Mary

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 1
SSA ranking today: 135
Meaning: "drop of the sea," "bitterness," or "beloved"

It's hard to overstate the grip the name Mary had in the early half of the 20th century. The name has been somewhere in the top five most popular names every year from 1967 going back to 1924, when the SSA first started keeping track of top-five names. And yet today, in a world dominated by Olivias, Sophias and Emmas, Mary has fallen outside the top 100 — but will it ascend to the top spots again? With so many Marys out there, there are many notable people to act as a namesake, including Mary Welsh Hemingway, a journalist in World War II and wife of Earnest Hemingway.

James

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 1
SSA ranking today: 4
Meaning: "supplanter"

James is a true classic, standing the test of time: It was a top-five name in the 1940s, and it remains a top-five name today. There's nothing old-fashioned about it, looking as fitting on daycare cubbies in the 2020s as it did on movie marquees in the 1940s, especially when actors like James Mason — who starred in nearly two dozen films in the 1940s — were on the screen.

Robert

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 2
SSA ranking today: 89
Meaning: "bright fame"

Plenty of newsmakers, famous and infamous, kept the name Robert in the headlines in the 1940s, from Academy Award-winning actor Robert Mitchum to Manhattan Project scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer. The name is good for parents who like choice, because it comes with so many built-in nicknames, including Rob, Bob and even Bert (which is usually short for Albert, but anything goes when you're the parent).

Barbara

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 3
SSA ranking today: 877
Meaning: "foreigner"

If there's any name on this list that's poised for a huge come-from-behind resurgence, it's Barbara, as in actress Barbara Stanwyck. Barbara fell out of the list of top-five names in 1951, and in the past few years it's been hanging around at the bottom of the SSA list, currently siting at spot No. 877 of 1,000. But the SSA also identified it as one of the fastest-growing names last year, since it was No. 964 the year before.

John

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 3
SSA ranking today: 26
Meaning: "God is gracious"

John, as in actor John Garfield, is as steady as she goes: It's somewhere in the top-five names every year from 1924 to 1972, and it held at the No. 3 spot for more than 20 years in a row between 1929 and 1952. Today, John still ranks above variants like Johnny or Johnathan, but they're all good choices for parents looking for a sturdy name.

Patricia

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 4
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "noble"

Actress Patricia Morrison, seen here in her role in Kiss Me, Kate, was one of many women named Patricia lighting up the stage and screen in the 1940s, alongside women like Patricia Neal, Patricia Roc and Patricia Lake. And yet, even with all that star wattage behind it, the name has fallen out of the SSA's list of top 1,000 baby names today, so it's a good choice for those looking for an uncommon-but-not-unheard-of name.

Carol

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 5
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "free man"

The name Carol — spelled sometimes with an "e" at the end, as in 20th Century Fox contract actress Carole Landis — means "free man" (as does its masculine form, Charles). But people often associate the word with Christmas carols, making it a good pick for babies born around the holidays. Carols are relatively rare these days, with the name having fallen off the SSA list in favor of similar names like Caroline (No. 83) and Carolina (No. 424), which could use Carol as a nickname.

Richard

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 5
SSA ranking today: 221
Meaning: "strong ruler"

Men named Richard ran the gamut in the 1940s, from politician Richard Nixon, who was serving in the House of Representatives, to composer Richard Rodgers, who in the decade was making musicals like Carousel and South Pacific. Today, it's one of those just-right names: not too popular, not too obscure, not gaining in popularity but not losing it, either.

Sandra

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 6
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "defending men"

Despite the fame of celebs like Sandra Bullock or luminaries like Sandra Day O'Connor, the name Sandra does not have a spot on the SSA top 1,000 baby names list today. Instead, it's more likely to be used as the suffix of a name, like Alessandra (No. 387) or Cassandra (No. 639). But back in the '40s, it was perfection — at least when it came to actress Sandra Storme (seen here at the 1949 wedding to her third husband, Richard Yarde-Buller), who was once dubbed "Miss Perfection."

