Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1945

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1945 — 2,652,840 recorded births in total that year.

19441946 The 1940s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1945

Girls’ names

  1. 1Mary59,2784.5%
  2. 2Linda41,4653.2%
  3. 3Barbara38,2732.9%
  4. 4Patricia35,8442.7%
  5. 5Carol30,3892.3%
  6. 6Sandra24,7001.9%
  7. 7Nancy21,4561.6%
  8. 8Sharon20,8381.6%
  9. 9Judith20,1921.5%
  10. 10Susan19,2221.5%
  11. 11Betty18,3871.4%
  12. 12Carolyn17,2441.3%
  13. 13Judy17,0011.3%
  14. 14Shirley16,1501.2%
  15. 15Margaret15,6851.2%
  16. 16Karen15,6801.2%
  17. 17Donna15,3971.2%
  18. 18Joyce13,9501.1%
  19. 19Kathleen13,8021.1%
  20. 20Janet12,3260.9%
  21. 21Dorothy12,3230.9%
  22. 22Diane12,2230.9%
  23. 23Gloria11,0370.8%
  24. 24Janice10,7810.8%
  25. 25Joan10,3940.8%
  26. 26Elizabeth10,3430.8%
  27. 27Marilyn9,5340.7%
  28. 28Virginia9,2440.7%
  29. 29Brenda9,2030.7%
  30. 30Martha8,7520.7%
  31. 31Helen8,3010.6%
  32. 32Cheryl8,1490.6%
  33. 33Ruth8,0460.6%
  34. 34Frances7,9400.6%
  35. 35Bonnie7,7450.6%
  36. 36Jane7,6390.6%
  37. 37Beverly7,6180.6%
  38. 38Jean7,4290.6%
  39. 39Ann7,0380.5%
  40. 40Phyllis6,5300.5%
  41. 41Alice6,3590.5%
  42. 42Pamela6,1690.5%
  43. 43Diana6,0470.5%
  44. 44Elaine5,8870.5%
  45. 45Peggy5,8390.4%
  46. 46Doris5,8200.4%
  47. 47Connie5,3370.4%
  48. 48Lois5,1480.4%
  49. 49Marie5,0840.4%
  50. 50Catherine5,0310.4%
  51. 51Carole4,8420.4%
  52. 52Gail4,8320.4%
  53. 53Joanne4,6180.4%
  54. 54Rose4,5570.3%
  55. 55Charlotte4,5290.3%
  56. 56Geraldine4,4750.3%
  57. 57Evelyn4,3770.3%
  58. 58Wanda4,2950.3%
  59. 59Rita4,2820.3%
  60. 60Jo4,2240.3%
  61. 61Ellen4,1890.3%
  62. 62Christine4,0770.3%
  63. 63Jacqueline3,9890.3%
  64. 64Sally3,9820.3%
  65. 65Kathryn3,9710.3%
  66. 66Sue3,9140.3%
  67. 67Paula3,7980.3%
  68. 68Suzanne3,7700.3%
  69. 69Annie3,7410.3%
  70. 70Eileen3,6370.3%
  71. 71Darlene3,6260.3%
  72. 72Dianne3,6110.3%
  73. 73Anna3,6070.3%
  74. 74Norma3,6030.3%
  75. 75Roberta3,6020.3%
  76. 76Sarah3,5920.3%
  77. 77Laura3,5890.3%
  78. 78Louise3,5140.3%
  79. 79Rosemary3,5000.3%
  80. 80Joann3,4650.3%
  81. 81Anne3,4070.3%
  82. 82Katherine3,3930.3%
  83. 83Sylvia3,3750.3%
  84. 84Patsy3,3500.3%
  85. 85Rebecca3,3310.3%
  86. 86Maria3,3130.3%
  87. 87Lorraine3,2070.2%
  88. 88Marcia3,2060.2%
  89. 89Sheila3,1780.2%
  90. 90Cynthia3,1270.2%
  91. 91Kay3,0580.2%
  92. 92Glenda2,9630.2%
  93. 93Mildred2,9600.2%
  94. 94Marjorie2,9290.2%
  95. 95Ruby2,9040.2%
  96. 96Theresa2,8950.2%
  97. 97Irene2,8830.2%
  98. 98Jeanne2,8610.2%
  99. 99Arlene2,7710.2%
  100. 100Anita2,7680.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James74,4645.5%
