Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1954

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1954. 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 1954, 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 68,019
2 Linda 55,375
3 Deborah 54,684
4 Patricia 49,147
5 Susan 47,163
6 Debra 45,898
7 Barbara 36,370
8 Karen 32,455
9 Nancy 30,271
10 Cynthia 27,619
11 Donna 27,427
12 Pamela 27,368
13 Sandra 26,059
14 Kathleen 22,460
15 Carol 22,249
16 Sharon 22,219
17 Diane 22,057
18 Brenda 19,613
19 Janet 18,476
20 Elizabeth 16,586
21 Margaret 15,225
22 Cheryl 15,016
23 Kathy 14,174
24 Denise 13,718
25 Janice 13,505
26 Rebecca 13,210
27 Carolyn 12,157
28 Joyce 12,090
29 Judy 11,634
30 Judith 11,197
31 Beverly 11,156
32 Catherine 11,079
33 Shirley 10,908
34 Teresa 10,844
35 Marilyn 10,815
36 Betty 10,621
37 Gail 9,725
38 Paula 9,686
39 Connie 9,636
40 Joan 9,518
41 Robin 9,043
42 Gloria 8,924
43 Christine 8,787
44 Ann 8,750
45 Laura 8,720
46 Martha 8,595
47 Theresa 8,512
48 Peggy 8,456
49 Jane 8,344
50 Vicki 8,222
51 Kathryn 8,138
52 Bonnie 8,099
53 Jo 8,052
54 Rose 7,998
55 Dorothy 7,794
56 Jean 7,666
57 Diana 7,625
58 Wanda 7,448
59 Cathy 7,211
60 Sheila 7,202
61 Virginia 7,176
62 Sherry 7,120
63 Lynn 6,781
64 Katherine 6,742
65 Maria 6,591
66 Ruth 6,565
67 Rita 6,536
68 Jacqueline 6,518
69 Vickie 6,366
70 Julie 6,276
71 Rhonda 6,102
72 Helen 5,945
73 Lisa 5,913
74 Elaine 5,827
75 Phyllis 5,764
76 Darlene 5,514
77 Ellen 5,458
78 Joanne 5,435
79 Marie 5,310
80 Anne 5,299
81 Alice 5,268
82 Suzanne 5,235
83 Frances 5,153
84 Sally 5,079
85 Victoria 4,979
86 Marsha 4,965
87 Valerie 4,917
88 Terry 4,788
89 Michele 4,764
90 Marcia 4,744
91 Cindy 4,716
92 Debbie 4,666
93 Doris 4,457
94 Michelle 4,432
95 Wendy 4,412
96 Anita 4,408
97 Maureen 4,368
98 Laurie 4,290
99 Leslie 4,149
100 Terri 4,130
101 Sylvia 4,083
102 Roberta 4,043
103 Sarah 4,040
104 Marian 4,013
105 Anna 3,999
106 Sue 3,975
107 Jill 3,967
108 Jennifer 3,966
109 Lois 3,953
110 Evelyn 3,951
111 Constance 3,837
112 Jeanne 3,769
113 Charlotte 3,761
114 Glenda 3,734
115 Eileen 3,679
116 Dianne 3,644
117 Yvonne 3,560
118 Angela 3,543
119 Colleen 3,484
120 Lorraine 3,466
121 Lori 3,441
122 Gwendolyn 3,409
123 Stephanie 3,368
124 Dawn 3,356
125 Loretta 3,244
126 Charlene 3,242
127 Julia 3,156
128 Norma 3,103
129 Joann 3,064
130 Beth 3,035
131 Jan 2,993
132 Renee 2,979
133 Sheryl 2,931
134 Kim 2,929
135 Carla 2,890
136 Andrea 2,722
137 Regina 2,715
138 Louise 2,692
139 Amy 2,676
140 Irene 2,658
141 Marlene 2,650
142 Vanessa 2,644
143 Geraldine 2,572
144 Juanita 2,551
145 Claudia 2,515
146 Kay 2,507
147 Gayle 2,497
148 Jeanette 2,487
149 Audrey 2,455
150 Annie 2,409
151 Joy 2,366
152 June 2,362
153 Toni 2,298
154 Annette 2,281
155 Patsy 2,281
156 Vivian 2,275
157 Lynne 2,267
158 Roxanne 2,231
159 Marjorie 2,221
160 Rosemary 2,190
161 Shelley 2,177
162 Ruby 2,142
163 Penny 2,134
164 Sara 2,122
165 Rosa 2,108
166 Holly 2,093
167 Patti 2,093
168 Kimberly 2,090
169 Arlene 2,073
170 Melissa 2,062
171 Vicky 2,041
172 Marianne 2,031
173 Lynda 2,024
174 Dolores 1,963
175 Yolanda 1,961
176 Melinda 1,954
177 Delores 1,948
178 Melanie 1,860
179 Becky 1,849
180 Mildred 1,835
181 Monica 1,826
182 Rachel 1,806
183 Janis 1,791
184 Carmen 1,783
185 Jackie 1,733
186 Josephine 1,720
187 Eva 1,715
188 Belinda 1,683
189 Edna 1,679
190 Shelia 1,666
191 Veronica 1,640
192 Luann 1,638
193 Esther 1,631
194 Lillian 1,629
195 Ramona 1,611
196 Jacquelyn 1,604
197 Lydia 1,558
198 Candace 1,555
199 Melody 1,546
200 Georgia 1,533
201 Lucy 1,532
202 Emma 1,528
203 Carole 1,506
204 Lou 1,493
205 Janie 1,492
206 Nina 1,489
207 Margie 1,487
208 Paulette 1,485
209 Sherri 1,471
210 Pauline 1,424
211 Edith 1,422
212 Dianna 1,410
213 Grace 1,410
214 Christina 1,387
215 Bobbie 1,384
216 Lee 1,357
217 Dana 1,352
218 Emily 1,341
219 Marion 1,337
220 Lucille 1,330
221 Carrie 1,308
222 Priscilla 1,308
223 Wilma 1,304
224 Marla 1,298
225 Billie 1,279
226 Gladys 1,264
227 Patty 1,249
228 Thelma 1,240
229 Debora 1,239
230 Tina 1,237
231 Vera 1,219
232 Bonita 1,199
233 Mona 1,192
234 Clara 1,184
235 Ethel 1,177
236 Patrice 1,165
237 Nora 1,162
238 Bertha 1,159
239 Maryann 1,147
240 Doreen 1,137
241 Karla 1,135
242 Eleanor 1,118
243 Willie 1,111
244 Ella 1,098
245 Faye 1,097
246 Jody 1,097
247 Dale 1,095
248 Beatrice 1,085
249 Bernice 1,075
250 Sherrie 1,072

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 'Faye' 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 'Debra' 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 'Cynthia' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

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

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Nancy' 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 1954". NameCensus.com. Accessed on April 24, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1954/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1954". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1954/. Accessed 24 April, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1954. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1954/.