State roster

Top names in Kansas

The names most likely to appear on 1940 Kansas birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 25,251 Kansas births in 1940 across 595 distinct names.

Distinctively Kansas

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

#65Sondra#199 nationally
#72Lorenoutside the national top 200
#88Eldonoutside the national top 200
#55Max#165 nationally
#95Vernaoutside the national top 200
#96Delorisoutside the national top 200
#97Darreloutside the national top 200
#99Sonjaoutside the national top 200
#70Dixie#171 nationally
#80Patty#175 nationally
#42Darrell#131 nationally
#69Charlene#145 nationally

Girls

#1Mary662US #1
#2Patricia373US #3
#3Judith350US #4
#4Barbara348US #2
#5Judy331US #16
#6Carol328US #6
#7Sharon328US #17
#8Karen277US #34
#9Shirley255US #9
#10Nancy240US #7
#11Betty231US #5
#12Carolyn222US #15
#13Donna217US #23
#14Joyce217US #13
#15Linda216US #8
#16Marilyn202US #25
#17Janice199US #22
#18Sandra196US #10
#19Beverly149US #27
#20Virginia149US #21
#21Dorothy143US #12
#22Phyllis141US #33
#23Janet129US #19
#24Ruth127US #24
#25Margaret124US #11
#26Helen103US #18
#27Bonnie101US #39
#28Joan99US #14
#29Norma95US #43
#30Lois91US #38
#31Connie89US #88
#32Doris88US #31
#33Peggy82US #37
#34Martha81US #26
#35Darlene77US #79
#36Marjorie75US #64
#37Elizabeth74US #20
#38Alice72US #32
#39Kay71US #77
#40Gloria66US #30
#41Frances64US #28
#42Anita63US #87
#43Delores63US #83
#44Carole62US #49
#45Wanda61US #52
#46Jean60US #29
#47Brenda57US #42
#48Charlotte56US #55
#49Roberta55US #71
#50Jane54US #47
#51Sue54US #81
#52Loretta53US #69
#53Jo52US #72
#54Rose52US #44
#55Susan52US #36
#56Glenda51US #107
#57Joann51US #63
#58Patsy51US #57
#59Rita51US #70
#60Sylvia51US #62
#61Ann50US #35
#62Evelyn49US #48
#63Anna47US #51
#64Deanna47US #136
#65Sondra47US #199
#66Kathryn46US #103
#67Sally44US #61
#68Kathleen43US #40
#69Charlene42US #145
#70Dixie42US #171
#71Juanita42US #78
#72Wilma42US #93
#73Elaine40US #50
#74Katherine39US #92
#75Marcia39US #112
#76Esther37US #131
#77Mildred37US #58
#78Jeanette36US #90
#79Julia35US #91
#80Patty35US #175
#81Edith34US #98
#82Geraldine34US #46
#83Rosemary34US #85
#84Eleanor33US #68
#85Marlene31US #80
#86Louise30US #59
#87Dolores29US #67
#88Ellen29US #74
#89Rosalie29US #139
#90Ruby29US #66
#91Sara29US #122
#92Jeanne27US #129
#93Sarah27US #60
#94Vera27US #159
#95Verna27
#96Deloris26
#97Laura26US #108
#98Maxine26US #137
#99Sonja26
#100Cynthia25US #133

Boys

#1Larry713US #13
#2Robert621US #2
#3James554US #1
#4John553US #3
#5Gary509US #19
#6Richard461US #5
#7Donald368US #9
#8William363US #4
#9Charles355US #6
#10Ronald318US #10
#11Jerry299US #14
#12David291US #7
#13Kenneth207US #15
#14George153US #11
#15Thomas148US #8
#16Gerald139US #21
#17Dennis137US #24
#18Paul136US #17
#19Michael133US #18
#20Roger124US #26
#21Harold121US #23
#22Raymond121US #22
#23Jack117US #29
#24Dale102US #57
#25Lawrence94US #36
#26Frank87US #20
#27Carl85US #32
#28Jim85US #78
#29Wayne85US #39
#30Don84US #62
#31Melvin80US #53
#32Edward78US #16
#33Bill76US #67
#34Billy76US #27
#35Marvin76US #63
#36Ralph74US #37
#37Norman73US #48
#38Joseph66US #12
#39Leroy65US #66
#40Walter65US #25
#41Phillip64US #79
#42Darrell63US #131
#43Eugene62US #38
#44Joe62US #28
#45Jimmy60US #44
#46Fred59US #40
#47Arthur58US #33
#48Terry57US #73
#49Earl55US #52
#50Gene55US #70
#51Ronnie55US #101
#52Stanley55US #59
#53Bob52US #99
#54Howard52US #45
#55Max51US #165
#56Jon49US #123
#57Roy49US #42
#58Bruce47US #55
#59Daniel47US #34
#60Francis47US #61
#61Leon46US #89
#62Jimmie43US #86
#63Lloyd42US #100
#64Tom41US #92
#65Vernon41US #105
#66Keith40US #125
#67Philip40US #60
#68Duane39US #134
#69Bobby38US #30
#70Ernest38US #58
#71Herbert38US #75
#72Loren38
#73Albert37US #41
#74Harry37US #47
#75Jackie37US #108
#76Ray37US #77
#77Danny36US #126
#78Glenn36US #83
#79Stephen36US #49
#80Alvin35US #106
#81Leonard35US #54
#82Clarence34US #64
#83Clifford33US #94
#84Dean33US #143
#85Johnny33US #51
#86Tommy33US #76
#87Bernard31US #82
#88Eldon31
#89Floyd31US #103
#90Rodney31US #133
#91Allen30US #71
#92Douglas30US #56
#93Everett30US #168
#94Glen30US #130
#95Henry30US #31
#96Virgil30US #166
#97Darrel29
#98Lee29US #80
#99Lyle29US #173
#100Leo27US #112

On the move since 1939

Rising

↑42Brenda#47
↑32Max#55
↑24Jon#56
↑23Susan#55
↑23Lawrence#25
↑21Elaine#73
↑21Lloyd#63
↑21Philip#67

Falling

↓27Marlene#85
↓25Leonard#81
↓22Jeanette#78
↓22Albert#73
↓21Clarence#82
↓20Keith#66
↓19Evelyn#62
↓17Kathleen#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.