State roster

Top names in Arkansas

The names most likely to appear on 1940 Arkansas birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 38,372 Arkansas births in 1940 across 844 distinct names.

Distinctively Arkansas

Names that rank far higher here than they do nationally — the ones that say Arkansas more than they say America.

#63Doyleoutside the national top 200
#74Melbaoutside the national top 200
#25Bobbie#147 nationally
#84Johnnieoutside the national top 200
#85Troyoutside the national top 200
#87Bettyeoutside the national top 200
#63Rosie#174 nationally
#78Mae#185 nationally
#84Earnest#184 nationally
#92Velma#188 nationally
#83Geneva#178 nationally
#55Billie#149 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,191US #1
#2Betty851US #5
#3Barbara581US #2
#4Shirley542US #9
#5Linda360US #8
#6Dorothy353US #12
#7Carolyn332US #15
#8Patricia313US #3
#9Martha279US #26
#10Joyce272US #13
#11Patsy265US #57
#12Helen245US #18
#13Wanda227US #52
#14Margaret218US #11
#15Peggy211US #37
#16Ruby207US #66
#17Nancy192US #7
#18Alice184US #32
#19Virginia180US #21
#20Doris176US #31
#21Frances174US #28
#22Norma143US #43
#23Bonnie141US #39
#24Glenda134US #107
#25Bobbie126US #147
#26Elizabeth123US #20
#27Jo122US #72
#28Donna116US #23
#29Carol113US #6
#30Emma112US #94
#31Juanita112US #78
#32Lois112US #38
#33Ruth111US #24
#34Wilma110US #93
#35Judy109US #16
#36Willie109US #128
#37Anna108US #51
#38Gloria108US #30
#39Janice107US #22
#40Mildred104US #58
#41Sandra103US #10
#42Brenda102US #42
#43Evelyn98US #48
#44Annie96US #56
#45Phyllis92US #33
#46Louise90US #59
#47Sarah90US #60
#48Edna88US #86
#49Margie88US #114
#50Marilyn87US #25
#51Jean86US #29
#52Hazel84US #123
#53Thelma84US #101
#54Sue82US #81
#55Billie80US #149
#56Ann79US #35
#57Bertha76US #141
#58Clara73US #111
#59Judith73US #4
#60Lillie73US #143
#61Rose72US #44
#62Georgia71US #138
#63Rosie70US #174
#64Gladys68US #116
#65Joan67US #14
#66Anita66US #87
#67Ethel61US #106
#68Loretta61US #69
#69Charlotte59US #55
#70Ella59US #146
#71Beverly58US #27
#72Edith58US #98
#73Jessie58US #158
#74Melba58
#75Sylvia58US #62
#76Eva57US #132
#77Jane56US #47
#78Mae56US #185
#79Maxine56US #137
#80Bernice55US #121
#81Geraldine55US #46
#82Joann55US #63
#83Geneva54US #178
#84Johnnie54
#85Ellen53US #74
#86Laura53US #108
#87Bettye52
#88Katherine51US #92
#89Mattie50US #163
#90Rebecca50US #96
#91Sharon50US #17
#92Velma50US #188
#93Alma49US #152
#94Marie49US #41
#95Vera49US #159
#96Catherine48US #53
#97Ida47US #144
#98Julia47US #91
#99Minnie47US #168
#100Vivian47US #115

Boys

#1James1,474US #1
#2Charles768US #6
#3John707US #3
#4Robert691US #2
#5William646US #4
#6Billy545US #27
#7Jerry531US #14
#8Bobby472US #30
#9Donald370US #9
#10Jimmy362US #44
#11Thomas289US #8
#12Joe282US #28
#13George276US #11
#14David265US #7
#15Willie257US #35
#16Harold222US #23
#17Richard222US #5
#18Kenneth220US #15
#19Larry219US #13
#20Paul198US #17
#21Johnny183US #51
#22Roy183US #42
#23Carl161US #32
#24Edward152US #16
#25Tommy152US #76
#26Henry139US #31
#27Jimmie124US #86
#28Don116US #62
#29Raymond116US #22
#30Walter113US #25
#31Gerald110US #21
#32Jack109US #29
#33Gary108US #19
#34Ronald106US #10
#35Joseph105US #12
#36Eddie103US #81
#37Frank100US #20
#38Bill99US #67
#39Earl96US #52
#40Floyd96US #103
#41Curtis95US #97
#42Lee94US #80
#43Wayne93US #39
#44Jesse85US #93
#45Leon85US #89
#46Wendell85US #114
#47Albert84US #41
#48Louis82US #50
#49Eugene80US #38
#50Howard80US #45
#51Clarence79US #64
#52Arthur78US #33
#53Fred76US #40
#54Melvin76US #53
#55Jackie74US #108
#56Jim72US #78
#57Freddie70US #138
#58Ernest69US #58
#59Ray68US #77
#60Ralph67US #37
#61Samuel67US #65
#62Clyde66US #102
#63Doyle66
#64Bob61US #99
#65Gene61US #70
#66Leroy61US #66
#67Dale60US #57
#68Franklin60US #87
#69Lawrence60US #36
#70Charlie59US #111
#71Marvin58US #63
#72Alvin57US #106
#73Johnnie57US #129
#74Danny56US #126
#75Chester54US #137
#76Cecil52US #117
#77Calvin51US #127
#78Harvey51US #98
#79Harry50US #47
#80Jessie50US #162
#81Leonard50US #54
#82Lonnie50US #153
#83Michael50US #18
#84Earnest48US #184
#85Troy48
#86Glen47US #130
#87Luther47US #177
#88Marion47US #158
#89Norman47US #48
#90Daniel46US #34
#91Herbert46US #75
#92Lewis46US #107
#93Lloyd46US #100
#94Bennie45US #175
#95Herman45US #113
#96Darrell44US #131
#97Elmer44US #144
#98Andrew43US #84
#99Russell42US #72
#100Vernon42US #105

On the move since 1939

Rising

↑39Judy#35
↑39Judith#59
↑28Franklin#68
↑25Hazel#52
↑25Charlie#70
↑23Gladys#64
↑23Gary#33
↑23Curtis#41

Falling

↓42Herman#95
↓37Marie#94
↓30Marvin#71
↓24Ralph#60
↓22Troy#85
↓20Velma#92
↓20Vera#95
↓19Loretta#68

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1939 rankings.