Most Popular Baby Names in 1948

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 1948. 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 names in 1948, 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

Boys Girls
Rank Name Count Name Count
1 James 88,589 Linda 96,212
2 Robert 85,475 Mary 68,599
3 John 82,833 Barbara 46,826
4 William 61,972 Patricia 46,137
5 David 56,623 Susan 35,985
6 Michael 52,560 Sandra 31,060
7 Richard 50,969 Nancy 29,410
8 Thomas 43,777 Carol 28,979
9 Charles 38,681 Sharon 26,142
10 Ronald 33,518 Kathleen 23,256
11 Larry 33,434 Donna 22,033
12 Gary 28,395 Karen 21,996
13 Joseph 26,807 Margaret 18,875
14 Donald 26,442 Carolyn 18,621
15 Kenneth 23,551 Judith 17,787
16 George 21,924 Judy 17,702
17 Dennis 21,760 Brenda 17,697
18 Paul 21,250 Betty 16,624
19 Edward 18,978 Diane 16,608
20 Stephen 17,060 Shirley 16,126
21 Jerry 16,808 Joyce 14,382
22 Daniel 16,507 Pamela 14,280
23 Steven 15,981 Janice 14,162
24 Roger 12,817 Janet 13,978
25 Frank 12,695 Cheryl 13,221
26 Terry 12,135 Elizabeth 13,213
27 Raymond 11,612 Cynthia 12,241
28 Bruce 11,065 Gloria 11,688
29 Mark 10,267 Dorothy 11,323
30 Gerald 9,844 Deborah 11,245
31 Lawrence 9,765 Beverly 10,796
32 Gregory 9,723 Martha 10,007
33 Douglas 9,468 Marilyn 9,936
34 Wayne 8,680 Bonnie 9,818
35 Walter 8,626 Christine 9,678
36 Harold 8,146 Virginia 9,296
37 Peter 8,050 Joan 9,274
38 Timothy 8,042 Peggy 9,090
39 Danny 8,004 Jane 8,780
40 Willie 7,968 Helen 8,302
41 Anthony 7,880 Catherine 8,246
42 Carl 7,829 Frances 8,177
43 Jack 7,613 Connie 8,055
44 Arthur 7,583 Ann 8,025
45 Henry 7,422 Ruth 7,903
46 Alan 7,394 Phyllis 7,875
47 Joe 7,288 Jean 7,774
48 Patrick 7,189 Diana 7,705
49 Roy 7,065 Alice 6,981
50 Jimmy 6,923 Rebecca 6,795
51 Ralph 6,913 Gail 6,604
52 Johnny 6,862 Paula 6,597
53 Billy 6,221 Elaine 6,400
54 Philip 6,161 Kathryn 6,176
55 Albert 6,156 Kathy 6,148
56 Dale 6,089 Jo 5,983
57 Harry 5,946 Wanda 5,918
58 Jeffrey 5,929 Jacqueline 5,837
59 Ronnie 5,900 Rita 5,835
60 Steve 5,741 Marie 5,786
61 Eugene 5,607 Sherry 5,716
62 Bobby 5,581 Theresa 5,556
63 Howard 5,497 Rose 5,554
64 Louis 5,387 Doris 5,547
65 Stanley 5,383 Joanne 5,498
66 Fred 5,378 Suzanne 5,449
67 Russell 5,111 Ellen 5,289
68 Mike 5,045 Katherine 5,169
69 Phillip 5,018 Charlotte 5,165
70 Samuel 5,002 Lois 5,075
71 Leonard 4,781 Sheila 5,022
72 Allen 4,758 Sally 5,010
73 Glenn 4,741 Laura 4,901
74 Barry 4,668 Evelyn 4,840
75 Frederick 4,516 Maria 4,815
76 Ernest 4,510 Marsha 4,725
77 Andrew 4,307 Darlene 4,693
78 Eddie 4,236 Sue 4,674
79 Tommy 4,219 Marcia 4,640
80 Francis 4,214 Lynn 4,609
81 Melvin 4,055 Vicki 4,365
82 Craig 3,986 Teresa 4,217
83 Earl 3,977 Geraldine 4,208
84 Bill 3,926 Lynda 4,168
85 Norman 3,894 Sarah 4,157
86 Jim 3,808 Dianne 4,138
87 Clarence 3,791 Anne 4,122
88 Martin 3,699 Maureen 4,078
89 Keith 3,661 Anna 4,037
90 Marvin 3,625 Rosemary 3,869
