Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1953

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1953. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby girl names in 1953, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 Mary 64,389
2 Linda 61,282
3 Deborah 52,199
4 Patricia 51,021
5 Susan 44,296
6 Barbara 38,474
7 Debra 36,857
8 Nancy 30,617
9 Karen 29,858
10 Pamela 25,759
11 Sandra 25,501
12 Cynthia 25,134
13 Donna 24,226
14 Kathleen 23,729
15 Sharon 23,042
16 Carol 22,294
17 Diane 21,345
18 Brenda 20,126
19 Janet 17,772
20 Margaret 16,198
21 Elizabeth 16,100
22 Janice 14,627
23 Kathy 13,399
24 Rebecca 12,962
25 Carolyn 12,916
26 Joyce 12,796
27 Judy 12,733
28 Cheryl 12,265
29 Shirley 12,148
30 Judith 11,967
31 Denise 11,949
32 Christine 11,793
33 Betty 11,371
34 Beverly 11,240
35 Catherine 10,847
36 Marilyn 10,741
37 Joan 9,774
38 Gloria 9,678
39 Gail 9,585
40 Paula 9,559
41 Martha 9,263
42 Teresa 8,934
43 Jane 8,910
44 Peggy 8,761
45 Bonnie 8,615
46 Ann 8,577
47 Connie 8,577
48 Kathryn 8,324
49 Dorothy 8,160
50 Theresa 7,716
51 Laura 7,630
52 Jean 7,571
53 Virginia 7,545
54 Jo 7,513
55 Diana 7,440
56 Cathy 7,299
57 Wanda 7,204
58 Jacqueline 7,133
59 Rose 7,005
60 Sheila 6,963
61 Vicki 6,821
62 Ruth 6,581
63 Katherine 6,558
64 Rita 6,284
65 Helen 6,122
66 Robin 6,038
67 Lynn 5,998
68 Maria 5,988
69 Phyllis 5,962
70 Sherry 5,935
71 Joanne 5,887
72 Frances 5,787
73 Alice 5,744
74 Julie 5,668
75 Darlene 5,589
76 Ellen 5,538
77 Elaine 5,495
78 Suzanne 5,472
79 Vickie 5,295
80 Anne 5,256
81 Sally 5,182
82 Victoria 5,164
83 Marsha 5,132
84 Marcia 5,063
85 Rhonda 5,030
86 Marie 4,956
87 Doris 4,899
88 Valerie 4,590
89 Anita 4,408
90 Roberta 4,299
91 Lois 4,221
92 Maureen 4,112
93 Sarah 4,083
94 Evelyn 4,065
95 Constance 4,029
96 Leslie 3,904
97 Jeanne 3,854
98 Anna 3,836
99 Cindy 3,825
100 Charlotte 3,814
101 Sylvia 3,812
102 Michele 3,723
103 Laurie 3,686
104 Yvonne 3,685
105 Glenda 3,655
106 Sue 3,650
107 Michelle 3,631
108 Eileen 3,628
109 Dianne 3,616
110 Wendy 3,616
111 Lisa 3,603
112 Gwendolyn 3,519
113 Charlene 3,504
114 Jill 3,389
115 Colleen 3,377
116 Terry 3,374
117 Jennifer 3,373
118 Lorraine 3,310
119 Debbie 3,208
120 Angela 3,185
121 Joann 3,170
122 Norma 3,168
123 Stephanie 3,083
124 Julia 2,973
125 Louise 2,964
126 Claudia 2,858
127 Irene 2,800
128 Marlene 2,766
129 Carla 2,760
130 Terri 2,726
131 Andrea 2,721
132 Regina 2,711
133 Juanita 2,709
134 Renee 2,694
135 Geraldine 2,673
136 Gayle 2,666
137 Loretta 2,666
138 Dawn 2,640
139 Jeanette 2,609
140 Jan 2,607
141 Patsy 2,591
142 Annie 2,564
143 Beth 2,564
144 Marjorie 2,545
145 Annette 2,485
146 Kay 2,463
147 Rosemary 2,433
148 Sheryl 2,399
149 Vivian 2,358
150 Ruby 2,342
151 Joy 2,307
152 Amy 2,306
153 Arlene 2,306
154 Lynda 2,304
155 June 2,264
156 Delores 2,171
157 Penny 2,154
158 Sara 2,078
159 Lynne 2,040
160 Patti 2,033
161 Rosa 2,023
162 Toni 2,020
163 Vanessa 2,007
164 Melissa 2,006
165 Dolores 1,980
166 Mildred 1,942
167 Audrey 1,941
168 Shelley 1,937
169 Janis 1,864
170 Vicky 1,861
171 Yolanda 1,808
172 Josephine 1,799
173 Lori 1,792
174 Belinda 1,789
175 Rachel 1,780
176 Melinda 1,774
177 Christina 1,772
178 Roxanne 1,764
179 Paulette 1,763
180 Candace 1,753
181 Georgia 1,743
182 Kim 1,739
183 Jacquelyn 1,737
184 Jackie 1,728
185 Carmen 1,725
186 Lillian 1,658
187 Marianne 1,650
188 Carole 1,635
189 Becky 1,627
190 Edna 1,615
191 Veronica 1,615
192 Esther 1,613
193 Monica 1,600
194 Eva 1,592
195 Emma 1,589
196 Sherri 1,583
197 Janie 1,580
198 Pauline 1,571
199 Lucy 1,566
200 Holly 1,565
201 Lydia 1,561
202 Edith 1,527
203 Lucille 1,495
204 Shelia 1,485
205 Ramona 1,455
206 Margie 1,451
207 Lou 1,436
208 Wilma 1,435
209 Kimberly 1,428
210 Melanie 1,423
211 Dianna 1,399
212 Clara 1,383
213 Grace 1,382
214 Priscilla 1,380
215 Nina 1,375
216 Gladys 1,368
217 Marian 1,366
218 Bonita 1,354
219 Billie 1,333
220 Emily 1,325
221 Bobbie 1,316
222 Melody 1,297
223 Thelma 1,294
224 Ethel 1,282
225 Carrie 1,281
226 Marion 1,276
227 Eleanor 1,253
228 Kristine 1,247
229 Dana 1,197
230 Luann 1,197
231 Vera 1,192
232 Doreen 1,180
233 Bertha 1,172
234 Maxine 1,172
235 Ella 1,162
236 Bernice 1,156
237 Willie 1,156
238 Nora 1,148
239 Patty 1,139
240 Florence 1,124
241 Patrice 1,119
242 Tina 1,096
243 Beatrice 1,092
244 Claire 1,090
245 Alma 1,089
246 Francine 1,088
247 Maryann 1,079
248 Lillie 1,070
249 Mona 1,061
250 Dale 1,053

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Alma' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Mary' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'Patricia' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Deborahs' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Susan' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Barbara' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Pamela' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Debra' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Nancy' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Karen' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1953". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 9, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1953/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1953". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1953/. Accessed 9 May, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1953. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1953/.