Most popular baby names of 1940

Looking at the baby name trends between 1939 and 1940, some interesting patterns emerge in U.S. naming preferences. The top 3 boys' names saw a notable shift as James moved up from the second position to claim the number one spot in 1940, displacing Robert to second place. John remained steadfast in third position across both years. For girls, remarkable stability prevailed in the top ranks, with Mary, Barbara, and Patricia maintaining their respective first, second, and third positions from 1939 to 1940.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1940, we see Linda making an impressive climb, rising from 15th place in 1939 to 8th place in 1940. Sandra also continued its upward trajectory, moving from 13th to 10th place. Judith advanced from 8th to 4th position, while Dorothy and Margaret both slipped slightly in the rankings. The classic name Mary demonstrated remarkable staying power, maintaining its crown as the most popular girls' name in both years.

The boys' top 10 in 1940 remained largely consistent with 1939, though with some internal reshuffling. Beyond James taking the lead, Thomas moved up one spot to 8th place, while Donald dropped from 8th to 9th. Ronald held steady at 10th position. Traditional Biblical and royal names continued to dominate the top ranks for boys, with James, John, William, and Richard showing enduring popularity. Names with strong consonant sounds were particularly prevalent among the most popular boys' choices.

Looking at broader naming patterns, short names with four to six letters were highly favored for both genders in this era. For girls, names ending in "-y" or "-a" sounds were particularly popular, with Mary, Barbara, Patricia, Betty, and Sandra all appearing in the top ranks. Meanwhile, boys' names showed a preference for traditional English and Biblical choices, with many maintaining popularity across generations. Interestingly, while some diminutive forms like Bobby and Billy appeared in the wider top 100, the top rankings were dominated by formal names, suggesting parents in 1940 generally preferred giving traditional full names rather than nicknames on birth certificates.

Top baby names of 1940