Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1950

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1950 — 3,502,380 recorded births in total that year.

19491951 The 1950s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1950

Girls’ names

  1. 1Linda80,4334.7%
  2. 2Mary65,4813.8%
  3. 3Patricia47,9442.8%
  4. 4Barbara41,5562.4%
  5. 5Susan38,0172.2%
  6. 6Nancy29,6171.7%
  7. 7Deborah29,0631.7%
  8. 8Sandra28,8961.7%
  9. 9Carol26,1631.5%
  10. 10Kathleen25,7061.5%
  11. 11Sharon24,6121.4%
  12. 12Karen24,1321.4%
  13. 13Donna21,6291.3%
  14. 14Brenda20,7991.2%
  15. 15Margaret18,1101.1%
  16. 16Diane17,6361.0%
  17. 17Pamela16,2020.9%
  18. 18Janet16,1930.9%
  19. 19Shirley15,8910.9%
  20. 20Carolyn15,5880.9%
  21. 21Judith15,3520.9%
  22. 22Janice15,0120.9%
  23. 23Cynthia14,4470.8%
  24. 24Elizabeth14,3340.8%
  25. 25Judy14,2070.8%
  26. 26Betty13,6150.8%
  27. 27Joyce13,4150.8%
  28. 28Christine12,6730.7%
  29. 29Cheryl11,8230.7%
  30. 30Gloria11,0370.6%
  31. 31Beverly10,5030.6%
  32. 32Martha9,8390.6%
  33. 33Bonnie9,7460.6%
  34. 34Catherine9,6550.6%
  35. 35Dorothy9,5510.6%
  36. 36Rebecca9,4250.6%
  37. 37Marilyn9,2850.5%
  38. 38Kathy9,0900.5%
  39. 39Jane8,9640.5%
  40. 40Joan8,8600.5%
  41. 41Peggy8,5320.5%
  42. 42Gail8,3500.5%
  43. 43Virginia8,3120.5%
  44. 44Connie8,1450.5%
  45. 45Ann7,9210.5%
  46. 46Kathryn7,8630.5%
  47. 47Diana7,4470.4%
  48. 48Jean7,4320.4%
  49. 49Ruth7,1280.4%
  50. 50Helen7,0610.4%
  51. 51Frances6,9750.4%
  52. 52Wanda6,9290.4%
  53. 53Phyllis6,6950.4%
  54. 54Paula6,6310.4%
  55. 55Jacqueline6,4550.4%
  56. 56Rita6,4240.4%
  57. 57Alice6,3630.4%
  58. 58Katherine6,2050.4%
  59. 59Debra6,1760.4%
  60. 60Elaine6,0370.4%
  61. 61Vicki5,8230.3%
  62. 62Sherry5,8080.3%
  63. 63Laura5,7250.3%
  64. 64Jo5,6760.3%
  65. 65Theresa5,6280.3%
  66. 66Ellen5,5670.3%
  67. 67Joanne5,4910.3%
  68. 68Marsha5,4000.3%
  69. 69Rose5,3760.3%
  70. 70Sheila5,3220.3%
  71. 71Suzanne5,2660.3%
  72. 72Marie5,2220.3%
  73. 73Maria5,0760.3%
  74. 74Doris5,0530.3%
  75. 75Cathy5,0310.3%
  76. 76Lynn5,0200.3%
  77. 77Marcia4,9550.3%
  78. 78Sally4,8700.3%
  79. 79Darlene4,8300.3%
  80. 80Charlotte4,7350.3%
  81. 81Teresa4,7240.3%
  82. 82Denise4,5140.3%
  83. 83Lois4,5040.3%
  84. 84Anne4,4590.3%
  85. 85Constance4,4410.3%
  86. 86Evelyn4,2750.2%
  87. 87Glenda4,2150.2%
  88. 88Sarah4,1430.2%
  89. 89Maureen4,0700.2%
  90. 90Dianne3,9210.2%
  91. 91Eileen3,8830.2%
  92. 92Irene3,8250.2%
  93. 93Anna3,8150.2%
  94. 94Victoria3,7810.2%
  95. 95Jeanne3,7360.2%
  96. 96Roberta3,6300.2%
  97. 97Sylvia3,6120.2%
  98. 98Joann3,6000.2%
