Most popular baby names of 1945

In 1945, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (74,466 babies, 5.5% of boys) and Mary for girls (59,281 babies, 4.5% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Richard for boys and Linda, Barbara, Patricia and Carol for girls. SSA recorded 3,783 different boy names and 5,243 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1945
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	74,466	–
2	Robert	69,945	–
3	John	66,118	–
4	William	50,218	–
5	Richard	46,045	–
6	David	37,107	–
7	Charles	32,467	–
8	Thomas	31,873	–
9	Michael	29,902	–
10	Ronald	23,664	–
11	Larry	22,824	▲ 1
12	Donald	22,139	▼ 1
13	Gary	21,345	▲ 2
14	Joseph	20,821	▼ 1
15	George	19,324	▼ 1
16	Kenneth	18,098	–
17	Paul	16,994	–
18	Edward	15,871	–
19	Dennis	14,990	▲ 1
20	Jerry	14,702	▼ 1
21	Frank	10,874	–
22	Roger	10,570	▲ 1
23	Raymond	9,856	▼ 1
24	Daniel	9,708	▲ 1
25	Gerald	8,857	▼ 1
26	Stephen	8,639	▲ 2
27	Walter	7,574	▼ 1
28	Harold	7,525	▼ 1
29	Douglas	7,394	▲ 5
30	Lawrence	7,163	▲ 2
31	Willie	7,029	–
32	Jack	6,855	▼ 3
33	Terry	6,833	▲ 10
34	Arthur	6,801	▼ 4
35	Wayne	6,738	▲ 2
36	Joe	6,626	▼ 3
37	Henry	6,604	▼ 2
38	Peter	6,483	▲ 2
39	Carl	6,314	▼ 3
40	Roy	6,183	▼ 1
41	Jimmy	6,159	–
42	Billy	6,021	▼ 4
43	Steven	5,974	▲ 9
44	Ralph	5,785	▼ 2
45	Johnny	5,697	–
46	Anthony	5,686	–
47	Harry	5,648	▲ 2
48	Bruce	5,615	▲ 3
49	Albert	5,432	▼ 5
50	Eugene	5,167	▼ 2
51	Fred	5,118	▼ 4
52	Alan	5,073	▲ 3
53	Bobby	5,049	▼ 3
54	Howard	4,768	▼ 1
55	Louis	4,480	▼ 1
56	Danny	4,175	▲ 20
57	Leonard	4,125	▼ 1
58	Philip	4,111	▲ 2
59	Stanley	4,058	▼ 2
60	Ernest	4,005	▼ 1
61	Dale	3,957	–
62	Samuel	3,957	–
63	Patrick	3,853	▲ 1
64	Russell	3,806	▼ 1
65	Norman	3,726	▼ 7
66	Bill	3,711	–
67	Ronnie	3,651	▲ 2
68	Jim	3,624	–
69	Mike	3,592	▲ 11
70	Timothy	3,591	▲ 22
71	Earl	3,566	▼ 6
72	Mark	3,545	▲ 21
73	Don	3,482	▼ 1
74	Allen	3,481	▲ 3
75	Francis	3,449	▼ 4
76	Tommy	3,448	▼ 6
77	Frederick	3,436	▼ 4
78	Melvin	3,408	▼ 11
79	Steve	3,384	▲ 10
80	Marvin	3,294	▼ 5
81	Eddie	3,223	▼ 2
82	Clarence	3,196	▼ 8
83	Leroy	3,172	▼ 5
84	Barry	3,138	–
85	Phillip	3,081	▼ 2
86	Andrew	3,007	▼ 5
87	Lee	2,942	▼ 2
88	Alfred	2,894	▼ 6
89	Tom	2,893	▼ 2
90	Martin	2,823	▲ 1
91	Jeffrey	2,782	▲ 10
92	Ray	2,740	▼ 6
93	Glenn	2,734	▼ 5
94	Herbert	2,664	▼ 4
95	Victor	2,631	▲ 12
96	Gregory	2,474	▲ 56
97	Curtis	2,392	–
98	Bernard	2,389	▼ 4
99	Clifford	2,384	–
100	Gene	2,373	▼ 5

