Most Popular Baby Names in 1950

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby names were for the year 1950. 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 1950, 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 86,229 Linda 80,431
2 Robert 83,555 Mary 65,478
3 John 79,428 Patricia 47,943
4 Michael 65,142 Barbara 41,553
5 David 60,731 Susan 38,016
6 William 60,690 Nancy 29,617
7 Richard 51,003 Deborah 29,064
8 Thomas 45,597 Sandra 28,898
9 Charles 39,099 Carol 26,165
10 Gary 33,747 Kathleen 25,705
11 Larry 31,485 Sharon 24,612
12 Ronald 29,912 Karen 24,136
13 Joseph 27,024 Donna 21,629
14 Donald 27,001 Brenda 20,799
15 Kenneth 23,820 Margaret 18,108
16 Steven 23,252 Diane 17,636
17 Dennis 22,862 Pamela 16,202
18 Paul 21,746 Janet 16,192
19 Stephen 20,514 Shirley 15,890
20 George 20,179 Carolyn 15,587
21 Daniel 19,191 Judith 15,353
22 Edward 18,713 Janice 15,012
23 Mark 16,607 Cynthia 14,447
24 Jerry 15,265 Elizabeth 14,334
25 Gregory 13,311 Judy 14,204
26 Bruce 12,675 Betty 13,612
27 Roger 12,551 Joyce 13,417
28 Douglas 12,266 Christine 12,673
29 Frank 11,609 Cheryl 11,824
30 Terry 11,431 Gloria 11,037
31 Raymond 11,180 Beverly 10,502
32 Timothy 10,503 Martha 9,838
33 Lawrence 10,174 Bonnie 9,747
34 Gerald 9,722 Catherine 9,655
35 Wayne 9,263 Dorothy 9,550
36 Anthony 8,613 Rebecca 9,427
37 Peter 8,365 Marilyn 9,286
38 Patrick 8,183 Kathy 9,089
39 Danny 8,145 Jane 8,963
40 Walter 7,794 Joan 8,860
41 Alan 7,739 Peggy 8,532
42 Willie 7,723 Gail 8,348
43 Jeffrey 7,643 Virginia 8,313
44 Carl 7,288 Connie 8,145
45 Harold 7,218 Ann 7,923
46 Arthur 7,161 Kathryn 7,864
47 Henry 6,963 Diana 7,445
48 Jack 6,839 Jean 7,432
49 Dale 6,787 Ruth 7,128
50 Johnny 6,580 Helen 7,059
51 Roy 6,455 Frances 6,974
52 Ralph 6,405 Wanda 6,929
53 Philip 6,071 Phyllis 6,695
54 Joe 6,034 Paula 6,630
55 Jimmy 5,762 Jacqueline 6,453
56 Albert 5,754 Rita 6,424
57 Billy 5,676 Alice 6,363
58 Eugene 5,484 Katherine 6,205
59 Glenn 5,467 Debra 6,178
60 Stanley 5,451 Elaine 6,036
61 Harry 5,376 Vicki 5,825
62 Samuel 5,226 Sherry 5,808
63 Howard 5,167 Laura 5,723
64 Phillip 5,054 Jo 5,677
65 Bobby 5,016 Theresa 5,629
66 Louis 4,948 Ellen 5,566
67 Russell 4,942 Joanne 5,491
68 Andrew 4,932 Marsha 5,400
69 Craig 4,888 Rose 5,375
70 Randall 4,842 Sheila 5,322
71 Allen 4,840 Suzanne 5,267
72 Christopher 4,834 Marie 5,222
73 Kevin 4,753 Maria 5,077
74 Barry 4,692 Doris 5,053
75 Frederick 4,659 Cathy 5,031
76 Ronnie 4,617 Lynn 5,019
77 Leonard 4,581 Marcia 4,954
78 Keith 4,568 Sally 4,870
79 Brian 4,445 Darlene 4,832
80 Randy 4,356 Charlotte 4,735
81 Ernest 4,308 Teresa 4,725
82 Scott 4,270 Denise 4,513
83 Steve 4,206 Lois 4,503
84 Fred 4,196 Anne 4,459
