United States · 2,302,700 recorded births
Top baby names of 1940
Mary and James led the year. Climbing fast: Brenda (up 44), Rebecca (up 38), Steven (up 25), Mark (up 21).
Girls
| # | Name | Births | vs 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 56,216 | · |
| 2 | Barbara | 36,736 | · |
| 3 | Patricia | 32,665 | · |
| 4 | Judith | 22,385 | ▲ 4 |
| 5 | Betty | 22,077 | ▼ 1 |
| 6 | Carol | 21,759 | · |
| 7 | Nancy | 19,737 | · |
| 8 | Linda | 18,370 | ▲ 7 |
| 9 | Shirley | 17,881 | ▼ 4 |
| 10 | Sandra | 16,153 | ▲ 3 |
| 11 | Margaret | 15,063 | ▼ 1 |
| 12 | Dorothy | 14,875 | ▼ 3 |
| 13 | Joyce | 14,801 | ▼ 1 |
| 14 | Joan | 13,292 | ▼ 3 |
| 15 | Carolyn | 12,657 | ▼ 1 |
| 16 | Judy | 11,382 | ▲ 12 |
| 17 | Sharon | 11,121 | ▲ 6 |
| 18 | Helen | 10,203 | ▼ 2 |
| 19 | Janet | 10,105 | ▼ 2 |
| 20 | Elizabeth | 9,955 | ▼ 2 |
| 21 | Virginia | 9,554 | · |
| 22 | Janice | 9,318 | ▲ 2 |
| 23 | Donna | 9,232 | ▼ 3 |
| 24 | Ruth | 8,888 | ▼ 2 |
| 25 | Marilyn | 8,704 | ▼ 6 |
| 26 | Martha | 8,695 | ▲ 1 |
| 27 | Beverly | 8,657 | ▼ 2 |
| 28 | Frances | 8,621 | ▼ 2 |
| 29 | Jean | 8,063 | ▲ 3 |
| 30 | Gloria | 8,026 | ▲ 6 |
| 31 | Doris | 7,767 | ▼ 2 |
| 32 | Alice | 7,603 | ▼ 1 |
| 33 | Phyllis | 7,416 | ▼ 3 |
| 34 | Karen | 7,283 | ▲ 5 |
| 35 | Ann | 7,196 | ▼ 2 |
| 36 | Susan | 6,756 | ▲ 8 |
| 37 | Peggy | 6,128 | ▼ 3 |
| 38 | Lois | 6,125 | ▼ 3 |
| 39 | Bonnie | 5,957 | ▲ 22 |
| 40 | Kathleen | 5,697 | ▲ 8 |
| 41 | Marie | 5,542 | ▼ 4 |
| 42 | Brenda | 5,442 | ▲ 44 |
| 43 | Norma | 5,334 | ▼ 5 |
| 44 | Rose | 5,198 | ▼ 2 |
| 45 | Diane | 5,172 | ▲ 6 |
| 46 | Geraldine | 5,150 | ▼ 5 |
| 47 | Jane | 5,091 | ▼ 1 |
| 48 | Evelyn | 4,982 | ▼ 8 |
| 49 | Carole | 4,790 | ▼ 2 |
| 50 | Elaine | 4,782 | ▼ 5 |
| 51 | Anna | 4,717 | ▼ 8 |
| 52 | Wanda | 4,708 | ▼ 2 |
| 53 | Catherine | 4,584 | ▼ 4 |
| 54 | Joanne | 4,418 | ▼ 1 |
| 55 | Charlotte | 4,291 | ▲ 11 |
| 56 | Annie | 4,216 | ▼ 2 |
| 57 | Patsy | 4,079 | ▼ 1 |
| 58 | Mildred | 3,938 | ▼ 3 |
| 59 | Louise | 3,928 | · |
| 60 | Sarah | 3,869 | ▲ 8 |
| 61 | Sally | 3,803 | ▼ 9 |
| 62 | Sylvia | 3,802 | · |