91 Don 3,545 Eileen 3,838
92 Rodney 3,465 Glenda 3,830
93 Lee 3,444 Constance 3,812
94 Tom 3,431 Joann 3,799
95 Brian 3,358 Jeanne 3,788
96 Alfred 3,247 Lorraine 3,745
97 Leroy 3,232 Annie 3,719
98 Randall 3,179 Patsy 3,714
99 Randy 3,142 Louise 3,684
100 Ray 3,132 Sylvia 3,672
101 Curtis 3,090 Roberta 3,667
102 Christopher 3,038 Anita 3,614
103 Herbert 2,871 Norma 3,591
104 Theodore 2,827 Cathy 3,562
105 Clifford 2,793 Charlene 3,487
106 Vincent 2,790 Carole 3,313
107 Bernard 2,715 Juanita 3,208
108 Jesse 2,704 Victoria 3,131
109 Warren 2,656 Marlene 3,053
110 Jerome 2,591 Marjorie 3,048
111 Gene 2,541 Irene 3,043
112 Gordon 2,510 Yvonne 3,042
113 Dan 2,494 Kay 2,943
114 Eric 2,490 Ruby 2,894
115 Victor 2,478 Loretta 2,868
116 Edwin 2,435 Delores 2,839
117 Calvin 2,398 Julie 2,794
118 Lloyd 2,389 Julia 2,776
119 Leon 2,382 Dolores 2,762
120 Jimmie 2,362 Mildred 2,756
121 Darrell 2,336 Janis 2,745
122 Scott 2,300 Claudia 2,623
123 Jay 2,272 Paulette 2,579
124 Alvin 2,270 Gwendolyn 2,506
125 Tony 2,269 Arlene 2,480
126 Jose 2,261 Vivian 2,424
127 Kevin 2,229 June 2,390
128 Jon 2,214 Andrea 2,366
129 Leslie 2,214 Jeanette 2,329
130 Lewis 2,143 Georgia 2,311
131 Clyde 2,073 Leslie 2,305
132 Allan 2,061 Regina 2,292
133 Glen 2,046 Terry 2,281
134 Floyd 2,041 Josephine 2,229
135 Lonnie 2,040 Valerie 2,131
136 Vernon 2,032 Lillian 2,117
137 Joel 2,025 Stephanie 2,103
138 Harvey 2,002 Emma 2,097
139 Duane 1,963 Edna 2,096
140 Benjamin 1,960 Edith 2,082
141 Bob 1,960 Gayle 2,066
142 Nicholas 1,929 Sara 2,021
143 Dean 1,909 Vickie 2,020
144 Charlie 1,902 Sheryl 2,008
145 Gilbert 1,868 Pauline 1,965
146 Herman 1,838 Annette 1,931
147 Jackie 1,833 Denise 1,930
148 Micheal 1,802 Margie 1,927
149 Lester 1,782 Rosa 1,926
150 Johnnie 1,779 Jill 1,886
151 Leo 1,717 Jennifer 1,882
152 Freddie 1,709 Ethel 1,872
153 Dwight 1,650 Penny 1,861
154 Arnold 1,640 Lucille 1,854
155 Ricky 1,600 Esther 1,847
156 Manuel 1,591 Priscilla 1,846
157 Lynn 1,572 Audrey 1,839
158 Chester 1,556 Angela 1,801
159 Franklin 1,551 Michele 1,799
160 Milton 1,546 Clara 1,793
161 Dave 1,507 Colleen 1,783
162 Donnie 1,482 Eva 1,774
163 Ted 1,477 Thelma 1,763
164 Juan 1,476 Wilma 1,743
165 Neil 1,406 Florence 1,697
166 Cecil 1,400 Lynne 1,682
167 Garry 1,399 Grace 1,677
168 Claude 1,346 Willie 1,667
169 Wesley 1,335 Eleanor 1,664
170 Roland 1,332 Maryann 1,631
171 Tim 1,296 Joy 1,627
172 Chris 1,286 Dianna 1,626
173 Jonathan 1,283 Gladys 1,601
174 Rick 1,280 Toni 1,601
175 Marc 1,255 Marion 1,592
176 Sam 1,239 Janie 1,579
177 Terrence 1,204 Ella 1,554
178 Greg 1,189 Billie 1,546
179 Karl 1,186 Bobbie 1,543
180 Nathaniel 1,159 Carla 1,543
181 Marshall 1,157 Maxine 1,523
182 Randolph 1,143 Wendy 1,517
183 Alexander 1,130 Bertha 1,515
184 Oscar 1,098 Christina 1,494
185 Jessie 1,094 Bernice 1,488
186 Wallace 1,079 Veronica 1,478
187 Sammy 1,075 Jackie 1,467