85 Martin 4,181 Constance 4,441
86 Francis 4,082 Evelyn 4,273
87 Melvin 3,889 Glenda 4,215
88 Rodney 3,856 Sarah 4,145
89 Eddie 3,759 Maureen 4,070
90 Norman 3,640 Dianne 3,922
91 Lee 3,610 Eileen 3,883
92 Earl 3,589 Irene 3,825
93 Marvin 3,494 Anna 3,816
94 Tommy 3,433 Victoria 3,782
95 Clarence 3,342 Jeanne 3,736
96 Alfred 3,234 Roberta 3,630
97 Curtis 3,209 Sylvia 3,612
98 Eric 3,096 Joann 3,600
99 Theodore 2,960 Anita 3,572
100 Clifford 2,940 Sue 3,502
101 Vincent 2,921 Rosemary 3,456
102 Leroy 2,834 Geraldine 3,451
103 Jerome 2,829 Charlene 3,448
104 Micheal 2,823 Norma 3,411
105 Calvin 2,742 Lorraine 3,345
106 Victor 2,714 Annie 3,331
107 Don 2,711 Lynda 3,300
108 Gordon 2,690 Vickie 3,284
109 Bernard 2,638 Louise 3,254
110 Jose 2,638 Yvonne 3,243
111 Ray 2,635 Julie 3,144
112 Herbert 2,622 Marlene 3,130
113 Mike 2,615 Gwendolyn 3,040
114 Jesse 2,607 Wendy 3,030
115 Jay 2,584 Valerie 3,028
116 Darrell 2,496 Juanita 3,027
117 Edwin 2,487 Patsy 2,930
118 Warren 2,467 Jennifer 2,801
119 Leon 2,430 Julia 2,727
120 Dean 2,338 Loretta 2,720
121 Alvin 2,269 Marjorie 2,700
122 Gene 2,251 Stephanie 2,643
123 Benjamin 2,186 Kay 2,627
124 Nicholas 2,178 Colleen 2,619
125 Glen 2,173 Rhonda 2,567
126 Leslie 2,133 Claudia 2,536
127 Lloyd 2,120 Terry 2,526
128 Ricky 2,108 Michele 2,500
129 Dan 2,085 Delores 2,459
130 Joel 2,045 Ruby 2,415
131 Bill 2,041 Jeanette 2,413
132 Lewis 2,028 Arlene 2,390
133 Juan 2,027 Gayle 2,368
134 Vernon 2,005 Leslie 2,329
135 Lonnie 2,001 Mildred 2,296
136 Clyde 1,985 Janis 2,295
137 Duane 1,963 June 2,290
138 Jon 1,945 Vivian 2,268
139 Jim 1,930 Dolores 2,226
140 Jackie 1,926 Carole 2,218
141 Jimmie 1,902 Jill 2,196
142 Allan 1,891 Andrea 2,195
143 Floyd 1,889 Regina 2,166
144 Gilbert 1,882 Annette 2,128
145 Tom 1,825 Sheryl 2,110
146 Dwight 1,814 Josephine 2,092
147 Harvey 1,812 Sara 2,059
148 Lester 1,760 Angela 2,057
149 Tony 1,759 Robin 1,993
150 Donnie 1,722 Paulette 1,954
151 Charlie 1,677 Edith 1,953
152 Bradley 1,631 Lynne 1,940
153 Franklin 1,625 Georgia 1,939
154 Lynn 1,624 Emma 1,896
155 Freddie 1,616 Rosa 1,887
156 Neil 1,609 Lillian 1,884
157 Johnnie 1,588 Edna 1,855
158 Manuel 1,580 Audrey 1,803
159 Herman 1,565 Joy 1,775
160 Leo 1,554 Carla 1,753
161 Milton 1,554 Penny 1,751
162 Randolph 1,551 Esther 1,740
163 Jonathan 1,538 Pauline 1,739
164 Garry 1,534 Janie 1,729
165 Wesley 1,527 Christina 1,726
166 Arnold 1,508 Jacquelyn 1,724
167 Marc 1,503 Jan 1,724
168 Rick 1,485 Renee 1,691
169 Chester 1,378 Priscilla 1,671
170 Ted 1,355 Shelley 1,671
171 Cecil 1,341 Wilma 1,656
172 Karl 1,304 Candace 1,648
173 Rickey 1,301 Belinda 1,634
174 Matthew 1,300 Michelle 1,633
175 Reginald 1,297 Eva 1,622