| 63 | Joann | 3,789 | ▼ 6 |
| 64 | Marjorie | 3,681 | ▼ 4 |
| 65 | Gail | 3,621 | ▲ 8 |
| 66 | Ruby | 3,619 | ▲ 1 |
| 67 | Dolores | 3,604 | ▼ 9 |
| 68 | Eleanor | 3,584 | ▼ 5 |
| 69 | Loretta | 3,502 | ▼ 4 |
| 70 | Rita | 3,442 | ▲ 8 |
| 71 | Roberta | 3,431 | · |
| 72 | Jo | 3,427 | ▼ 2 |
| 73 | Irene | 3,394 | ▲ 1 |
| 74 | Ellen | 3,318 | ▲ 6 |
| 75 | Arlene | 3,257 | ▼ 6 |
| 76 | Jacqueline | 3,215 | ▼ 4 |
| 77 | Kay | 3,200 | ▼ 1 |
| 78 | Juanita | 3,174 | ▼ 1 |
| 79 | Darlene | 3,120 | ▼ 4 |
| 80 | Marlene | 3,118 | ▼ 16 |
| 81 | Sue | 3,104 | ▲ 11 |
| 82 | June | 2,949 | ▲ 1 |
| 83 | Delores | 2,929 | ▼ 4 |
| 84 | Anne | 2,897 | ▲ 1 |
| 85 | Rosemary | 2,874 | ▲ 8 |
| 86 | Edna | 2,835 | ▼ 5 |
| 87 | Anita | 2,828 | ▲ 10 |
| 88 | Connie | 2,795 | ▲ 23 |
| 89 | Josephine | 2,744 | ▼ 5 |
| 90 | Jeanette | 2,727 | ▼ 8 |
| 91 | Julia | 2,709 | · |
| 92 | Katherine | 2,709 | ▲ 9 |
| 93 | Wilma | 2,621 | ▼ 6 |
| 94 | Emma | 2,606 | ▼ 5 |
| 95 | Lorraine | 2,579 | · |
| 96 | Rebecca | 2,555 | ▲ 38 |
| 97 | Lillian | 2,525 | ▲ 2 |
| 98 | Edith | 2,510 | ▲ 4 |
| 99 | Audrey | 2,501 | ▼ 1 |
| 100 | Florence | 2,467 | ▼ 4 |
Boys
| # | Name | Births | vs 1939 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 62,481 | ▲ 1 |
| 2 | Robert | 61,198 | ▼ 1 |
| 3 | John | 54,786 | · |
| 4 | William | 44,779 | · |
| 5 | Richard | 37,425 | · |
| 6 | Charles | 31,689 | · |
| 7 | David | 27,690 | · |
| 8 | Thomas | 23,991 | ▲ 1 |
| 9 | Donald | 23,115 | ▼ 1 |
| 10 | Ronald | 20,741 | · |
| 11 | George | 18,315 | · |
| 12 | Joseph | 18,208 | · |
| 13 | Larry | 17,199 | ▲ 1 |
| 14 | Jerry | 15,213 | ▲ 2 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 15,132 | ▼ 2 |
| 16 | Edward | 14,405 | ▼ 1 |
| 17 | Paul | 14,097 | · |
| 18 | Michael | 13,228 | · |
| 19 | Gary | 12,573 | ▲ 2 |
| 20 | Frank | 10,595 | · |
| 21 | Gerald | 10,236 | ▼ 2 |
| 22 | Raymond | 9,567 | · |
| 23 | Harold | 8,080 | · |
| 24 | Dennis | 7,845 | ▲ 10 |
| 25 | Walter | 7,723 | · |
| 26 | Roger | 7,598 | ▲ 2 |
| 27 | Billy | 7,596 | ▼ 3 |
| 28 | Joe | 7,216 | ▼ 1 |
| 29 | Jack | 7,048 | ▼ 3 |
