Most popular girls’ names in North Carolina, 1940

Official counts of babies given each name, ranked by NameTides (names with the same count share a rank).

Rank	Name	Babies
1	Mary	2,282
2	Betty	1,372
3	Barbara	1,151
4	Shirley	952
5	Linda	730
6	Dorothy	702
7	Nancy	692
8	Patricia	691
9	Carolyn	602
10	Margaret	590
11	Peggy	569
12	Annie	554
13	Joyce	538
14	Martha	515
15	Doris	512
16	Frances	449
17	Helen	447
18	Elizabeth	422
19	Brenda	409
20	Alice	394
21	Judy	373
22	Virginia	367
23	Sarah	336
24	Ruby	302
25	Judith	288

Rank	Name	Babies
26	Sylvia	283
27	Mildred	260
28	Rebecca	259
29	Ruth	250
30	Phyllis	247
31	Edna	245
31	Jean	245
33	Janice	244
34	Evelyn	229
35	Carol	223
36	Geraldine	215
37	Sandra	213
38	Lois	212
39	Patsy	210
40	Gloria	208
41	Ann	204
42	Emma	193
43	Hazel	177
44	Clara	173
45	Edith	169
45	Norma	169
47	Julia	168
48	Jo	166
49	Lillie	160
49	Rosa	160
51	Louise	155
51	Margie	155
51	Shelby	155
54	Gladys	152
54	Glenda	152
54	Marie	152
57	Joan	151
58	Ella	149
58	Wanda	149
60	Rachel	148
61	Ethel	147
61	Willie	147
63	Catherine	142
64	Thelma	141
65	Hilda	138
66	Jane	136
67	Vivian	135
68	Janet	134
69	Hattie	128
70	Bessie	126
70	Bonnie	126
72	Bertha	125
73	Mattie	124
74	Lillian	123
75	Anna	120
75	Juanita	120
77	Faye	118
78	Laura	116
79	Eva	113
80	Grace	111
81	Carrie	110
81	Wilma	110
83	Delores	109
83	Ida	109
83	Kay	109
83	Marjorie	109
83	Minnie	109
88	Nellie	108
89	Jessie	107
89	Josephine	107
89	Sara	107
92	Pauline	101
93	Lucy	99
94	Eleanor	98
95	Bettie	97
96	Ellen	95
97	Myrtle	94
98	Joann	92
99	Sue	91
100	Audrey	90
100	Bernice	90