176 Terrence 1,268 Ethel 1,601
177 Claude 1,253 Beth 1,580
178 Chris 1,249 Clara 1,571
179 Guy 1,237 Yolanda 1,567
180 Kent 1,233 Lucille 1,551
181 Mitchell 1,224 Bonita 1,528
182 Nathaniel 1,223 Gladys 1,527
183 Jeffery 1,217 Grace 1,511
184 Dana 1,199 Margie 1,470
185 Maurice 1,197 Cindy 1,467
186 Stuart 1,197 Carmen 1,459
187 Roland 1,193 Thelma 1,455
188 Carlos 1,190 Dianna 1,454
189 Alexander 1,165 Rachel 1,454
190 Fredrick 1,162 Florence 1,446
191 Gerard 1,161 Dawn 1,411
192 Oscar 1,102 Marianne 1,402
193 Perry 1,096 Bertha 1,396
194 Marshall 1,082 Laurie 1,392
195 Sidney 1,077 Bobbie 1,388
196 Rex 1,069 Marion 1,387
197 Kerry 1,063 Veronica 1,387
198 Wallace 1,061 Ella 1,380
199 Kirk 1,030 Eleanor 1,371
200 Ruben 1,026 Maryann 1,354
201 Clifton 1,024 Willie 1,339
202 Jessie 1,020 Lillie 1,321
203 Darryl 1,011 Emily 1,316
204 Bob 977 Billie 1,315
205 Daryl 976 Lana 1,315
206 Hugh 960 Bernice 1,301
207 Sam 955 Lucy 1,289
208 Terrance 953 Toni 1,282
209 Edgar 937 Jackie 1,276
210 Antonio 924 Beatrice 1,271
211 Morris 918 Faye 1,271
212 Brent 908 Marian 1,258
213 Earnest 888 Maxine 1,251
214 Sammy 886 Kristine 1,247
215 Benny 875 Vicky 1,247
216 Dave 874 Becky 1,236
217 Neal 848 Ida 1,195
218 Willard 842 Amy 1,185
219 Wendell 841 Hazel 1,181
220 Clinton 832 Lisa 1,176
221 Otis 831 Melinda 1,163
222 Byron 830 Debbie 1,162
223 Lyle 828 Lydia 1,127
224 Marion 820 Francine 1,124
225 Tyrone 815 Nora 1,118
226 Elmer 809 Stella 1,113
227 Laurence 807 Vera 1,112
228 Greg 804 Terri 1,106
229 Nelson 804 Rosie 1,105
230 Aaron 798 Mona 1,087
231 Ira 796 Monica 1,057
232 Kim 795 Alma 1,052
233 Kurt 789 Bernadette 1,043
234 Virgil 786 Claire 1,038
235 Jesus 783 Ramona 1,036
236 Ross 769 Myra 1,032
237 Luther 762 Melanie 1,026
238 Bennie 758 Nina 1,009
239 Rudolph 756 Iris 986
240 Max 755 Melissa 980
241 Clayton 754 Carrie 976
242 Tim 754 Shelia 957
243 Nathan 753 Susie 942
244 Alex 752 Jessie 936
245 Everett 750 Harriet 935
246 Mario 743 Trudy 935
247 Robin 737 Mattie 929
248 Bryan 737 Dana 928
249 Lance 735 Cecilia 920
250 Ben 721 Marguerite 904

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 'Everett' or 'Trudy', 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 'Michael' or 'Sandra' 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 'Deborah' 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 'William' or 'Carol' 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 'Gary' or 'Barbara' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Richard' or 'Donna' 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 'Nancy' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Charles' or 'Betty' 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.