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It's a bit hard to find exactly which names were the most popular during the Civil War because I can't find any official lists based on social security information before 1880. I do know that names such as John, William, and Mary have been very popular for centuries.

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This may be helpful though:

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http://www.enoreo.on.ca/socialstudies/pioneer-virtual/baby.html

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During the first half of the 1800s, the most popular children's names came from the Bible. Examples for boys included John, Joseph, Peter, Joshua, Daniel, Matthew, Noah, and Abraham. Popular names for girls included Mary, Sarah, Patience, Faith, Hope, and Charity. If a child was named after a relative, then often a descriptive adjective was added to the name. For example, the son who was named "Joseph" after his father, might have been called, "Little Joe". The little girl named "Sarah" after her aunt, might go by the nickname, "Smiling Sarah".

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By the mid-19th century, names for boys and girls were not quite as often taken from the Bible, however, the names John and Mary have always topped the list of most popular names. The following list contains the most popular names given to babies in the year 1880. This is based on a survey sample taken in 1880 of 4,770 boys, and 2,360 girls.

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Most Popular Baby Names in 1880

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boys-

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1. John

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2. William

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3. Charles

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4. George

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5. James

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6. Joseph

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7. Frank

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8. Henry

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9. Thomas

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10. Harry

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girls-

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1. Mary

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2. Anna

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3. Elizabeth

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4. Margaret

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5. Minnie

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6. Emma

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7. Martha

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8. Alice

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9. Marie

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10. Annie, Sarah (tie)

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