The 1942 Baby Name Report

2,731,818 babies, 8,383 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1942

👑 #1 girls: Mary (63 years running) 👑 #1 boys: James (3 years running) 246 debuts

Top girls

  1. Mary63,255
  2. Barbara44,739
  3. Patricia39,464
  4. Linda31,614
  5. Carol30,271
  6. Sandra24,993
  7. Judith24,792
  8. Nancy23,328
  9. Betty21,659
  10. Carolyn19,977

Top boys

  1. James77,180
  2. Robert71,841
  3. John66,041
  4. William54,891
  5. Richard43,592
  6. David35,905
  7. Charles35,855
  8. Thomas31,097
  9. Ronald27,136
  10. Donald23,956

Full top-50 rankings for 1942 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Merrily #2,499 → #513 (+1,986)
  2. Mcarthur #1,966 → #357 (+1,609)
  3. Melody #1,027 → #523 (+504)
  4. Colin #713 → #323 (+390)
  5. Mac #687 → #308 (+379)
  6. Doug #692 → #401 (+291)
  7. Michele #535 → #255 (+280)
  8. Vicky #646 → #411 (+235)
  9. Jerilyn #609 → #397 (+212)
  10. Paulette #413 → #211 (+202)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Imogene #362 → #443 (−81)
  2. Earline #340 → #420 (−80)
  3. Odessa #479 → #557 (−78)
  4. Louella #454 → #528 (−74)
  5. Marva #366 → #439 (−73)
  6. Olive #487 → #555 (−68)
  7. Shelby #213 → #279 (−66)
  8. Luella #447 → #509 (−62)
  9. Neva #458 → #520 (−62)
  10. Lizzie #354 → #415 (−61)

✨ Never recorded before 1942

Mcarther (23) Dwala (15) Gerilyn (15) Rise (15) Mcauther (14) Risa (12) Sharrel (12) Nichole (11) Jackalyn (10) Kerby (10)

246 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1942.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1942?
Mary was the #1 girl name and James the #1 boy name in 1942, out of 2,731,818 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1942?
Merrily made the biggest jump in 1942, climbing 1,986 spots to #513.
How many new baby names appeared in 1942?
246 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1942.