188 Stuart 1,073 Lana 1,465
189 Benny 1,065 Lillie 1,454
190 Matthew 1,055 Candace 1,446
191 Hugh 1,039 Beatrice 1,432
192 Bradley 1,030 Marianne 1,425
193 Carlos 1,027 Jacquelyn 1,421
194 Kent 1,027 Emily 1,391
195 Guy 1,023 Rachel 1,388
196 Dana 1,021 Marian 1,387
197 Rickey 1,020 Yolanda 1,363
198 Maurice 1,004 Renee 1,362
199 Sidney 991 Hazel 1,346
200 Perry 981 Faye 1,345
201 Edgar 976 Stella 1,344
202 Gerard 972 Lucy 1,342
203 Elmer 970 Bonita 1,315
204 Willard 950 Carmen 1,309
205 Clifton 944 Ida 1,303
206 Reginald 942 Jan 1,262
207 Fredrick 939 Pat 1,249
208 Marion 934 Dawn 1,241
209 Ruben 909 Lydia 1,222
210 Rex 903 Becky 1,200
211 Earnest 900 Bernadette 1,183
212 Jeff 888 Carrie 1,174
213 Everett 881 Cindy 1,163
214 Ben 872 Alma 1,159
215 Terrance 866 Rosie 1,152
216 Lyle 864 Vera 1,150
217 Mitchell 861 Patty 1,137
218 Clinton 856 Debra 1,125
219 Daryl 855 Harriet 1,116
220 Jesus 845 Rosalie 1,115
221 Otis 845 Robin 1,094
222 Morris 842 Mattie 1,091
223 Bennie 835 Myra 1,088
224 Darryl 834 Beth 1,087
225 Luther 832 Nora 1,086
226 Ira 823 Caroline 1,080
227 Nelson 814 Jessie 1,070
228 Byron 796 Deanna 1,063
229 Virgil 794 Rosemarie 1,048
230 Jeffery 794 Michelle 1,044
231 Antonio 776 Kristine 1,033
232 Ron 770 Dora 1,023
233 Laurence 768 Claire 1,023
234 Alex 765 Nina 1,022
235 Kerry 750 Susie 1,019
236 Max 743 Bessie 998
237 Tyrone 724 Minnie 994
238 Clayton 721 Francine 975
239 Ross 720 Antoinette 974
240 Horace 719 Jeannette 957
241 Rudolph 716 Cecilia 956
242 Neal 713 Melanie 955
243 Rudy 706 Deloris 945
244 Aaron 701 Madeline 939
245 Alton 696 Iris 935
246 Delbert 694 Sandy 932
247 Wendell 676 Marguerite 915
248 Leland 672 Rhonda 908
249 Loren 667 Elsie 904
250 Rodger 662 Nellie 891

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 'Alton' or 'Sandy', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'James' or 'Linda' 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 'William' or 'Carol' 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 'Johns' or 'Marys' 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 'David' or 'Nancy' 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 'Michael' or 'Sharon' 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 'Ronald' or 'Patricia' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Richard' or 'Margaret' 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 'Thomas' or 'Sandra' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Charles' or 'Elizabeth' 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 Names in 1948". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1948/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Names in 1948". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1948/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Names in 1948. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-baby-names-in-1948/.