Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1947

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1947 — 3,602,100 recorded births in total that year.

19461948 The 1940s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1947

Girls’ names

  1. 1Linda99,6925.6%
  2. 2Mary71,6904.0%
  3. 3Patricia51,2782.9%
  4. 4Barbara48,8002.8%
  5. 5Sandra34,7792.0%
  6. 6Carol33,5431.9%
  7. 7Nancy32,4451.8%
  8. 8Susan31,9521.8%
  9. 9Sharon28,5331.6%
  10. 10Donna23,5171.3%
  11. 11Kathleen22,0951.2%
  12. 12Judith21,9961.2%
  13. 13Karen21,6481.2%
  14. 14Judy21,0371.2%
  15. 15Carolyn20,7421.2%
  16. 16Margaret20,1011.1%
  17. 17Betty18,9661.1%
  18. 18Diane17,7751.0%
  19. 19Shirley17,6481.0%
  20. 20Joyce15,9150.9%
  21. 21Brenda15,8300.9%
  22. 22Janice15,4090.9%
  23. 23Janet15,2360.9%
  24. 24Cheryl13,8900.8%
  25. 25Elizabeth13,4400.8%
  26. 26Dorothy12,7530.7%
  27. 27Gloria12,6270.7%
  28. 28Pamela12,3980.7%
  29. 29Marilyn11,8810.7%
  30. 30Joan11,2770.6%
  31. 31Beverly11,2050.6%
  32. 32Martha10,6510.6%
  33. 33Cynthia10,5300.6%
  34. 34Virginia10,4070.6%
  35. 35Bonnie10,2140.6%
  36. 36Jane9,9430.6%
  37. 37Phyllis9,1870.5%
  38. 38Helen8,9790.5%
  39. 39Frances8,9430.5%
  40. 40Jean8,9400.5%
  41. 41Ann8,8940.5%
  42. 42Peggy8,8770.5%
  43. 43Connie8,6450.5%
  44. 44Ruth8,4820.5%
  45. 45Christine8,3790.5%
  46. 46Catherine7,8890.4%
  47. 47Alice7,8490.4%
  48. 48Diana7,6220.4%
  49. 49Gail7,2420.4%
  50. 50Elaine7,0590.4%
  51. 51Jo6,7240.4%
  52. 52Rebecca6,3330.4%
  53. 53Suzanne6,2310.4%
  54. 54Paula6,1020.3%
  55. 55Kathryn6,0910.3%
  56. 56Joanne6,0620.3%
  57. 57Marie6,0570.3%
  58. 58Doris6,0290.3%
  59. 59Jacqueline6,0110.3%
  60. 60Rita5,9820.3%
  61. 61Ellen5,8560.3%
  62. 62Deborah5,8370.3%
  63. 63Lois5,7170.3%
  64. 64Kathy5,6970.3%
  65. 65Rose5,6540.3%
  66. 66Wanda5,6490.3%
  67. 67Sherry5,5790.3%
  68. 68Charlotte5,3860.3%
  69. 69Sue5,3060.3%
  70. 70Sally5,2650.3%
  71. 71Darlene5,2550.3%
  72. 72Evelyn5,2430.3%
  73. 73Sheila5,0950.3%
  74. 74Laura5,0510.3%
  75. 75Lynn4,9940.3%
  76. 76Katherine4,8840.3%
  77. 77Lynda4,8400.3%
  78. 78Geraldine4,8110.3%
  79. 79Maria4,7120.3%
  80. 80Rosemary4,5420.3%
  81. 81Marcia4,4720.3%
  82. 82Norma4,4250.2%
  83. 83Dianne4,4150.2%
  84. 84Lorraine4,4140.2%
  85. 85Theresa4,3900.2%
  86. 86Jeanne4,3640.2%
  87. 87Patsy4,3440.2%
  88. 88Marsha4,3390.2%
  89. 89Joann4,2760.2%
  90. 90Roberta4,2610.2%
  91. 91Eileen4,2510.2%
  92. 92Anna4,2380.2%
  93. 93Sarah4,2230.2%
  94. 94Anita4,1870.2%
  95. 95Anne4,1870.2%
  96. 96Glenda4,1560.2%
  97. 97Sylvia4,1000.2%