  99. 99Anita3,5720.2%
  100. 100Sue3,5030.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James86,2284.8%
  2. 2Robert83,5534.7%
  3. 3John79,4124.4%
  4. 4Michael65,1363.6%
  5. 5David60,7293.4%
  6. 6William60,6803.4%
  7. 7Richard51,0032.8%
  8. 8Thomas45,5962.5%
  9. 9Charles39,0952.2%
  10. 10Gary33,7371.9%
  11. 11Larry31,4801.8%
  12. 12Ronald29,9081.7%
  13. 13Joseph27,0221.5%
  14. 14Donald26,9991.5%
  15. 15Kenneth23,8131.3%
  16. 16Steven23,2501.3%
  17. 17Dennis22,8621.3%
  18. 18Paul21,7421.2%
  19. 19Stephen20,5111.1%
  20. 20George20,1831.1%
  21. 21Daniel19,1891.1%
  22. 22Edward18,7141.0%
  23. 23Mark16,6040.9%
  24. 24Jerry15,2610.9%
  25. 25Gregory13,3110.7%
  26. 26Bruce12,6740.7%
  27. 27Roger12,5520.7%
  28. 28Douglas12,2640.7%
  29. 29Frank11,6060.6%
  30. 30Terry11,4330.6%
  31. 31Raymond11,1800.6%
  32. 32Timothy10,4990.6%
  33. 33Lawrence10,1730.6%
  34. 34Gerald9,7260.5%
  35. 35Wayne9,2590.5%
  36. 36Anthony8,6120.5%
  37. 37Peter8,3620.5%
  38. 38Patrick8,1790.5%
  39. 39Danny8,1430.5%
  40. 40Walter7,7980.4%
  41. 41Alan7,7370.4%
  42. 42Willie7,7170.4%
  43. 43Jeffrey7,6440.4%
  44. 44Carl7,2880.4%
  45. 45Harold7,2140.4%
  46. 46Arthur7,1610.4%
  47. 47Henry6,9630.4%
  48. 48Jack6,8400.4%
  49. 49Dale6,7850.4%
  50. 50Johnny6,5810.4%
  51. 51Roy6,4540.4%
  52. 52Ralph6,4060.4%
  53. 53Philip6,0700.3%
  54. 54Joe6,0330.3%
  55. 55Jimmy5,7610.3%
  56. 56Albert5,7540.3%
  57. 57Billy5,6740.3%
  58. 58Eugene5,4810.3%
  59. 59Glenn5,4650.3%
  60. 60Stanley5,4530.3%
  61. 61Harry5,3750.3%
  62. 62Samuel5,2270.3%
  63. 63Howard5,1640.3%
  64. 64Phillip5,0550.3%
  65. 65Bobby5,0190.3%
  66. 66Louis4,9470.3%
  67. 67Russell4,9450.3%
  68. 68Andrew4,9320.3%
  69. 69Craig4,8880.3%
  70. 70Randall4,8430.3%
  71. 71Allen4,8400.3%
  72. 72Christopher4,8350.3%
  73. 73Kevin4,7520.3%
  74. 74Barry4,6940.3%
  75. 75Frederick4,6590.3%
  76. 76Ronnie4,6160.3%
  77. 77Leonard4,5810.3%
  78. 78Keith4,5660.3%
  79. 79Brian4,4410.2%
  80. 80Randy4,3540.2%
  81. 81Ernest4,3080.2%
  82. 82Scott4,2680.2%
  83. 83Steve4,2070.2%
  84. 84Fred4,1950.2%
  85. 85Martin4,1800.2%
  86. 86Francis4,0820.2%
  87. 87Melvin3,8860.2%
  88. 88Rodney3,8560.2%
  89. 89Eddie3,7600.2%
  90. 90Norman3,6410.2%
  91. 91Lee3,6110.2%
  92. 92Earl3,5890.2%
  93. 93Marvin3,4930.2%
  94. 94Tommy3,4340.2%
  95. 95Clarence3,3400.2%
  96. 96Alfred3,2350.2%
  97. 97Curtis3,2090.2%
  98. 98Eric3,0950.2%
  99. 99Theodore2,9600.2%
  100. 100Clifford2,9400.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1950 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.