Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1948

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1948 — 3,452,053 recorded births in total that year.

19471949 The 1940s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1948

Girls’ names

  1. 1Linda96,2205.7%
  2. 2Mary68,5974.0%
  3. 3Barbara46,8262.8%
  4. 4Patricia46,1402.7%
  5. 5Susan35,9882.1%
  6. 6Sandra31,0631.8%
  7. 7Nancy29,4111.7%
  8. 8Carol28,9771.7%
  9. 9Sharon26,1431.5%
  10. 10Kathleen23,2571.4%
  11. 11Donna22,0331.3%
  12. 12Karen21,9961.3%
  13. 13Margaret18,8731.1%
  14. 14Carolyn18,6231.1%
  15. 15Judith17,7871.0%
  16. 16Judy17,7061.0%
  17. 17Brenda17,7001.0%
  18. 18Betty16,6251.0%
  19. 19Diane16,6071.0%
  20. 20Shirley16,1210.9%
  21. 21Joyce14,3800.8%
  22. 22Pamela14,2810.8%
  23. 23Janice14,1620.8%
  24. 24Janet13,9770.8%
  25. 25Cheryl13,2200.8%
  26. 26Elizabeth13,2150.8%
  27. 27Cynthia12,2400.7%
  28. 28Gloria11,6900.7%
  29. 29Dorothy11,3240.7%
  30. 30Deborah11,2440.7%
  31. 31Beverly10,7950.6%
  32. 32Martha10,0110.6%
  33. 33Marilyn9,9370.6%
  34. 34Bonnie9,8170.6%
  35. 35Christine9,6770.6%
  36. 36Virginia9,2960.5%
  37. 37Joan9,2750.5%
  38. 38Peggy9,0890.5%
  39. 39Jane8,7810.5%
  40. 40Helen8,3010.5%
  41. 41Catherine8,2440.5%
  42. 42Frances8,1790.5%
  43. 43Connie8,0550.5%
  44. 44Ann8,0250.5%
  45. 45Ruth7,9030.5%
  46. 46Phyllis7,8760.5%
  47. 47Jean7,7740.5%
  48. 48Diana7,7060.5%
  49. 49Alice6,9810.4%
  50. 50Rebecca6,7950.4%
  51. 51Gail6,6030.4%
  52. 52Paula6,6000.4%
  53. 53Elaine6,4030.4%
  54. 54Kathryn6,1770.4%
  55. 55Kathy6,1480.4%
  56. 56Jo5,9860.4%
  57. 57Wanda5,9180.3%
  58. 58Jacqueline5,8380.3%
  59. 59Rita5,8350.3%
  60. 60Marie5,7860.3%
  61. 61Sherry5,7170.3%
  62. 62Rose5,5560.3%
  63. 63Theresa5,5560.3%
  64. 64Doris5,5480.3%
  65. 65Joanne5,4990.3%
  66. 66Suzanne5,4480.3%
  67. 67Ellen5,2890.3%
  68. 68Katherine5,1690.3%
  69. 69Charlotte5,1640.3%
  70. 70Lois5,0770.3%
  71. 71Sheila5,0220.3%
  72. 72Sally5,0120.3%
  73. 73Laura4,9010.3%
  74. 74Evelyn4,8400.3%
  75. 75Maria4,8170.3%
  76. 76Marsha4,7250.3%
  77. 77Darlene4,6920.3%
  78. 78Sue4,6750.3%
  79. 79Marcia4,6400.3%
  80. 80Lynn4,6090.3%
  81. 81Vicki4,3650.3%
  82. 82Teresa4,2170.2%
  83. 83Geraldine4,2080.2%
  84. 84Lynda4,1670.2%
  85. 85Sarah4,1590.2%
  86. 86Dianne4,1380.2%
  87. 87Anne4,1220.2%
  88. 88Maureen4,0770.2%
  89. 89Anna4,0370.2%
  90. 90Rosemary3,8700.2%
  91. 91Eileen3,8380.2%
  92. 92Glenda3,8310.2%
  93. 93Constance3,8110.2%
  94. 94Joann3,7990.2%
  95. 95Jeanne3,7890.2%
  96. 96Lorraine3,7450.2%
  97. 97Annie3,7210.2%
  98. 98Patsy3,7140.2%
  99. 99Louise3,6850.2%
  100. 100Sylvia3,6710.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James88,6055.1%
