State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1946 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 51,379 Iowa births in 1946 across 739 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#67Lyle#200 nationally
#83Dixieoutside the national top 200
#84Colleenoutside the national top 200
#50Sheryl#165 nationally
#87Daryloutside the national top 200
#86Deanna#193 nationally
#97Beckyoutside the national top 200
#44Duane#142 nationally
#99Patty#191 nationally
#74Dave#160 nationally
#100Dianna#183 nationally
#51Dean#132 nationally

Girls

#1Mary1,297US #1
#2Linda1,124US #2
#3Patricia670US #3
#4Sharon668US #9
#5Barbara658US #4
#6Carol642US #5
#7Judy599US #11
#8Susan589US #8
#9Nancy555US #7
#10Sandra545US #6
#11Karen514US #15
#12Donna432US #13
#13Connie400US #45
#14Judith393US #10
#15Janice383US #22
#16Janet330US #21
#17Diane322US #19
#18Marilyn307US #29
#19Joyce278US #20
#20Kathleen273US #16
#21Cheryl272US #27
#22Pamela269US #34
#23Carolyn267US #12
#24Betty257US #14
#25Shirley250US #18
#26Jean238US #37
#27Margaret220US #17
#28Beverly214US #30
#29Bonnie195US #33
#30Jane194US #35
#31Ruth190US #38
#32Diana186US #42
#33Joan178US #28
#34Kathy165US #79
#35Virginia159US #31
#36Marcia156US #89
#37Kathryn143US #63
#38Ann137US #40
#39Lois133US #55
#40Gloria128US #26
#41Cynthia126US #46
#42Vicki126US #108
#43Peggy125US #43
#44Phyllis125US #41
#45Dorothy124US #23
#46Elaine124US #47
#47Sherry122US #73
#48Elizabeth119US #25
#49Rita115US #56
#50Sheryl113US #165
#51Sally112US #67
#52Jeanne110US #83
#53Suzanne109US #52
#54Kay108US #101
#55Sue107US #61
#56Jo104US #53
#57Rosemary103US #74
#58Martha98US #32
#59Helen96US #36
#60Julie95US #128
#61Dianne94US #76
#62Alice93US #44
#63Frances86US #39
#64Sheila85US #70
#65Ellen83US #58
#66Norma81US #77
#67Joann80US #90
#68Darlene79US #71
#69Marlene79US #112
#70Rebecca79US #68
#71Carole77US #72
#72Charlotte77US #64
#73Marsha75US #98
#74Rose75US #60
#75Joanne73US #57
#76Catherine68US #48
#77Roberta68US #86
#78Constance66US #100
#79Christine65US #50
#80Doris65US #51
#81Jacqueline65US #62
#82Marjorie65US #106
#83Dixie64
#84Colleen62
#85Wanda62US #59
#86Deanna61US #193
#87Eileen61US #80
#88Lynda61US #109
#89Charlene60US #107
#90Paula60US #69
#91Janis57US #134
#92Anne54US #81
#93Lynn54US #94
#94Marie54US #54
#95Katherine53US #78
#96Pat53US #147
#97Becky52
#98Delores52US #115
#99Patty52US #191
#100Dianna51US #183

Boys

#1James1,351US #1
#2Robert1,240US #2
#3John1,222US #3
#4Richard1,160US #5
#5David1,064US #6
#6Dennis965US #17
#7Gary858US #12
#8Larry847US #11
#9Michael843US #7
#10Ronald722US #10
#11William658US #4
#12Thomas633US #8
#13Donald518US #13
#14Charles424US #9
#15Kenneth419US #15
#16Jerry394US #20
#17Terry388US #26
#18Roger368US #23
#19Steven342US #28
#20Paul336US #18
#21Stephen304US #24
#22Douglas242US #34
#23Jim223US #73
#24Daniel202US #21
#25Dale198US #62
#26Edward193US #19
#27Gerald193US #27
#28Mike177US #64
#29Jack173US #35
#30Bruce172US #32
#31George172US #16
#32Mark170US #58
#33Wayne167US #29
#34Joseph157US #14
#35Raymond156US #25
#36Tom156US #87
#37Danny155US #46
#38Harold148US #33
#39Bill147US #72
#40Keith145US #96
#41Steve140US #69
#42Alan132US #49
#43Patrick126US #59
#44Duane124US #142
#45Marvin124US #88
#46Craig112US #108
#47Russell112US #66
#48Bob109US #107
#49Eugene109US #57
#50Don108US #79
#51Dean107US #132
#52Timothy100US #60
#53Gregory99US #56
#54Allen96US #74
#55Ronnie96US #54
#56Fred95US #51
#57Frank93US #22
#58Carl92US #39
#59Lawrence92US #31
#60Stanley92US #65
#61Jon90US #117
#62Ralph87US #48
#63Norman83US #76
#64Darrell78US #131
#65Gene76US #98
#66Philip76US #61
#67Lyle75US #200
#68Dan74US #116
#69Roy74US #43
#70Joe70US #37
#71Rodney68US #93
#72Phillip67US #83
#73Lynn66US #154
#74Dave64US #160
#75Walter64US #30
#76Francis63US #80
#77Harry62US #50
#78Leroy62US #90
#79Leonard61US #67
#80Randy61US #148
#81Arthur59US #36
#82Allan58US #124
#83Frederick57US #75
#84Howard57US #55
#85Randall56US #123
#86Barry54US #68
#87Daryl54
#88Brian52US #103
#89Curtis51US #99
#90Gordon51US #111
#91Martin50US #92
#92Vernon50US #130
#93Jay49US #115
#94Lloyd49US #106
#95Warren49US #105
#96Bernard47US #102
#97Clifford47US #100
#98Jeffrey47US #78
#99Ray47US #95
#100Earl46US #82

On the move since 1945

Rising

↑37Gregory#53
↑21Suzanne#53
↑20Sheila#64
↑19Jeanne#52
↑18Roy#69
↑17Sherry#47
↑15Vicki#42
↑14Philip#66

Falling

↓28Delores#98
↓23Marjorie#82
↓22Patty#99
↓21Earl#100
↓20Marlene#69
↓19Carole#71
↓18Dianne#61
↓17Doris#80

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1945 rankings.