The 1939 Baby Name Report

2,203,442 babies, 7,942 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1939

👑 #1 girls: Mary (60 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Robert (16 years running) 159 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary54,900
  2. Barbara37,257
  3. Patricia29,701
  4. Betty23,642
  5. Shirley20,445
  6. Carol20,166
  7. Nancy19,722
  8. Judith16,626
  9. Dorothy15,169
  10. Margaret14,951

Top boys

  1. Robert59,659
  2. James59,636
  3. John51,025
  4. William42,073
  5. Richard35,385
  6. Charles30,786
  7. David25,359
  8. Donald24,055
  9. Thomas22,128
  10. Ronald19,835

Full top-50 rankings for 1939 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Jeffrey #465 → #284 (+181)
  2. Penelope #486 → #325 (+161)
  3. Gale #553 → #394 (+159)
  4. Brenda #244 → #86 (+158)
  5. Wendy #602 → #451 (+151)
  6. Penny #441 → #318 (+123)
  7. Tyrone #393 → #271 (+122)
  8. Judie #582 → #460 (+122)
  9. Kathy #426 → #328 (+98)
  10. Becky #499 → #416 (+83)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Arline #344 → #446 (−102)
  2. Sonia #302 → #399 (−97)
  3. Cheryl #312 → #390 (−78)
  4. Laverne #330 → #404 (−74)
  5. Deanne #444 → #515 (−71)
  6. Erwin #390 → #458 (−68)
  7. Greta #462 → #528 (−66)
  8. Rosalee #405 → #467 (−62)
  9. Lilly #447 → #507 (−60)
  10. Nola #350 → #408 (−58)

✨ Never recorded before 1939

Thanna (17) Sherian (13) Midgie (10) Tricia (10) Henrene (9) Karolee (9) Melsa (9) Randolf (9) Cobina (8) Harla (8)

159 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1939.

Expecting in 2027?
From shortlist to first steps — track your baby's growth and milestones with MyBadak. Free to start.
Start with MyBadak →
What were the most popular baby names in 1939?
Mary was the #1 girl name and Robert the #1 boy name in 1939, out of 2,203,442 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1939?
Jeffrey made the biggest jump in 1939, climbing 181 spots to #284.
How many new baby names appeared in 1939?
159 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1939.