Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1949

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1949 — 3,484,085 recorded births in total that year.

19481950 The 1940s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1949

Girls’ names

  1. 1Linda91,0155.3%
  2. 2Mary66,8743.9%
  3. 3Patricia46,3242.7%
  4. 4Barbara42,6002.5%
  5. 5Susan37,7092.2%
  6. 6Sandra30,6431.8%
  7. 7Nancy29,2491.7%
  8. 8Carol26,7801.6%
  9. 9Kathleen26,3571.5%
  10. 10Sharon25,7131.5%
  11. 11Karen22,4681.3%
  12. 12Donna22,0561.3%
  13. 13Brenda20,5431.2%
  14. 14Margaret19,4521.1%
  15. 15Deborah19,2091.1%
  16. 16Judith17,6101.0%
  17. 17Carolyn17,4041.0%
  18. 18Shirley17,2811.0%
  19. 19Diane17,2521.0%
  20. 20Judy15,9790.9%
  21. 21Pamela15,1320.9%
  22. 22Betty14,9360.9%
  23. 23Janet14,8600.9%
  24. 24Janice14,4530.8%
  25. 25Elizabeth13,7140.8%
  26. 26Joyce13,5720.8%
  27. 27Cynthia12,9010.8%
  28. 28Cheryl12,0070.7%
  29. 29Gloria11,8790.7%
  30. 30Christine11,7970.7%
  31. 31Beverly10,5520.6%
  32. 32Dorothy10,4100.6%
  33. 33Marilyn9,8650.6%
  34. 34Martha9,8080.6%
  35. 35Bonnie9,7320.6%
  36. 36Joan9,2060.5%
  37. 37Catherine9,1370.5%
  38. 38Peggy9,1180.5%
  39. 39Virginia8,8960.5%
  40. 40Rebecca8,7780.5%
  41. 41Jane8,7190.5%
  42. 42Kathy8,4510.5%
  43. 43Connie8,2190.5%
  44. 44Ann7,8700.5%
  45. 45Jean7,7600.5%
  46. 46Helen7,7070.5%
  47. 47Ruth7,6510.4%
  48. 48Diana7,5350.4%
  49. 49Frances7,4400.4%
  50. 50Phyllis7,3150.4%
  51. 51Gail7,2250.4%
  52. 52Kathryn7,1840.4%
  53. 53Alice6,6600.4%
  54. 54Rita6,6530.4%
  55. 55Paula6,5770.4%
  56. 56Wanda6,3070.4%
  57. 57Elaine6,2140.4%
  58. 58Jacqueline6,0400.4%
  59. 59Katherine6,0390.4%
  60. 60Jo5,8020.3%
  61. 61Joanne5,7460.3%
  62. 62Suzanne5,6090.3%
  63. 63Theresa5,6030.3%
  64. 64Ellen5,5040.3%
  65. 65Laura5,3840.3%
  66. 66Rose5,3710.3%
  67. 67Marie5,3060.3%
  68. 68Sherry5,2950.3%
  69. 69Doris5,2840.3%
  70. 70Vicki5,1930.3%
  71. 71Charlotte5,1420.3%
  72. 72Maria5,1230.3%
  73. 73Lois4,9150.3%
  74. 74Lynn4,8800.3%
  75. 75Darlene4,7990.3%
  76. 76Sheila4,7740.3%
  77. 77Sally4,7730.3%
  78. 78Marcia4,6510.3%
  79. 79Marsha4,6110.3%
  80. 80Evelyn4,5290.3%
  81. 81Cathy4,4070.3%
  82. 82Teresa4,3280.3%
  83. 83Constance4,3270.3%
  84. 84Sarah4,2950.3%
  85. 85Dianne4,1410.2%
  86. 86Anne4,0520.2%
  87. 87Glenda3,9750.2%
  88. 88Sue3,9260.2%
  89. 89Maureen3,9230.2%
  90. 90Geraldine3,9190.2%
  91. 91Anna3,8970.2%
  92. 92Jeanne3,8650.2%
  93. 93Lynda3,8300.2%
  94. 94Sylvia3,8160.2%
  95. 95Eileen3,7220.2%
  96. 96Victoria3,6690.2%
  97. 97Roberta3,6600.2%
  98. 98Rosemary3,6330.2%
