Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1947

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1947. 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 1947, 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 Linda 99,693
2 Mary 71,687
3 Patricia 51,278
4 Barbara 48,794
5 Sandra 34,778
6 Carol 33,540
7 Nancy 32,445
8 Susan 31,953
9 Sharon 28,534
10 Donna 23,519
11 Kathleen 22,096
12 Judith 21,998
13 Karen 21,648
14 Judy 21,037
15 Carolyn 20,741
16 Margaret 20,099
17 Betty 18,964
18 Diane 17,776
19 Shirley 17,648
20 Joyce 15,911
21 Brenda 15,828
22 Janice 15,409
23 Janet 15,234
24 Cheryl 13,891
25 Elizabeth 13,440
26 Dorothy 12,750
27 Gloria 12,626
28 Pamela 12,399
29 Marilyn 11,880
30 Joan 11,274
31 Beverly 11,205
32 Martha 10,652
33 Cynthia 10,530
34 Virginia 10,407
35 Bonnie 10,216
36 Jane 9,942
37 Phyllis 9,186
38 Helen 8,979
39 Frances 8,941
40 Jean 8,940
41 Ann 8,893
42 Peggy 8,877
43 Connie 8,644
44 Ruth 8,481
45 Christine 8,376
46 Catherine 7,889
47 Alice 7,848
48 Diana 7,621
49 Gail 7,240
50 Elaine 7,061
51 Jo 6,727
52 Rebecca 6,332
53 Suzanne 6,230
54 Paula 6,101
55 Kathryn 6,092
56 Joanne 6,063
57 Marie 6,058
58 Doris 6,028
59 Jacqueline 6,010
60 Rita 5,982
61 Ellen 5,856
62 Deborah 5,837
63 Lois 5,720
64 Kathy 5,697
65 Rose 5,657
66 Wanda 5,649
67 Sherry 5,578
68 Charlotte 5,386
69 Sue 5,306
70 Sally 5,266
71 Darlene 5,255
72 Evelyn 5,244
73 Sheila 5,096
74 Laura 5,051
75 Lynn 4,994
76 Katherine 4,885
77 Lynda 4,840
78 Geraldine 4,812
79 Maria 4,709
80 Rosemary 4,542
81 Marcia 4,472
82 Norma 4,426
83 Dianne 4,414
84 Lorraine 4,411
85 Theresa 4,390
86 Jeanne 4,364
87 Patsy 4,344
88 Marsha 4,339
89 Joann 4,276
90 Roberta 4,260
91 Eileen 4,251
92 Anna 4,239
93 Sarah 4,223
94 Anita 4,187
95 Anne 4,186
96 Glenda 4,156
97 Sylvia 4,099
98 Maureen 4,085
99 Louise 4,051
100 Constance 3,893
101 Vicki 3,870
102 Carole 3,826
103 Annie 3,758
104 Kay 3,520
105 Charlene 3,476
106 Marjorie 3,449
107 Irene 3,292
108 Janis 3,205
109 Mildred 3,117
110 Juanita 3,110
111 Dolores 3,071
112 Ruby 3,070
113 Loretta 3,000
114 Marlene 2,989
115 Delores 2,965
116 Julia 2,953
117 Yvonne 2,914
118 Arlene 2,907
119 Cathy 2,859
120 June 2,839
121 Teresa 2,810
122 Claudia 2,766
123 Victoria 2,739
124 Julie 2,735
125 Jeanette 2,601
126 Andrea 2,509
127 Gayle 2,485
128 Vivian 2,483
129 Georgia 2,475
130 Gwendolyn 2,450
131 Edna 2,418
132 Leslie 2,358
133 Josephine 2,349
134 Paulette 2,334
135 Terry 2,291
136 Edith 2,199
137 Pauline 2,178
138 Sara 2,173
139 Margie 2,169
140 Annette 2,144
141 Emma 2,142
142 Penny 2,101
143 Lillian 2,089
144 Ethel 2,083
145 Jennifer 2,010
146 Audrey 2,002
147 Lucille 1,998
148 Michele 1,984
149 Lynne 1,971
150 Clara 1,934
151 Priscilla 1,932
152 Wilma 1,910
153 Thelma 1,901
154 Grace 1,883
155 Toni 1,862
156 Jill 1,859
157 Maryann 1,858
158 Eleanor 1,853
159 Florence 1,850
160 Marion 1,848
161 Janie 1,844
162 Esther 1,841
163 Sheryl 1,835
164 Pat 1,823
165 Gladys 1,820
166 Joy 1,815
167 Rosa 1,800
168 Eva 1,785
169 Vickie 1,706
170 Denise 1,699
171 Stephanie 1,693
172 Bernice 1,689
173 Willie 1,684
174 Jackie 1,660
175 Billie 1,653
176 Angela 1,648
177 Ella 1,636
178 Bobbie 1,618
179 Marian 1,606
180 Bertha 1,602
181 Maxine 1,584
182 Carla 1,569
183 Hazel 1,559
184 Valerie 1,553
185 Dianna 1,540
186 Regina 1,491
187 Emily 1,470
188 Beatrice 1,466
189 Bonita 1,448
190 Rachel 1,448
191 Lillie 1,440
192 Jacquelyn 1,390
193 Faye 1,383
194 Yolanda 1,379
195 Lana 1,364
196 Jan 1,358
197 Sandy 1,354
198 Veronica 1,353
199 Ida 1,347
200 Stella 1,335
201 Harriet 1,324
202 Lucy 1,323
203 Patty 1,319
204 Candace 1,317
205 Becky 1,298
206 Marianne 1,292
207 Christina 1,285
208 Dawn 1,269
209 Colleen 1,267
210 Deanna 1,263
211 Bernadette 1,253
212 Carmen 1,237
213 Vera 1,217
214 Rosie 1,208
215 Alma 1,186
216 Claire 1,180
217 Beth 1,179
218 Carrie 1,170
219 Jessie 1,157
220 Caroline 1,150
221 Rosemarie 1,148
222 Myra 1,141
223 Cindy 1,133
224 Mattie 1,124
225 Nora 1,096
226 Rosalie 1,078
227 Susie 1,071
228 Dixie 1,063
229 Minnie 1,050
230 Lydia 1,049
231 Dora 1,041
232 Francine 1,040
233 Bessie 1,012
234 Renee 1,001
235 Nina 999
236 Johnnie 995
237 Jeannette 994
238 Antoinette 992
239 Deloris 989
240 Trudy 975
241 Wendy 974
242 Madeline 972
243 Cecilia 972
244 Elsie 954
245 Robin 936
246 Geneva 924
247 Sharyn 919
248 Michelle 913
249 Cecelia 889
250 Nellie 876

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 'Robin' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Linda' 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 'Barbara' 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 'Patricias' 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 'Sandra' 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 'Carol' 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 'Donna' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

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

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Sharon' 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 1947". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 26, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1947/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1947". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1947/. Accessed 26 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1947. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1947/.