Most Popular Baby Names of 1946

In 1946, Mary (67,467 births) was the most common U.S. girl name and James (87,436 births) the most common boy name.

Top 100 boy names, 1946
Rank	Name	Births
1	James	87,436
2	Robert	84,138
3	John	79,266
4	William	60,030
5	Richard	58,871
6	David	46,444
7	Michael	41,192
8	Thomas	38,876
9	Charles	38,212
10	Ronald	31,856
11	Larry	28,449
12	Gary	26,931
13	Donald	26,271
14	Joseph	24,284
15	Kenneth	22,039
16	George	21,574
17	Dennis	21,446
18	Paul	21,063
19	Edward	18,585
20	Jerry	17,568
21	Daniel	12,867
22	Frank	12,667
23	Roger	12,410
24	Stephen	11,833
25	Raymond	11,288
26	Terry	10,678
27	Gerald	10,034
28	Steven	8,878
29	Wayne	8,808
30	Walter	8,668
31	Lawrence	8,517
32	Bruce	8,459
33	Harold	8,373
34	Douglas	8,334
35	Jack	7,802
36	Arthur	7,537
37	Joe	7,535
38	Peter	7,481
39	Carl	7,380
40	Willie	7,339
41	Henry	7,317
42	Jimmy	7,128
43	Roy	6,924
44	Anthony	6,771
45	Billy	6,716
46	Danny	6,650
47	Johnny	6,612
48	Ralph	6,586
49	Alan	6,490
50	Harry	6,029
51	Fred	6,012
52	Albert	6,006
53	Bobby	5,771
54	Ronnie	5,727
55	Howard	5,694
56	Gregory	5,672
57	Eugene	5,670
58	Mark	5,331
59	Patrick	5,305
60	Timothy	5,152
61	Philip	5,093
62	Dale	5,024
63	Louis	4,918
64	Mike	4,854
65	Stanley	4,767
66	Russell	4,741
67	Leonard	4,702
68	Barry	4,624
69	Steve	4,568
70	Samuel	4,524
71	Ernest	4,395
72	Bill	4,354
73	Jim	4,337
74	Allen	4,294
75	Frederick	4,231
76	Norman	4,161
77	Tommy	4,144
78	Jeffrey	4,125
79	Don	4,111
80	Francis	4,006
81	Glenn	3,892
82	Earl	3,831
83	Phillip	3,775
84	Andrew	3,757
85	Eddie	3,745
86	Melvin	3,743
87	Tom	3,624
88	Marvin	3,600
89	Clarence	3,568
90	Leroy	3,471
91	Lee	3,346
92	Martin	3,333
93	Rodney	3,304
94	Alfred	3,238
95	Ray	3,170
96	Keith	2,860
97	Herbert	2,819
98	Gene	2,758
99	Curtis	2,724
100	Clifford	2,616

Full Boy list for 1946

Top 100 girl names, 1946
Rank	Name	Births
1	Mary	67,467
2	Linda	52,710
3	Patricia	46,298
4	Barbara	45,125
5	Carol	34,283
6	Sandra	31,694
7	Nancy	28,345
8	Susan	28,268
9	Sharon	27,825
10	Judith	22,310
11	Judy	20,478
12	Carolyn	19,902
13	Donna	19,767
14	Betty	19,710
15	Karen	19,647
16	Kathleen	18,760
17	Margaret	18,135
18	Shirley	17,869
19	Diane	15,835
20	Joyce	15,209
21	Janet	14,142
22	Janice	14,038
23	Dorothy	12,798
24	Brenda	12,688
25	Elizabeth	11,753
26	Gloria	11,686
27	Cheryl	11,526
28	Joan	11,219
29	Marilyn	10,711
30	Beverly	10,430
31	Virginia	10,016
32	Martha	9,759
33	Bonnie	9,510
34	Pamela	9,367
35	Jane	8,971
36	Helen	8,853
37	Jean	8,555
38	Ruth	8,475
39	Frances	8,450
40	Ann	8,077
41	Phyllis	8,048
42	Diana	7,544
43	Peggy	7,400
44	Alice	7,363
45	Connie	7,215
46	Cynthia	6,895
47	Elaine	6,803
48	Catherine	6,367
49	Gail	6,227
50	Christine	6,201
51	Doris	5,987
52	Suzanne	5,948
53	Jo	5,828
54	Marie	5,758
55	Lois	5,700
56	Rita	5,533
57	Joanne	5,505
58	Ellen	5,237
59	Wanda	5,235
60	Rose	5,183
61	Sue	5,144
62	Jacqueline	5,083
63	Kathryn	4,998
64	Charlotte	4,970
65	Evelyn	4,890
66	Geraldine	4,849
67	Sally	4,843
68	Rebecca	4,840
69	Paula	4,725
70	Sheila	4,706
71	Darlene	4,662
72	Carole	4,621
73	Sherry	4,518
74	Rosemary	4,486
75	Laura	4,478
76	Dianne	4,278
77	Norma	4,266
78	Katherine	4,196
79	Kathy	4,179
80	Eileen	4,168
81	Anne	4,116
82	Sylvia	4,093
83	Jeanne	4,045
84	Anita	4,027
85	Patsy	4,016
85	Roberta	4,016
87	Anna	3,999
88	Maria	3,960
89	Marcia	3,946
90	Joann	3,945
91	Louise	3,925
92	Sarah	3,909
93	Lorraine	3,886
94	Lynn	3,884
95	Maureen	3,684
95	Theresa	3,684
97	Annie	3,652
98	Marsha	3,611
99	Glenda	3,568
100	Constance	3,419