  99. 99Anita3,5910.2%
  100. 100Charlene3,5410.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James86,8584.9%
  2. 2Robert83,8734.7%
  3. 3John81,1784.6%
  4. 4William61,5063.5%
  5. 5Michael60,0473.4%
  6. 6David59,6113.4%
  7. 7Richard50,9462.9%
  8. 8Thomas45,1922.5%
  9. 9Charles40,0522.3%
  10. 10Larry31,8191.8%
  11. 11Ronald31,5021.8%
  12. 12Gary28,9351.6%
  13. 13Donald27,1211.5%
  14. 14Joseph26,4081.5%
  15. 15Kenneth23,5891.3%
  16. 16Dennis21,7461.2%
  17. 17Paul21,5891.2%
  18. 18George21,3081.2%
  19. 19Stephen20,4881.2%
  20. 20Steven19,9231.1%
  21. 21Edward19,1741.1%
  22. 22Daniel18,2401.0%
  23. 23Jerry15,8710.9%
  24. 24Mark13,7250.8%
  25. 25Roger12,8210.7%
  26. 26Bruce12,2650.7%
  27. 27Frank11,9600.7%
  28. 28Terry11,4570.6%
  29. 29Douglas11,3220.6%
  30. 30Raymond11,3050.6%
  31. 31Gregory10,9790.6%
  32. 32Lawrence10,2530.6%
  33. 33Gerald9,8080.6%
  34. 34Timothy9,3460.5%
  35. 35Wayne8,9270.5%
  36. 36Anthony8,4520.5%
  37. 37Walter8,2970.5%
  38. 38Peter8,2660.5%
  39. 39Patrick8,0750.5%
  40. 40Danny8,0230.5%
  41. 41Willie7,9160.4%
  42. 42Harold7,8170.4%
  43. 43Carl7,6890.4%
  44. 44Arthur7,4820.4%
  45. 45Alan7,2550.4%
  46. 46Henry7,1830.4%
  47. 47Jack7,1280.4%
  48. 48Jeffrey6,9870.4%
  49. 49Johnny6,9680.4%
  50. 50Ralph6,7480.4%
  51. 51Roy6,6220.4%
  52. 52Joe6,5350.4%
  53. 53Jimmy6,4170.4%
  54. 54Dale6,2290.4%
  55. 55Philip6,2240.4%
  56. 56Albert6,0640.3%
  57. 57Billy5,8210.3%
  58. 58Eugene5,5950.3%
  59. 59Harry5,5440.3%
  60. 60Stanley5,5270.3%
  61. 61Glenn5,4150.3%
  62. 62Samuel5,3560.3%
  63. 63Howard5,2840.3%
  64. 64Louis5,2350.3%
  65. 65Ronnie5,2350.3%
  66. 66Phillip5,2010.3%
  67. 67Bobby5,1200.3%
  68. 68Steve5,0270.3%
  69. 69Russell5,0070.3%
  70. 70Frederick4,7480.3%
  71. 71Allen4,7350.3%
  72. 72Fred4,7310.3%
  73. 73Barry4,6070.3%
  74. 74Leonard4,5510.3%
  75. 75Andrew4,5130.3%
  76. 76Ernest4,3460.2%
  77. 77Craig4,3280.2%
  78. 78Francis4,2810.2%
  79. 79Randall4,1610.2%
  80. 80Eddie4,1060.2%
  81. 81Christopher4,0000.2%
  82. 82Melvin3,9720.2%
  83. 83Martin3,9030.2%
  84. 84Tommy3,8860.2%
  85. 85Keith3,8780.2%
  86. 86Brian3,8540.2%
  87. 87Rodney3,8260.2%
  88. 88Mike3,7420.2%
  89. 89Marvin3,7250.2%
  90. 90Norman3,6680.2%
  91. 91Earl3,6520.2%
  92. 92Randy3,6230.2%
  93. 93Lee3,5620.2%
  94. 94Clarence3,3950.2%
  95. 95Kevin3,2920.2%
  96. 96Alfred3,1900.2%
  97. 97Curtis3,0880.2%
  98. 98Don3,0600.2%
  99. 99Scott3,0550.2%
  100. 100Theodore3,0410.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1949 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.