State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1941 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 41,904 Iowa births in 1941 across 698 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#42Lyle#168 nationally
#77Lavonneoutside the national top 200
#58Dixie#181 nationally
#80Marlysoutside the national top 200
#87Kathy#199 nationally
#89Colleenoutside the national top 200
#89Craigoutside the national top 200
#91Lorenoutside the national top 200
#92Merleoutside the national top 200
#98Harlanoutside the national top 200
#99Sheryloutside the national top 200
#70Dick#171 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,091US #1
#2Sharon761US #15
#3Karen722US #19
#4Judith595US #6
#5Patricia588US #3
#6Judy578US #16
#7Barbara552US #2
#8Sandra540US #9
#9Linda520US #5
#10Carol445US #4
#11Nancy419US #8
#12Janice417US #22
#13Janet407US #18
#14Donna369US #20
#15Carolyn352US #11
#16Shirley322US #10
#17Betty320US #7
#18Joyce310US #13
#19Marilyn290US #30
#20Beverly266US #29
#21Margaret242US #12
#22Joan223US #17
#23Ruth192US #28
#24Connie191US #79
#25Bonnie189US #33
#26Jean181US #32
#27Susan180US #27
#28Dorothy171US #14
#29Lois156US #43
#30Kay155US #70
#31Phyllis153US #35
#32Kathleen142US #36
#33Jane141US #46
#34Helen132US #24
#35Virginia130US #23
#36Diane124US #40
#37Kathryn121US #87
#38Darlene120US #76
#39Marlene120US #83
#40Norma118US #47
#41Elaine114US #44
#42Joann109US #58
#43Martha108US #25
#44Gloria106US #26
#45Elizabeth100US #21
#46Doris98US #38
#47Marjorie96US #71
#48Sally95US #61
#49Delores94US #80
#50Ann90US #37
#51Alice85US #34
#52Rita77US #63
#53Carole76US #48
#54Peggy75US #39
#55Roberta75US #72
#56Charlotte71US #55
#57Rose71US #49
#58Dixie69US #181
#59Evelyn69US #50
#60Ellen67US #67
#61Deanna64US #137
#62Jeanette63US #98
#63Sue63US #75
#64Charlene61US #125
#65Arlene60US #77
#66Frances60US #31
#67Joanne60US #54
#68Constance59US #114
#69Pat58US #134
#70Catherine56US #51
#71Jacqueline55US #73
#72Jo55US #66
#73Suzanne54US #97
#74Diana53US #100
#75Patty51US #176
#76Marcia50US #105
#77Lavonne48
#78Julia47US #88
#79Julie47US #169
#80Marlys47
#81Geraldine46US #45
#82Glenda46US #96
#83June46US #90
#84Rosemary46US #94
#85Katherine44US #85
#86Wilma44US #106
#87Kathy43US #199
#88Sherry43US #172
#89Colleen42
#90Marie42US #42
#91Audrey41US #117
#92Jeanne41US #126
#93Myrna41US #161
#94Marian40US #142
#95Anita39US #91
#96Loretta38US #81
#97Georgia37US #127
#98Sara37US #124
#99Sheryl37
#100Eleanor36US #78

Boys

#1Robert1,097US #2
#2Larry1,034US #11
#3James1,017US #1
#4Richard898US #5
#5John880US #3
#6Ronald803US #9
#7Gary778US #19
#8David724US #7
#9William596US #4
#10Donald581US #10
#11Jerry551US #14
#12Charles453US #6
#13Dennis430US #23
#14Roger403US #25
#15Kenneth368US #15
#16Thomas358US #8
#17Michael333US #16
#18Paul246US #18
#19Gerald235US #20
#20George185US #13
#21Edward170US #17
#22Dale165US #59
#23Harold164US #24
#24Jack159US #32
#25Wayne157US #37
#26Jim152US #80
#27Terry147US #64
#28Keith136US #119
#29Raymond135US #22
#30Joseph134US #12
#31Marvin128US #63
#32Bill120US #68
#33Stephen113US #41
#34Don108US #66
#35Duane107US #129
#36Carl105US #29
#37Frank103US #21
#38Tom103US #88
#39Daniel96US #31
#40Leroy96US #67
#41Darrell95US #130
#42Lyle93US #168
#43Russell93US #75
#44Bruce89US #51
#45Dean88US #143
#46Ronnie88US #79
#47Lawrence86US #34
#48Ralph86US #38
#49Douglas83US #53
#50Eugene83US #42
#51Fred83US #43
#52Melvin79US #56
#53Jon76US #128
#54Walter76US #26
#55Patrick75US #70
#56Norman72US #49
#57Steven72US #90
#58Howard70US #47
#59Bob66US #103
#60Gene66US #72
#61Leonard66US #54
#62Philip66US #52
#63Harry65US #48
#64Arthur64US #33
#65Francis64US #60
#66Stanley64US #57
#67Alan62US #84
#68Mike62US #111
#69Clifford61US #94
#70Dick60US #171
#71Gordon60US #92
#72Allen59US #73
#73Earl59US #58
#74Albert58US #40
#75Clarence58US #62
#76Ray58US #83
#77Lloyd57US #96
#78Vernon57US #108
#79Joe56US #30
#80Phillip56US #77
#81Edwin55US #97
#82Bernard54US #87
#83Glen52US #139
#84Henry52US #28
#85Lynn52US #141
#86Rodney50US #127
#87Glenn47US #86
#88Allan45US #135
#89Craig45
#90Frederick44US #69
#91Loren44
#92Merle44
#93Lee43US #81
#94Arnold42US #123
#95Jerome42US #101
#96Peter42US #44
#97Alvin41US #107
#98Harlan41
#99Leo41US #116
#100Delbert40US #192

On the move since 1940

Rising

↑41Stephen#33
↑32Jeanette#62
↑22Lyle#42
↑21Philip#62
↑20Kathryn#37
↑20Constance#68
↑20Catherine#70
↑20Daniel#39

Falling

↓23Allen#72
↓22Leo#99
↓18June#83
↓18Stanley#66
↓17Norman#56
↓17Glenn#87
↓16Carole#53
↓16Audrey#91

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1940 rankings.