  98. 98Maureen4,0850.2%
  99. 99Louise4,0500.2%
  100. 100Constance3,8940.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James94,7675.2%
  2. 2Robert91,6555.0%
  3. 3John88,3244.8%
  4. 4William67,0023.7%
  5. 5Richard58,5323.2%
  6. 6David57,8103.2%
  7. 7Michael50,5062.8%
  8. 8Thomas44,8422.5%
  9. 9Charles40,7812.2%
  10. 10Larry34,9461.9%
  11. 11Ronald34,8991.9%
  12. 12Gary30,0291.6%
  13. 13Donald28,2601.5%
  14. 14Joseph27,5201.5%
  15. 15Kenneth24,5861.3%
  16. 16George23,9161.3%
  17. 17Dennis23,6861.3%
  18. 18Paul22,7961.2%
  19. 19Edward20,5391.1%
  20. 20Jerry18,7941.0%
  21. 21Stephen15,3280.8%
  22. 22Daniel15,1890.8%
  23. 23Frank13,9940.8%
  24. 24Steven13,5280.7%
  25. 25Roger12,7600.7%
  26. 26Terry12,7510.7%
  27. 27Raymond12,3520.7%
  28. 28Gerald10,7500.6%
  29. 29Bruce10,5240.6%
  30. 30Wayne10,1690.6%
  31. 31Douglas9,8950.5%
  32. 32Lawrence9,5820.5%
  33. 33Gregory9,3270.5%
  34. 34Walter9,2180.5%
  35. 35Harold8,9040.5%
  36. 36Peter8,5900.5%
  37. 37Jack8,5070.5%
  38. 38Arthur8,2550.5%
  39. 39Danny8,0690.4%
  40. 40Carl8,0500.4%
  41. 41Anthony8,0140.4%
  42. 42Willie7,9970.4%
  43. 43Joe7,9040.4%
  44. 44Jimmy7,8810.4%
  45. 45Alan7,8230.4%
  46. 46Henry7,8070.4%
  47. 47Mark7,7730.4%
  48. 48Roy7,5600.4%
  49. 49Johnny7,4410.4%
  50. 50Ralph7,3890.4%
  51. 51Billy6,9330.4%
  52. 52Timothy6,7470.4%
  53. 53Patrick6,6220.4%
  54. 54Harry6,5150.4%
  55. 55Albert6,4620.4%
  56. 56Fred6,3920.3%
  57. 57Philip6,2350.3%
  58. 58Steve6,2310.3%
  59. 59Eugene6,1780.3%
  60. 60Bobby6,1160.3%
  61. 61Ronnie6,1100.3%
  62. 62Howard6,0610.3%
  63. 63Dale5,9360.3%
  64. 64Louis5,7780.3%
  65. 65Mike5,7500.3%
  66. 66Jeffrey5,6650.3%
  67. 67Stanley5,5010.3%
  68. 68Barry5,4720.3%
  69. 69Russell5,2700.3%
  70. 70Glenn5,1570.3%
  71. 71Leonard5,1550.3%
  72. 72Samuel5,1100.3%
  73. 73Allen5,0750.3%
  74. 74Phillip4,7890.3%
  75. 75Ernest4,7870.3%
  76. 76Bill4,6810.3%
  77. 77Jim4,6400.3%
  78. 78Frederick4,6370.3%
  79. 79Tommy4,5940.3%
  80. 80Eddie4,4570.2%
  81. 81Norman4,4100.2%
  82. 82Andrew4,3460.2%
  83. 83Earl4,2420.2%
  84. 84Francis4,2080.2%
  85. 85Melvin4,1690.2%
  86. 86Don4,0070.2%
  87. 87Tom3,9220.2%
  88. 88Clarence3,9210.2%
  89. 89Marvin3,7730.2%
  90. 90Martin3,7240.2%
  91. 91Keith3,6840.2%
  92. 92Lee3,6760.2%
  93. 93Craig3,6400.2%
  94. 94Rodney3,5640.2%
  95. 95Brian3,4500.2%
  96. 96Alfred3,4170.2%
  97. 97Ray3,3790.2%
  98. 98Leroy3,3470.2%
  99. 99Curtis3,0370.2%
  100. 100Bernard2,9940.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1947 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.