Most popular baby names of 1943

In 1943, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (80,275 babies, 5.6% of boys) and Mary for girls (66,176 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 4,040 different boy names and 5,368 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1943
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	80,275	–
2	Robert	74,890	–
3	John	68,928	–
4	William	55,904	–
5	Richard	46,338	–
6	David	37,243	–
7	Charles	36,630	–
8	Thomas	32,874	–
9	Ronald	29,240	–
10	Michael	24,745	▲ 3
11	Donald	24,420	▼ 1
12	Larry	22,979	–
13	Joseph	22,827	▼ 2
14	George	21,692	–
15	Kenneth	19,112	–
16	Gary	17,868	▲ 2
17	Jerry	17,729	▼ 1
18	Edward	17,713	▼ 1
19	Paul	17,249	–
20	Dennis	14,114	–
21	Frank	12,245	–
22	Raymond	11,392	▲ 2
23	Gerald	11,368	▼ 1
24	Roger	10,772	▲ 1
25	Daniel	9,168	▲ 3
26	Walter	9,035	–
27	Harold	8,671	–
28	Douglas	8,235	▼ 5
29	Stephen	7,931	▲ 3
30	Arthur	7,785	▼ 1
31	Henry	7,631	–
32	Lawrence	7,583	▼ 2
33	Carl	7,473	▲ 3
34	Jack	7,397	–
35	Joe	7,307	▼ 2
36	Willie	7,180	▲ 1
37	Billy	7,011	▼ 2
38	Roy	6,931	▲ 4
39	Peter	6,877	–
40	Ralph	6,771	▼ 2
41	Wayne	6,763	–
42	Jimmy	6,444	▲ 5
43	Albert	6,306	▼ 3
44	Anthony	6,200	–
45	Fred	6,168	▲ 1
46	Bobby	6,121	▼ 3
47	Eugene	5,902	▼ 2
48	Howard	5,739	▲ 1
49	Terry	5,737	▲ 3
50	Harry	5,720	▼ 2
51	Bruce	5,430	▼ 1
52	Johnny	5,382	▲ 3
53	Louis	5,033	▼ 2
54	Stanley	4,699	▲ 2
55	Leonard	4,617	▲ 2
56	Norman	4,522	▼ 3
57	Philip	4,473	▼ 3
58	Steven	4,267	▲ 17
59	Dale	4,234	▲ 4
60	Earl	4,186	▲ 2
61	Ernest	4,172	–
62	Samuel	4,142	▼ 3
63	Francis	4,068	▼ 5
64	Melvin	4,068	▼ 4
65	Bill	3,989	–
66	Marvin	3,939	–
67	Alan	3,855	▲ 14
68	Clarence	3,854	▼ 1
69	Patrick	3,848	▼ 5
70	Frederick	3,840	▼ 2
71	Ronnie	3,826	▲ 7
72	Don	3,816	–
73	Russell	3,752	▼ 3
74	Leroy	3,740	▼ 5
75	Jim	3,682	▼ 1
76	Allen	3,626	▼ 5
77	Tommy	3,612	▼ 4
78	Alfred	3,445	▼ 2
79	Andrew	3,351	▲ 1
80	Eddie	3,282	▲ 6
81	Phillip	3,251	▼ 4
82	Barry	3,193	▼ 3
83	Martin	3,080	▲ 2
84	Ray	3,063	–
85	Glenn	3,053	▲ 3
86	Herbert	3,043	▼ 3
87	Tom	2,910	▲ 2
88	Danny	2,898	▲ 23
89	Gene	2,866	▼ 7
90	Mike	2,803	▲ 16
91	Lee	2,789	▼ 4
92	Bernard	2,744	▼ 2
93	Steve	2,684	▲ 9
94	Clifford	2,666	▲ 1
95	Jimmie	2,628	▼ 1
96	Theodore	2,616	▼ 5
97	Victor	2,616	▲ 3
98	Gordon	2,608	▼ 6
99	Timothy	2,578	▲ 9
100	Curtis	2,525	▼ 2

