State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1942 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 44,007 Iowa births in 1942 across 718 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#67Sheryloutside the national top 200
#63Dixie#193 nationally
#58Dick#183 nationally
#76Marlysoutside the national top 200
#66Patty#186 nationally
#83Lorenoutside the national top 200
#86Colleenoutside the national top 200
#39Dean#151 nationally
#71Lyle#176 nationally
#99Kentoutside the national top 200
#33Duane#132 nationally
#62Deanna#160 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,193US #1
#2Sharon788US #11
#3Karen754US #16
#4Linda705US #4
#5Judy584US #15
#6Barbara582US #2
#7Sandra565US #6
#8Judith550US #7
#9Patricia544US #3
#10Carol522US #5
#11Nancy425US #8
#12Janet407US #19
#13Donna391US #20
#14Janice365US #25
#15Carolyn359US #10
#16Shirley328US #12
#17Joyce324US #13
#18Marilyn308US #27
#19Betty289US #9
#20Beverly252US #32
#21Susan225US #21
#22Margaret221US #14
#23Joan219US #18
#24Connie217US #70
#25Bonnie209US #34
#26Jean195US #36
#27Kathleen192US #24
#28Lois192US #44
#29Ruth174US #33
#30Dorothy172US #17
#31Diane163US #28
#32Phyllis156US #37
#33Jane147US #46
#34Virginia147US #23
#35Kay137US #75
#36Carole132US #35
#37Helen129US #26
#38Norma114US #52
#39Ann109US #38
#40Alice104US #39
#41Joann103US #58
#42Darlene102US #78
#43Doris101US #41
#44Marlene100US #84
#45Gloria97US #31
#46Frances94US #30
#47Kathryn92US #82
#48Rita92US #55
#49Elaine91US #45
#50Martha91US #29
#51Elizabeth87US #22
#52Roberta86US #66
#53Delores85US #86
#54Peggy85US #42
#55Sally83US #56
#56Charlotte78US #51
#57Marcia76US #105
#58Marjorie75US #74
#59Rose75US #50
#60Evelyn74US #53
#61Diana67US #68
#62Deanna64US #160
#63Dixie64US #193
#64Jo64US #65
#65Pamela64US #106
#66Patty64US #186
#67Sheryl64
#68Joanne62US #48
#69Ellen61US #64
#70Julie61US #157
#71Rosemary58US #92
#72Jeanne55US #119
#73Sue55US #73
#74Dianne52US #109
#75Jacqueline52US #69
#76Marlys51
#77Kathy50US #159
#78Charlene49US #117
#79Wanda49US #54
#80Catherine48US #49
#81Geraldine48US #47
#82Pat48US #144
#83Sherry48US #145
#84Marie47US #43
#85Katherine44US #81
#86Colleen43
#87Georgia42US #123
#88Constance41US #116
#89Eileen41US #88
#90Jeanette41US #104
#91Lynda41US #132
#92Suzanne41US #103
#93Eleanor40US #87
#94Loretta40US #79
#95Cynthia39US #101
#96Patsy39US #57
#97Sheila39US #94
#98Anita37US #93
#99Mildred37US #71
#100Arlene36US #83

Boys

#1Robert1,147US #2
#2James1,137US #1
#3Larry1,009US #12
#4John990US #3
#5Richard921US #5
#6Gary830US #18
#7David815US #6
#8Ronald794US #9
#9William616US #4
#10Donald571US #10
#11Dennis554US #20
#12Jerry471US #16
#13Charles444US #7
#14Thomas442US #8
#15Kenneth411US #15
#16Roger385US #25
#17Michael364US #13
#18Paul264US #19
#19Gerald254US #22
#20Douglas205US #23
#21Terry182US #52
#22Jack176US #34
#23George173US #14
#24Edward170US #17
#25Dale161US #63
#26Wayne161US #41
#27Jim155US #74
#28Stephen150US #32
#29Harold148US #27
#30Raymond148US #24
#31Marvin144US #66
#32Bill132US #65
#33Duane131US #132
#34Joseph125US #11
#35Daniel123US #28
#36Steven120US #75
#37Keith112US #123
#38Carl110US #36
#39Dean110US #151
#40Tom110US #89
#41Lawrence107US #30
#42Don97US #72
#43Norman97US #53
#44Ronnie96US #78
#45Bruce95US #50
#46Eugene95US #45
#47Darrell93US #135
#48Gene92US #82
#49Allen88US #71
#50Harry87US #48
#51Philip84US #54
#52Frank82US #21
#53Patrick82US #64
#54Joe81US #33
#55Leonard80US #57
#56Russell80US #70
#57Francis79US #58
#58Dick77US #183
#59Mike77US #106
#60Stanley75US #56
#61Bob73US #110
#62Jon73US #125
#63Arthur72US #29
#64Howard71US #49
#65Leroy71US #69
#66Lloyd69US #96
#67Fred68US #46
#68Melvin65US #60
#69Phillip64US #77
#70Ralph63US #38
#71Lyle62US #176
#72Walter62US #26
#73Mark58US #117
#74Clifford57US #95
#75Danny57US #111
#76Edwin57US #105
#77Gordon57US #92
#78Vernon57US #114
#79Ray56US #84
#80Steve56US #102
#81Alan55US #81
#82Albert55US #40
#83Loren55
#84Allan54US #124
#85Lynn53US #146
#86Bernard51US #90
#87Earl51US #62
#88Tommy49US #73
#89Henry48US #31
#90Lee48US #87
#91Clarence47US #67
#92Craig47US #175
#93Virgil47US #168
#94Roy46US #42
#95Max43US #170
#96Warren43US #97
#97Leon42US #93
#98Rodney41US #121
#99Kent40
#100Lowell40US #178

On the move since 1941

Rising

↑32Sheryl#67
↑29Douglas#20
↑25Joe#54
↑23Allen#49
↑21Steven#36
↑20Frances#46
↑20Jeanne#72
↑19Marcia#57

Falling

↓35Arlene#100
↓29Lyle#71
↓28Jeanette#90
↓25Leroy#65
↓22Ralph#70
↓20Constance#88
↓19Suzanne#92
↓18Walter#72

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1941 rankings.