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Baby names in Washington in the 1940s

In Washington in the 1940s the most given names were Robert (10,535 boys) and Linda (9,684 girls), of 404,619 births recorded.

Babies SSA recorded in Washington each year, the 1940s shaded
Washington births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251940-1949BoysGirls
Washington births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251940-1949BoysGirls
Washington births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251940-1949BoysGirls
Washington births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101950199020251940-1949BoysGirls

Births under names given to 5 or more babies of one sex in the state that year.

Washington, 1940-1949: SSA state baby-name file, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s state data.

The top names in Washington, 1940s

Girls, 1940-1949
#NameBirths
1Linda9,684
2Mary6,447
3Sharon5,725
4Patricia5,638
5Barbara5,238
6Carol5,160
7Susan4,976
8Sandra4,510
9Karen4,332
10Nancy4,125
11Judy3,965
12Judith3,672
13Kathleen3,339
14Donna3,032
15Janet2,645
16Diane2,517
17Janice2,344
18Marilyn2,191
19Margaret2,145
20Pamela1,980
Boys, 1940-1949
#NameBirths
1Robert10,535
2John9,956
3James9,818
4Richard8,134
5David7,674
6Michael7,605
7William6,557
8Gary6,121
9Larry4,822
10Ronald4,593
11Donald4,131
12Dennis3,975
13Thomas3,921
14Charles3,563
15Kenneth3,145
16Jerry2,665
17Steven2,597
18Paul2,279
19George2,263
20Douglas2,241

Births summed over 1940-1949, per sex.

The names most over-represented in Washington in the 1940s

Each figure is the name’s births in the state in the decade against the births its national share, year by year, would predict (names with at least 100 births in the state).

Girls

Boys

Ratios: observed over predicted births, 1940-1949.

More about names in Washington

  1. The 1940s across the U.S.The most given names of the decade nationally.
  2. Washington: 2025 and every year since 1910The state’s top names now and its number ones by year.
  3. Washington in the 1950sThe next decade in the state.
  4. The top names of 1940The first year of the decade, nationally.
  5. Every state’s most given namesEach state since 1910.
  6. Look up any nameIts rank, births since 1880 and the people alive with it.

Back to Washington: 2025 and every year since 1910