  2. 2Robert69,9475.2%
  3. 3John66,1174.9%
  4. 4William50,2183.7%
  5. 5Richard46,0463.4%
  6. 6David37,1102.8%
  7. 7Charles32,4692.4%
  8. 8Thomas31,8742.4%
  9. 9Michael29,9022.2%
  10. 10Ronald23,6651.8%
  11. 11Larry22,8241.7%
  12. 12Donald22,1381.6%
  13. 13Gary21,3451.6%
  14. 14Joseph20,8231.5%
  15. 15George19,3271.4%
  16. 16Kenneth18,0961.3%
  17. 17Paul16,9951.3%
  18. 18Edward15,8701.2%
  19. 19Dennis14,9901.1%
  20. 20Jerry14,7041.1%
  21. 21Frank10,8740.8%
  22. 22Roger10,5710.8%
  23. 23Raymond9,8580.7%
  24. 24Daniel9,7080.7%
  25. 25Gerald8,8570.7%
  26. 26Stephen8,6410.6%
  27. 27Walter7,5740.6%
  28. 28Harold7,5240.6%
  29. 29Douglas7,3940.5%
  30. 30Lawrence7,1630.5%
  31. 31Willie7,0300.5%
  32. 32Jack6,8570.5%
  33. 33Terry6,8340.5%
  34. 34Arthur6,8020.5%
  35. 35Wayne6,7380.5%
  36. 36Joe6,6250.5%
  37. 37Henry6,6060.5%
  38. 38Peter6,4830.5%
  39. 39Carl6,3140.5%
  40. 40Roy6,1830.5%
  41. 41Jimmy6,1590.5%
  42. 42Billy6,0220.4%
  43. 43Steven5,9740.4%
  44. 44Ralph5,7850.4%
  45. 45Johnny5,6990.4%
  46. 46Anthony5,6860.4%
  47. 47Harry5,6500.4%
  48. 48Bruce5,6150.4%
  49. 49Albert5,4320.4%
  50. 50Eugene5,1670.4%
  51. 51Fred5,1180.4%
  52. 52Alan5,0730.4%
  53. 53Bobby5,0520.4%
  54. 54Howard4,7680.4%
  55. 55Louis4,4800.3%
  56. 56Danny4,1750.3%
  57. 57Leonard4,1250.3%
  58. 58Philip4,1120.3%
  59. 59Stanley4,0580.3%
  60. 60Ernest4,0050.3%
  61. 61Dale3,9570.3%
  62. 62Samuel3,9570.3%
  63. 63Patrick3,8540.3%
  64. 64Russell3,8060.3%
  65. 65Norman3,7260.3%
  66. 66Bill3,7110.3%
  67. 67Ronnie3,6510.3%
  68. 68Jim3,6250.3%
  69. 69Mike3,5920.3%
  70. 70Timothy3,5910.3%
  71. 71Earl3,5670.3%
  72. 72Mark3,5450.3%
  73. 73Don3,4820.3%
  74. 74Allen3,4810.3%
  75. 75Tommy3,4490.3%
  76. 76Francis3,4480.3%
  77. 77Frederick3,4370.3%
  78. 78Melvin3,4080.3%
  79. 79Steve3,3840.3%
  80. 80Marvin3,2940.2%
  81. 81Eddie3,2230.2%
  82. 82Clarence3,1960.2%
  83. 83Leroy3,1700.2%
  84. 84Barry3,1380.2%
  85. 85Phillip3,0810.2%
  86. 86Andrew3,0070.2%
  87. 87Lee2,9420.2%
  88. 88Alfred2,8940.2%
  89. 89Tom2,8930.2%
  90. 90Martin2,8230.2%
  91. 91Jeffrey2,7820.2%
  92. 92Ray2,7400.2%
  93. 93Glenn2,7340.2%
  94. 94Herbert2,6640.2%
  95. 95Victor2,6310.2%
  96. 96Gregory2,4740.2%
  97. 97Curtis2,3930.2%
  98. 98Bernard2,3880.2%
  99. 99Clifford2,3840.2%
  100. 100Gene2,3730.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1945 applications for that sex — a useful reminder of how much more concentrated naming used to be. In 1880 the top girls’ name alone accounted for several percent of all girls; today the #1 name is well under one percent.

Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.