Most popular baby names of 1944

In 1944, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (76,951 babies, 5.6% of boys) and Mary for girls (62,472 babies, 4.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Richard for boys and Barbara, Linda, Patricia and Carol for girls. SSA recorded 3,909 different boy names and 5,243 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1944
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	76,951	–
2	Robert	70,855	–
3	John	66,611	–
4	William	52,373	–
5	Richard	45,643	–
6	David	37,379	–
7	Charles	34,663	–
8	Thomas	31,603	–
9	Michael	26,717	▲ 1
10	Ronald	25,514	▼ 1
11	Donald	23,466	–
12	Larry	22,025	–
13	Joseph	21,175	–
14	George	20,419	–
15	Gary	20,058	▲ 1
16	Kenneth	18,093	▼ 1
17	Paul	16,659	▲ 2
18	Edward	16,481	–
19	Jerry	16,283	▼ 2
20	Dennis	13,679	–
21	Frank	11,342	–
22	Raymond	10,634	–
23	Roger	10,581	▲ 1
24	Gerald	10,021	▼ 1
25	Daniel	9,314	–
26	Walter	8,159	–
27	Harold	7,980	–
28	Stephen	7,795	▲ 1
29	Jack	7,255	▲ 5
30	Arthur	7,254	–
31	Willie	7,194	▲ 5
32	Lawrence	7,129	–
33	Joe	7,062	▲ 2
34	Douglas	6,998	▼ 6
35	Henry	6,975	▼ 4
36	Carl	6,824	▼ 3
37	Wayne	6,722	▲ 4
38	Billy	6,545	▼ 1
39	Roy	6,534	▼ 1
40	Peter	6,340	▼ 1
41	Jimmy	6,320	▲ 1
42	Ralph	6,272	▼ 2
43	Terry	5,976	▲ 6
44	Albert	5,857	▼ 1
45	Johnny	5,661	▲ 7
46	Anthony	5,605	▼ 2
47	Fred	5,580	▼ 2
48	Eugene	5,505	▼ 1
49	Harry	5,479	▲ 1
50	Bobby	5,411	▼ 4
51	Bruce	5,262	–
52	Steven	5,113	▲ 6
53	Howard	5,025	▼ 5
54	Louis	4,678	▼ 1
55	Alan	4,277	▲ 12
56	Leonard	4,183	▼ 1
57	Stanley	4,121	▼ 3
58	Norman	4,065	▼ 2
59	Ernest	4,042	▲ 2
60	Philip	3,992	▼ 3
61	Dale	3,990	▼ 2
62	Samuel	3,946	–
63	Russell	3,931	▲ 10
64	Patrick	3,883	▲ 5
65	Earl	3,874	▼ 5
66	Bill	3,815	▼ 1
67	Melvin	3,745	▼ 3
68	Jim	3,744	▲ 7
69	Ronnie	3,739	▲ 2
70	Tommy	3,696	▲ 7
71	Francis	3,651	▼ 8
72	Don	3,589	–
73	Frederick	3,583	▼ 3
74	Clarence	3,575	▼ 6
75	Marvin	3,568	▼ 9
76	Danny	3,511	▲ 12
77	Allen	3,422	▼ 1
78	Leroy	3,409	▼ 4
79	Eddie	3,315	▲ 1
80	Mike	3,084	▲ 10
81	Andrew	3,057	▼ 2
82	Alfred	3,047	▼ 4
83	Phillip	3,002	▼ 2
84	Barry	2,979	▼ 2
85	Lee	2,929	▲ 6
86	Ray	2,904	▼ 2
87	Tom	2,901	–
88	Glenn	2,850	▼ 3
89	Steve	2,836	▲ 4
90	Herbert	2,773	▼ 4
91	Martin	2,767	▼ 8
92	Timothy	2,754	▲ 7
93	Mark	2,742	▲ 8
94	Bernard	2,619	▼ 2
95	Gene	2,602	▼ 6
96	Theodore	2,574	–
97	Curtis	2,465	▲ 3
98	Jimmie	2,398	▼ 3
99	Clifford	2,394	▼ 5
100	Warren	2,349	▲ 2