Full Girl list for 1946

Biggest movers since 1945

Names with at least 500 births in both years, by percent change in births.

Rising boy names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Gregory	2,474	5,672	+129%	96 → 56
Scott	848	1,522	+79%	182 → 155
Danny	4,175	6,650	+59%	56 → 46
Ronnie	3,651	5,727	+57%	67 → 54
Terry	6,833	10,678	+56%	33 → 26
Craig	1,597	2,471	+55%	134 → 108
Rodney	2,185	3,304	+51%	105 → 93
Bruce	5,615	8,459	+51%	48 → 32
Mark	3,545	5,331	+50%	72 → 58
Steven	5,974	8,878	+49%	43 → 28

Falling boy names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Victor	2,631	2,130	-19%	95 → 120
Franklin	1,895	1,721	-9%	119 → 141

Rising girl names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Cynthia	3,127	6,895	+120%	90 → 46
Janis	1,128	2,053	+82%	184 → 134
Jennifer	985	1,733	+76%	199 → 156
Deborah	1,462	2,471	+69%	161 → 119
Sherry	2,676	4,518	+69%	104 → 73
Paulette	1,575	2,520	+60%	148 → 117
Suzanne	3,770	5,948	+58%	68 → 52
Sheryl	1,055	1,632	+55%	194 → 165
Christine	4,077	6,201	+52%	62 → 50
Pamela	6,169	9,367	+52%	42 → 34

Falling girl names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Victoria	2,670	2,388	-11%	106 → 122
Willie	1,777	1,687	-5%	137 → 159
Carole	4,842	4,621	-5%	51 → 72
Thelma	1,853	1,794	-3%	131 → 150
Annie	3,739	3,652	-2%	69 → 97
Bernice	1,476	1,468	-1%	157 → 179
Bobbie	1,563	1,556	-0%	150 → 171
Georgia	2,318	2,309	-0%	116 → 123