Top 100 girl names, 1945
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	59,281	–
2	Linda	41,465	▲ 1
3	Barbara	38,274	▼ 1
4	Patricia	35,843	–
5	Carol	30,388	–
6	Sandra	24,700	–
7	Nancy	21,456	–
8	Sharon	20,838	–
9	Judith	20,192	–
10	Susan	19,221	▲ 3
11	Betty	18,390	▼ 1
12	Carolyn	17,244	▼ 1
13	Judy	17,001	▼ 1
14	Shirley	16,150	▲ 1
15	Margaret	15,685	▼ 1
16	Karen	15,680	–
17	Donna	15,398	–
18	Joyce	13,950	–
19	Kathleen	13,802	▲ 1
20	Janet	12,326	▲ 1
21	Dorothy	12,323	▼ 2
22	Diane	12,223	▲ 2
23	Gloria	11,037	▲ 2
24	Janice	10,782	▲ 4
25	Joan	10,394	▼ 3
26	Elizabeth	10,343	▼ 3
27	Marilyn	9,534	–
28	Virginia	9,244	▼ 2
29	Brenda	9,204	▲ 1
30	Martha	8,751	▼ 1
31	Helen	8,300	–
32	Cheryl	8,149	▲ 4
33	Ruth	8,046	▼ 1
34	Frances	7,940	▼ 1
35	Bonnie	7,745	▼ 1
36	Jane	7,639	▲ 5
37	Beverly	7,618	▼ 2
38	Jean	7,428	▼ 1
39	Ann	7,038	–
40	Phyllis	6,530	–
41	Alice	6,359	▼ 3
42	Pamela	6,169	▲ 2
43	Diana	6,047	▲ 17
44	Elaine	5,887	▲ 2
45	Peggy	5,839	–
46	Doris	5,820	▼ 4
47	Connie	5,337	▲ 4
48	Lois	5,148	▼ 1
49	Marie	5,085	▼ 1
50	Catherine	5,031	▼ 1
51	Carole	4,842	▼ 8
52	Gail	4,832	▲ 4
53	Joanne	4,617	▲ 1
54	Rose	4,557	▼ 2
55	Charlotte	4,529	▼ 5
56	Geraldine	4,475	▼ 3
57	Evelyn	4,377	–
58	Wanda	4,295	–
59	Rita	4,282	▼ 4
60	Jo	4,224	▲ 1
61	Ellen	4,189	▲ 2
62	Christine	4,077	▲ 13
63	Jacqueline	3,989	▲ 1
64	Sally	3,981	▼ 5
65	Kathryn	3,971	▲ 3
66	Sue	3,915	▼ 4
67	Paula	3,798	▲ 15
68	Suzanne	3,770	▲ 10
69	Annie	3,739	▲ 2
70	Eileen	3,637	▲ 3
71	Darlene	3,626	▲ 5
72	Dianne	3,611	▲ 18
73	Anna	3,607	▲ 1
74	Norma	3,603	▼ 8
75	Roberta	3,601	▼ 5
76	Sarah	3,593	▼ 9
77	Laura	3,589	▲ 42
78	Louise	3,514	▼ 9
79	Rosemary	3,500	▲ 20
80	Joann	3,465	▼ 15
81	Anne	3,407	▲ 5
82	Katherine	3,392	▼ 5
83	Sylvia	3,375	–
84	Patsy	3,350	▼ 12
85	Rebecca	3,331	▼ 1
86	Maria	3,313	▼ 6
87	Lorraine	3,207	▲ 6
88	Marcia	3,206	▲ 1
89	Sheila	3,178	▲ 14
90	Cynthia	3,127	▲ 15
91	Kay	3,058	▼ 3
92	Glenda	2,963	▼ 13
93	Mildred	2,960	▼ 12
94	Marjorie	2,929	▼ 9
95	Ruby	2,904	▼ 8
96	Theresa	2,896	–
97	Irene	2,883	▼ 6
98	Jeanne	2,860	▲ 10
99	Arlene	2,771	▲ 2
100	Anita	2,768	▼ 5

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1945. 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.