Top 100 girl names, 1944
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	62,472	–
2	Barbara	39,196	–
3	Linda	38,415	▲ 1
4	Patricia	36,872	▼ 1
5	Carol	30,456	–
6	Sandra	26,023	–
7	Nancy	23,217	▲ 2
8	Sharon	22,432	–
9	Judith	22,431	▼ 2
10	Betty	19,760	–
11	Carolyn	18,670	–
12	Judy	17,119	▲ 1
13	Susan	16,330	▲ 5
14	Margaret	16,320	–
15	Shirley	16,310	▼ 3
16	Karen	15,944	▼ 1
17	Donna	15,173	–
18	Joyce	14,768	▼ 2
19	Dorothy	13,380	–
20	Kathleen	13,004	▲ 2
21	Janet	12,592	▼ 1
22	Joan	11,920	▼ 1
23	Elizabeth	11,034	–
24	Diane	10,710	–
25	Gloria	9,968	▲ 5
26	Virginia	9,894	▼ 1
27	Marilyn	9,738	–
28	Janice	9,732	▼ 2
29	Martha	9,336	–
30	Brenda	8,998	▲ 5
31	Helen	8,696	▼ 3
32	Ruth	8,674	▲ 1
33	Frances	8,487	▼ 2
34	Bonnie	8,456	–
35	Beverly	8,292	▼ 3
36	Cheryl	7,972	▲ 66
37	Jean	7,650	▼ 1
38	Alice	7,102	–
39	Ann	7,080	▼ 2
40	Phyllis	7,022	▼ 1
41	Jane	6,564	▲ 3
42	Doris	6,324	▼ 2
43	Carole	6,268	▼ 1
44	Pamela	6,204	▲ 10
45	Peggy	6,019	▼ 4
46	Elaine	5,629	–
47	Lois	5,529	▼ 4
48	Marie	5,297	▼ 3
49	Catherine	5,256	▼ 1
50	Charlotte	4,928	▼ 3
51	Connie	4,796	▲ 8
52	Rose	4,710	▼ 2
53	Geraldine	4,666	▼ 2
54	Joanne	4,530	▼ 5
55	Rita	4,530	▼ 3
56	Gail	4,525	▼ 1
57	Evelyn	4,516	▼ 4
58	Wanda	4,431	▼ 2
59	Sally	4,388	▼ 2
60	Diana	4,311	▲ 2
61	Jo	4,226	▲ 2
62	Sue	4,034	▲ 10
63	Ellen	3,998	▲ 4
64	Jacqueline	3,975	▲ 1
65	Joann	3,974	▼ 5
66	Norma	3,864	▼ 8
67	Sarah	3,856	▲ 4
68	Kathryn	3,855	▲ 7
69	Louise	3,842	▲ 1
70	Roberta	3,744	▼ 4
71	Annie	3,738	▼ 2
72	Patsy	3,729	▼ 11
73	Eileen	3,649	▼ 5
74	Anna	3,635	▼ 10
75	Christine	3,584	▲ 9
76	Darlene	3,532	▼ 3
77	Katherine	3,525	▲ 1
78	Suzanne	3,462	▲ 8
79	Glenda	3,367	▲ 4
80	Maria	3,361	▲ 23
81	Mildred	3,318	▼ 5
82	Paula	3,315	▲ 11
83	Sylvia	3,291	▼ 6
84	Rebecca	3,246	▲ 3
85	Marjorie	3,218	▼ 6
86	Anne	3,208	▼ 6
87	Ruby	3,190	▼ 5
88	Kay	3,170	▼ 7
89	Marcia	3,140	▲ 7
90	Dianne	3,108	▼ 2
91	Irene	3,086	▼ 6
92	Dolores	3,081	▼ 18
93	Lorraine	3,046	▲ 1
94	Juanita	2,960	▼ 3
95	Anita	2,825	▲ 3
96	Theresa	2,817	▲ 4
97	Delores	2,756	▲ 2
98	Loretta	2,746	▼ 9
99	Rosemary	2,744	▼ 2
100	Sherry	2,733	▲ 23

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1944. 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.