Top 100 girl names, 1943
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	66,176	–
2	Barbara	43,432	–
3	Patricia	39,621	–
4	Linda	38,439	–
5	Carol	31,685	–
6	Sandra	25,990	–
7	Judith	25,214	–
8	Sharon	24,713	▲ 3
9	Nancy	23,987	▼ 1
10	Betty	21,596	▼ 1
11	Carolyn	20,364	▼ 1
12	Shirley	17,816	–
13	Judy	17,383	▲ 2
14	Margaret	17,153	–
15	Karen	16,816	▲ 1
16	Joyce	16,486	▼ 3
17	Donna	14,914	▲ 3
18	Susan	14,888	▲ 3
19	Dorothy	14,794	▼ 2
20	Janet	13,316	▼ 1
21	Joan	13,232	▼ 3
22	Kathleen	12,153	▲ 2
23	Elizabeth	11,644	▼ 1
24	Diane	11,326	▲ 4
25	Virginia	10,846	▼ 2
26	Janice	10,651	▼ 1
27	Marilyn	10,144	–
28	Helen	9,800	▼ 2
29	Martha	9,705	–
30	Gloria	9,684	▲ 1
31	Frances	9,448	▼ 1
32	Beverly	9,435	–
33	Ruth	9,369	–
34	Bonnie	8,870	–
35	Brenda	8,436	▲ 5
36	Jean	8,096	–
37	Ann	7,829	▲ 1
38	Alice	7,648	▲ 1
39	Phyllis	7,609	▼ 2
40	Doris	7,127	▲ 1
41	Peggy	6,512	▲ 1
42	Carole	6,506	▼ 7
43	Lois	6,132	▲ 1
44	Jane	6,032	▲ 2
45	Marie	5,978	▼ 2
46	Elaine	5,965	▼ 1
47	Charlotte	5,482	▲ 4
48	Catherine	5,427	▲ 1
49	Joanne	5,269	▼ 1
50	Rose	5,207	–
51	Geraldine	5,189	▼ 4
52	Rita	5,011	▲ 3
53	Evelyn	4,912	–
54	Pamela	4,839	▲ 52
55	Gail	4,810	▲ 5
56	Wanda	4,705	▼ 2
57	Sally	4,659	▼ 1
58	Norma	4,541	▼ 6
59	Connie	4,512	▲ 11
60	Joann	4,463	▼ 2
61	Patsy	4,355	▼ 4
62	Diana	4,337	▲ 6
63	Jo	4,300	▲ 2
64	Anna	4,231	▼ 5
65	Jacqueline	4,189	▲ 4
66	Roberta	4,169	–
67	Ellen	4,152	▼ 3
68	Eileen	4,092	▲ 20
69	Annie	4,070	▼ 7
70	Louise	4,044	▼ 9
71	Sarah	3,990	▼ 4
72	Sue	3,850	▲ 1
73	Darlene	3,774	▲ 5
74	Dolores	3,698	▼ 11
75	Kathryn	3,647	▲ 7
76	Mildred	3,626	▼ 5
77	Sylvia	3,623	▼ 5
78	Katherine	3,616	▲ 3
79	Marjorie	3,608	▼ 5
80	Anne	3,535	▼ 4
81	Kay	3,493	▼ 6
82	Ruby	3,470	▼ 5
83	Glenda	3,403	▲ 6
84	Christine	3,315	▲ 12
85	Irene	3,299	▼ 5
86	Suzanne	3,280	▲ 17
87	Rebecca	3,270	▼ 2
88	Dianne	3,193	▲ 21
89	Loretta	3,169	▼ 10
90	Arlene	3,145	▼ 7
91	Juanita	3,085	▼ 1
92	Sheila	3,063	▲ 2
93	Paula	3,042	▲ 43
94	Lorraine	3,015	▼ 3
95	Julia	2,973	–
96	Marcia	2,969	▲ 9
97	Rosemary	2,967	▼ 5
98	Anita	2,952	▼ 5
99	Delores	2,930	▼ 13
100	Theresa	2,929	▼ 2

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1943. 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.