  2. 2Robert85,4784.9%
  3. 3John82,8344.7%
  4. 4William61,9723.5%
  5. 5David56,6273.2%
  6. 6Michael52,5663.0%
  7. 7Richard50,9702.9%
  8. 8Thomas43,7802.5%
  9. 9Charles38,6762.2%
  10. 10Ronald33,5271.9%
  11. 11Larry33,4361.9%
  12. 12Gary28,3971.6%
  13. 13Joseph26,8011.5%
  14. 14Donald26,4421.5%
  15. 15Kenneth23,5501.3%
  16. 16George21,9261.2%
  17. 17Dennis21,7651.2%
  18. 18Paul21,2521.2%
  19. 19Edward18,9831.1%
  20. 20Stephen17,0611.0%
  21. 21Jerry16,8091.0%
  22. 22Daniel16,5100.9%
  23. 23Steven15,9790.9%
  24. 24Roger12,8180.7%
  25. 25Frank12,6980.7%
  26. 26Terry12,1360.7%
  27. 27Raymond11,6120.7%
  28. 28Bruce11,0650.6%
  29. 29Mark10,2670.6%
  30. 30Gerald9,8420.6%
  31. 31Lawrence9,7680.6%
  32. 32Gregory9,7240.6%
  33. 33Douglas9,4680.5%
  34. 34Wayne8,6820.5%
  35. 35Walter8,6270.5%
  36. 36Harold8,1440.5%
  37. 37Peter8,0480.5%
  38. 38Timothy8,0430.5%
  39. 39Danny8,0090.5%
  40. 40Willie7,9710.5%
  41. 41Anthony7,8780.4%
  42. 42Carl7,8290.4%
  43. 43Jack7,6120.4%
  44. 44Arthur7,5760.4%
  45. 45Henry7,4210.4%
  46. 46Alan7,3940.4%
  47. 47Joe7,2880.4%
  48. 48Patrick7,1920.4%
  49. 49Roy7,0670.4%
  50. 50Jimmy6,9270.4%
  51. 51Ralph6,9150.4%
  52. 52Johnny6,8620.4%
  53. 53Billy6,2200.4%
  54. 54Philip6,1620.4%
  55. 55Albert6,1560.4%
  56. 56Dale6,0910.3%
  57. 57Harry5,9450.3%
  58. 58Jeffrey5,9290.3%
  59. 59Ronnie5,9020.3%
  60. 60Steve5,7420.3%
  61. 61Eugene5,6080.3%
  62. 62Bobby5,5810.3%
  63. 63Howard5,4970.3%
  64. 64Louis5,3860.3%
  65. 65Stanley5,3830.3%
  66. 66Fred5,3760.3%
  67. 67Russell5,1090.3%
  68. 68Mike5,0450.3%
  69. 69Phillip5,0180.3%
  70. 70Samuel5,0020.3%
  71. 71Leonard4,7810.3%
  72. 72Allen4,7550.3%
  73. 73Glenn4,7400.3%
  74. 74Barry4,6700.3%
  75. 75Frederick4,5160.3%
  76. 76Ernest4,5120.3%
  77. 77Andrew4,3050.2%
  78. 78Eddie4,2340.2%
  79. 79Tommy4,2200.2%
  80. 80Francis4,2140.2%
  81. 81Melvin4,0570.2%
  82. 82Craig3,9850.2%
  83. 83Earl3,9770.2%
  84. 84Bill3,9260.2%
  85. 85Norman3,8940.2%
  86. 86Jim3,8080.2%
  87. 87Clarence3,7900.2%
  88. 88Martin3,6980.2%
  89. 89Keith3,6600.2%
  90. 90Marvin3,6250.2%
  91. 91Don3,5460.2%
  92. 92Rodney3,4660.2%
  93. 93Lee3,4450.2%
  94. 94Tom3,4290.2%
  95. 95Brian3,3580.2%
  96. 96Alfred3,2450.2%
  97. 97Leroy3,2340.2%
  98. 98Randall3,1790.2%
  99. 99Randy3,1410.2%
  100. 100Ray3,1340.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1948 applications for that sex — a useful reminder of how much more concentrated naming used to be. In 1880 the top girls’ name alone accounted for several percent of all girls; today the #1 name is well under one percent.

Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.