Top 100 boy names, 1946

Rank

Name

Births

James

87,436

Robert

84,138

John

79,266

William

60,030

Richard

58,871

46,444

41,192

38,876

38,212

31,856

Larry

28,449

Gary

26,931

26,271

24,284

22,039

21,574

21,446

21,063

18,585

Jerry

17,568

12,867

12,667

12,410

11,833

Raymond

11,288

Terry

10,678

Gerald

10,034

Steven

8,878

Wayne

8,808

Walter

8,668

Lawrence

8,517

Bruce

8,459

Harold

8,373

Douglas

8,334

Jack

7,802

Arthur

7,537

Joe

7,535

Peter

7,481

Carl

7,380

Willie

7,339

Henry

7,317

Jimmy

7,128

Roy

6,924

Anthony

6,771

Billy

6,716

Danny

6,650

Johnny

6,612

Ralph

6,586

Alan

6,490

Harry

6,029

Fred

6,012

Albert

6,006

Bobby

5,771

Ronnie

5,727

Howard

5,694

Gregory

5,672

Eugene

5,670

Mark

5,331

Patrick

5,305

Timothy

5,152

Philip

5,093

Dale

5,024

Louis

4,918

Mike

4,854

Stanley

4,767

Russell

4,741

Leonard

4,702

Barry

4,624

Steve

4,568

Samuel

4,524

Ernest

4,395

Bill

4,354

Jim

4,337

Allen

4,294

Frederick

4,231

Norman

4,161

Tommy

4,144

Jeffrey

4,125

Don

4,111

Francis

4,006

Glenn

3,892

Earl

3,831

Phillip

3,775

Andrew

3,757

Eddie

3,745

Melvin

3,743

Tom

3,624

Marvin

3,600

Clarence

3,568

Leroy

3,471

Lee

3,346

Martin

3,333

Rodney

3,304

Alfred

3,238

Ray

3,170

Keith

2,860

Herbert

2,819

Gene

2,758

Curtis

2,724

100

Clifford

2,616

Top 100 girl names, 1946

Rank

Name

Births

Mary

67,467

Linda

52,710

Patricia

46,298

Barbara

45,125

Carol

34,283

Sandra

31,694

Nancy

28,345

28,268

27,825

22,310

20,478

Carolyn

19,902

Donna

19,767

Betty

19,710

Karen

19,647

Kathleen

18,760

Margaret

18,135

Shirley

17,869

Diane

15,835

Joyce

15,209

Janet

14,142

Janice

14,038

Dorothy

12,798

Brenda

12,688

Elizabeth

11,753

Gloria

11,686

Cheryl

11,526

Joan

11,219

Marilyn

10,711

Beverly

10,430

Virginia

10,016

9,759

9,510

9,367

8,971

Helen

8,853

Jean

8,555

Ruth

8,475

Frances

8,450

Ann

8,077

Phyllis

8,048

Diana

7,544

Peggy

7,400

Alice

7,363

Connie

7,215

Cynthia

6,895

Elaine

6,803

Catherine

6,367

Gail

6,227

Christine

6,201

Doris

5,987

Suzanne

5,948

5,828

Marie

5,758

Lois

5,700

Rita

5,533

Joanne

5,505

Ellen

5,237

Wanda

5,235

Rose

5,183

Sue

5,144

Jacqueline

5,083

Kathryn

4,998

Charlotte

4,970

Evelyn

4,890

Geraldine

4,849

Sally

4,843

Rebecca

4,840

Paula

4,725

Sheila

4,706

Darlene

4,662

Carole

4,621

Sherry

4,518

Rosemary

4,486

Laura

4,478

Dianne

4,278

Norma

4,266

Katherine

4,196

Kathy

4,179

Eileen

4,168

Anne

4,116

Sylvia

4,093

Jeanne

4,045

Anita

4,027

Patsy

4,016

Roberta

4,016

Anna

3,999

Maria

3,960

Marcia

3,946

Joann

3,945

Louise

3,925

Sarah

3,909

Lorraine

3,886

Lynn

3,884

Maureen

3,684

Theresa

3,684

Annie

3,652

Marsha

3,611

Glenda

3,568

100

Constance

3,419

Biggest movers since 1945

Names with at least 500 births in both years, by percent change in births.

Rising boy names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Gregory	2,474	5,672	+129%	96 → 56
Scott	848	1,522	+79%	182 → 155
Danny	4,175	6,650	+59%	56 → 46
Ronnie	3,651	5,727	+57%	67 → 54
Terry	6,833	10,678	+56%	33 → 26
Craig	1,597	2,471	+55%	134 → 108
Rodney	2,185	3,304	+51%	105 → 93
Bruce	5,615	8,459	+51%	48 → 32
Mark	3,545	5,331	+50%	72 → 58
Steven	5,974	8,878	+49%	43 → 28

Falling boy names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Victor	2,631	2,130	-19%	95 → 120
Franklin	1,895	1,721	-9%	119 → 141

Rising girl names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Cynthia	3,127	6,895	+120%	90 → 46
Janis	1,128	2,053	+82%	184 → 134
Jennifer	985	1,733	+76%	199 → 156
Deborah	1,462	2,471	+69%	161 → 119
Sherry	2,676	4,518	+69%	104 → 73
Paulette	1,575	2,520	+60%	148 → 117
Suzanne	3,770	5,948	+58%	68 → 52
Sheryl	1,055	1,632	+55%	194 → 165
Christine	4,077	6,201	+52%	62 → 50
Pamela	6,169	9,367	+52%	42 → 34

Falling girl names, 1945 to 1946
Name	Births 1945	Births 1946	Change	Rank 1945 → 1946
Victoria	2,670	2,388	-11%	106 → 122
Willie	1,777	1,687	-5%	137 → 159
Carole	4,842	4,621	-5%	51 → 72
Thelma	1,853	1,794	-3%	131 → 150
Annie	3,739	3,652	-2%	69 → 97
Bernice	1,476	1,468	-1%	157 → 179
Bobbie	1,563	1,556	-0%	150 → 171
Georgia	2,318	2,309	-0%	116 → 123

Top 100 boy names of 1946

Top 100 girl names of 1946

Biggest movers since 1945

Top 100 boy names of 1946

Top 100 girl names of 1946

Biggest movers since 1945