748	▼ 8

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1942. 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.