Ronald, Michael, and David were among the most popular baby boy names. For baby girl names it was Linda, Carol, Sandra, Susan, Judith, and Sharon.



The naming of babies is often influenced by the tenor of the times. And in the early years of the 1940s, times were good. There was work and those who wanted a job could get one. People flocked to the big cities. Opportunities for good-paying jobs were plentiful.

In fact, people felt wealthy. They could even travel on vacation or move to California and Florida. The average annual income was $1,299. The minimum wage was 43 cents an hour. Many homes had a television set and a console record player and radio. The personal computer was still a dream.

The Broadway show, ?Oklahoma,? took New York by storm. The songs, ?You are My Sunshine,? and ?Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah,? had everybody singing. On the roads, the Lincoln Continental glided by like a mysterious ocean liner. "Whirlaway? won the Triple Crown and became the most famous horse around. The painting, ?Christina's World,? by Andrew Wyeth, drew crowds to the museum. Cafes were filled with happy shoppers. Suddenly, on December 8, 1941, everything stopped. World War II crashed into life.

The top 10 baby boy names from 1940 to 1949, in order of popularity, were James, Robert, John, William, Richard, David, Charles, Thomas, Michael, and Ronald. All are Christian saints? names and all of them go back in history for centuries as the names of emperors, kings, and nobles.

James (English) means ?steadfast;? Robert (English) means ?brilliant;? John (Hebrew) means ?honorable;? William (English) means ?staunch protector;? Richard (Germanic) means ?strong ruler;? David (Hebrew) means ?beloved;? Charles (German) means ?well-loved;? Thomas (Greek) means ?twin;? Michael (Hebrew) means ?who is like God;? and Ronald (English) means ?helpful.?

From 1940 to 1949, the top baby girl names were a big change from the names of the previous decade. They were musical names much like those of the 1920s. They were biblical names with a rich historical meaning. They were also famous names found in literary classics and in history.

These names, in order of their popularity, are Mary, Linda, Barbara, Patricia, Carol, Sandra, Nancy, Sharon, Judith, and Susan.

Mary (Hebrew) means ?spiritual;? Linda (Spanish) means ?pretty;? Barbara (Greek) means ?unusual;? Patricia (Latin) means ?of noble birth;? Carol (French) means ?joyful song;? Sandra (Greek) means ?protective;? Nancy (Medieval English) is a pet form of ?Agnes? meaning ?generous;? Sharon (Hebrew) means ?open-hearted;? Judith (Hebrew) means ?praiseworthy woman;? and Susan (Hebrew) means ?lily.?

The decade of the 1940s weathered the storm of World War II. In spite of the terrible death and agony from the war, a song still remained in people's hearts. In the wake of the war, the birth rate rose sharply. A record number of babies with their new baby boy names and baby girl names and name meanings found themselves moving forward into the new decade of the 1950s.

There was a feeling of confidence that all would be well.