| 30 | Bobby | 6,882 | ▼ 1 |
| 31 | Henry | 6,822 | · |
| 32 | Carl | 6,752 | ▼ 2 |
| 33 | Arthur | 6,510 | ▼ 1 |
| 34 | Daniel | 6,225 | ▲ 4 |
| 35 | Willie | 6,176 | ▼ 2 |
| 36 | Lawrence | 6,173 | · |
| 37 | Ralph | 5,838 | ▼ 2 |
| 38 | Eugene | 5,804 | ▼ 1 |
| 39 | Wayne | 5,727 | · |
| 40 | Fred | 5,581 | · |
| 41 | Albert | 5,572 | · |
| 42 | Roy | 5,565 | · |
| 43 | Peter | 5,049 | ▲ 3 |
| 44 | Jimmy | 4,962 | ▼ 1 |
| 45 | Howard | 4,824 | ▲ 2 |
| 46 | Anthony | 4,769 | ▲ 2 |
| 47 | Harry | 4,681 | ▼ 2 |
| 48 | Norman | 4,576 | ▼ 4 |
| 49 | Stephen | 4,423 | ▲ 16 |
| 50 | Louis | 4,324 | ▼ 1 |
| 51 | Johnny | 4,006 | ▲ 11 |
| 52 | Earl | 3,944 | ▼ 2 |
| 53 | Melvin | 3,935 | ▼ 2 |
| 54 | Leonard | 3,817 | · |
| 55 | Bruce | 3,789 | ▲ 9 |
| 56 | Douglas | 3,732 | ▲ 2 |
| 57 | Dale | 3,699 | ▲ 2 |
| 58 | Ernest | 3,698 | ▼ 3 |
| 59 | Stanley | 3,694 | ▼ 2 |
| 60 | Philip | 3,674 | ▲ 6 |
| 61 | Francis | 3,607 | ▼ 8 |
| 62 | Don | 3,547 | ▼ 6 |
| 63 | Marvin | 3,502 | ▼ 11 |
| 64 | Clarence | 3,487 | ▼ 4 |
| 65 | Samuel | 3,364 | ▼ 2 |
| 66 | Leroy | 3,311 | ▼ 5 |
| 67 | Bill | 3,267 | · |
| 68 | Frederick | 3,096 | ▲ 3 |
| 69 | Alfred | 3,062 | ▲ 1 |
| 70 | Gene | 3,060 | ▼ 1 |
| 71 | Allen | 3,029 | ▲ 1 |
| 72 | Russell | 3,012 | ▲ 1 |
| 73 | Terry | 2,982 | ▲ 10 |
| 74 | Patrick | 2,883 | ▲ 5 |
| 75 | Herbert | 2,875 | ▼ 7 |
| 76 | Tommy | 2,827 | ▲ 1 |
| 77 | Ray | 2,795 | ▼ 3 |
| 78 | Jim | 2,715 | ▼ 3 |
| 79 | Phillip | 2,628 | ▲ 13 |
| 80 | Lee | 2,624 | ▼ 2 |
| 81 | Eddie | 2,576 | · |
| 82 | Bernard | 2,468 | ▼ 6 |
| 83 | Glenn | 2,465 | ▲ 4 |
| 84 | Andrew | 2,431 | · |
| 85 | Martin | 2,423 | ▲ 6 |
| 86 | Jimmie | 2,408 | ▼ 6 |
| 87 | Franklin | 2,391 | ▲ 19 |
| 88 | Alan | 2,377 | ▼ 3 |
| 89 | Leon | 2,318 | ▼ 3 |
| 90 | Theodore | 2,306 | · |
| 91 | Gordon | 2,296 | ▼ 9 |
| 92 | Tom | 2,287 | ▲ 5 |
| 93 | Jesse | 2,205 | ▲ 6 |
| 94 | Clifford | 2,185 | ▼ 6 |
| 95 | Jerome | 2,178 | ▼ 2 |
| 96 | Edwin | 2,116 | · |
| 97 | Curtis | 2,103 | ▲ 1 |
| 98 | Harvey | 2,088 | ▲ 4 |
| 99 | Bob | 2,082 | ▼ 10 |
| 100 | Lloyd | 2,067 | ▼ 5 |