Baby names of the 1950s

1950–1959 · United States

Mary was the most common girls’ name of the 1950s with 625,606 births, and James the most common boys’ name with 843,768.

Top 50 girls’ names of the 1950s

#	Name	Births
1	Mary	625,606
2	Linda	564,364
3	Patricia	459,681
4	Susan	437,774
5	Deborah	430,537
6	Barbara	345,722
7	Debra	341,348
8	Karen	332,531
9	Nancy	286,812
10	Donna	270,338
11	Cynthia	263,432
12	Sandra	251,591
13	Pamela	237,398
14	Sharon	232,807
15	Kathleen	224,342
16	Carol	222,656
17	Diane	210,624
18	Brenda	209,241
19	Cheryl	171,387
20	Janet	167,520
21	Elizabeth	165,656
22	Kathy	157,930
23	Margaret	149,582
24	Janice	133,620
25	Carolyn	124,067
26	Denise	123,783
27	Judy	118,060
28	Rebecca	115,690
29	Joyce	114,984
30	Teresa	114,283
31	Christine	113,340
32	Catherine	108,839
33	Shirley	108,807
34	Judith	108,758
35	Betty	103,204
36	Beverly	97,790
37	Lisa	95,824
38	Laura	95,526
39	Theresa	89,608
40	Connie	88,799
41	Ann	87,047
42	Gloria	86,705
43	Julie	86,689
44	Gail	85,618
45	Joan	85,179
46	Paula	84,869
47	Peggy	84,293
48	Cindy	83,979
49	Martha	83,190
50	Bonnie	83,013

Top 50 boys’ names of the 1950s

#	Name	Births
1	James	843,768
2	Michael	837,471
3	Robert	830,395
4	John	797,922
5	David	769,963
6	William	591,228
7	Richard	535,461
8	Thomas	454,385
9	Mark	382,589
10	Charles	361,177
11	Steven	333,666
12	Gary	329,933
13	Joseph	300,012
14	Donald	273,574
15	Ronald	271,139
16	Kenneth	262,819
17	Paul	253,202
18	Larry	245,698
19	Daniel	243,727
20	Stephen	207,276
21	Dennis	204,267
22	Timothy	198,324
23	Edward	188,323
24	Jeffrey	184,668
25	George	181,031
26	Gregory	178,457
27	Kevin	159,010
28	Douglas	148,205
29	Terry	140,724
30	Anthony	136,647
31	Jerry	136,567
32	Bruce	136,457
33	Randy	120,537
34	Brian	112,336
35	Frank	112,321
36	Scott	111,819
37	Roger	110,158
38	Raymond	108,928
39	Peter	102,747
40	Patrick	96,851
41	Keith	91,235
42	Lawrence	91,110
43	Wayne	88,092
44	Danny	86,640
45	Alan	83,976
46	Gerald	82,626
47	Ricky	79,170
48	Carl	78,752
49	Christopher	78,333
50	Dale	75,567

Other decades

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Source: U.S.A. Social Security Administration. Years 1880-2025. Names given to fewer than five babies in a year are withheld at source. namelegacy.org