David

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 6
SSA ranking today: 27
Meaning: "beloved"

The name David means "beloved," and it's clearly a beloved name, shared by people like David Bowie and David Letterman (both born in 1947), director David Lynch (born in 1946) or actor David Niven, who in the '40s was starring in movies opposite the likes of Ginger Rogers and Barbara Stanwyck. The '40s was the start of a big climb for the name David, which hung around in the top five until the '80s. Today it's ranked a little lower than that, but still pretty popular.

Nancy

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 7
SSA ranking today: 942
Meaning: "grace" or "pure"

Future First Lady Nancy Reagan was still actress Nancy Davis in the 1940s, working in movies like The Doctor and the Girl before family life took her to the highest office in the land (and taking the name Nancy with it). And it might reach those high heights once again: The SSA has noted that the name Nancy has leaped more than 50 spots in rank between last year and this year, so it could be staging a comeback.

Charles

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 7
SSA ranking today: 54
Meaning: "free man"

Can you recognize that baby Charles in the photograph (or his famous mother)? It's the future Charles III, current king of the United Kingdom, who was born in 1948. Does his ascension to the throne mean the name will also be on the rise? The name has held steady in the 50s on the SSA list for the past decade, but maybe the royal connotations will give it another life.

Sharon

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 8
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "a fertile plain"

Sharon — a top-ten name throughout the '40s, shared by women like actress Sharon Douglas — hasn't made the SSA list of 1,000 names since 2016. (Its sound-alike, Shannon, has been off the list for even longer, since 2013.) Both names are up for grabs for parents who want their kids to be the only ones in the class with their name.

Thomas

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 8
SSA ranking today: 41
Meaning: "twin"

Not everyone knows that playwright Tennessee Williams, who wrote both Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Glass Menagerie in the '40s, was born a Thomas — Thomas Lanier Williams III, in fact. Then again, there may be reasons he went by Tennessee other than being the third in his family to have the moniker; the name has been going out of favor ever since its peak No. 8 position, and certainly seems like it's still falling rather than rising.

Judith

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 9
SSA ranking today: 903
Meaning: "praised" or "woman of Judea"

Judy Garland wasn't technically a Judith — she was born Frances Ethel Gumm, which is a combination of names that trended throughout the '40s. Frances was No. 35 for the decade, Ethel was No. 131, and Judy on its own was up at No. 15. Today, though, Judith has sunk to the very bottom of the SSA list, and the SSA notes it's fallen 20 places in the last year. Maybe stick with Frances?

Michael

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 9
SSA ranking today: 16
Meaning: "gift from God"

In the '40s, director Michael Curtiz was on a tear, winning Academy Award for Best Director for Casablanca and going on to direct classics like Mildred Pierce. At the same time, the name Michael was on a similar upward trajectory, going on to become one of the most popular baby names of all time. It didn't make the top five until 1949, but then it stayed a top-five name all the way through 2010. In that time, it hit the No. 1 spot 44 times, the most for any male name. Now, it's more of a top-20 name than a top-five one, but its run was impressive!

Susan

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 10
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "gift from God"

The name Susan, as in actress Susan Hayward, really hits its stride in the '50s and '60s, but the name starts to rev its engines in the '40s. This name also has a lot of built-in versatility, since you ca go with Sue, Susie or the variant Susanna — and none of those names have reached the SSA list, so they're ripe for the taking.

Ronald

SSA ranking in the 1940s: 10
SSA ranking today: 612
Meaning: "ruler's counselor"

Just as we had Nancy, as in Nancy Reagan, the '40s also saw the rise of the name Ronald, possibly inspired by film star and future president Ronald Reagan. But not even the Gipper could keep this one going: The name has been on a steady decline since its peak in 1943 — being a major Harry Potter character didn't even perk things up for ol' Ron — and last year it fell 53 places in rank.