Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1951

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1951 — 3,682,692 recorded births in total that year.

19501952 The 1950s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1951

Girls’ names

  1. 1Linda73,9824.1%
  2. 2Mary65,7213.7%
  3. 3Patricia56,4463.1%
  4. 4Deborah42,0532.3%
  5. 5Barbara40,6172.3%
  6. 6Susan40,2282.2%
  7. 7Nancy30,3461.7%
  8. 8Karen27,9981.6%
  9. 9Sandra27,6651.5%
  10. 10Kathleen26,7161.5%
  11. 11Carol24,7811.4%
  12. 12Donna24,0741.3%
  13. 13Sharon23,9201.3%
  14. 14Brenda21,7171.2%
  15. 15Diane19,8401.1%
  16. 16Pamela18,5701.0%
  17. 17Margaret17,6921.0%
  18. 18Debra17,0640.9%
  19. 19Janet16,9470.9%
  20. 20Cynthia16,2950.9%
  21. 21Janice15,9580.9%
  22. 22Carolyn15,2060.8%
  23. 23Elizabeth15,1180.8%
  24. 24Christine15,0170.8%
  25. 25Judith14,9350.8%
  26. 26Judy14,0170.8%
  27. 27Shirley13,9190.8%
  28. 28Joyce13,4720.7%
  29. 29Betty12,8220.7%
  30. 30Cheryl11,9860.7%
  31. 31Gloria10,9510.6%
  32. 32Rebecca10,9320.6%
  33. 33Beverly10,8600.6%
  34. 34Catherine10,5660.6%
  35. 35Kathy10,4060.6%
  36. 36Gail9,8860.5%
  37. 37Bonnie9,7060.5%
  38. 38Martha9,6050.5%
  39. 39Joan9,4030.5%
  40. 40Peggy9,2080.5%
  41. 41Marilyn9,1480.5%
  42. 42Dorothy9,0890.5%
  43. 43Jane8,9420.5%
  44. 44Connie8,7220.5%
  45. 45Kathryn8,4600.5%
  46. 46Ann8,4230.5%
  47. 47Virginia8,1800.5%
  48. 48Denise8,1160.5%
  49. 49Jean7,6270.4%
  50. 50Diana7,3960.4%
  51. 51Paula7,2900.4%
  52. 52Wanda7,2330.4%
  53. 53Ruth7,0760.4%
  54. 54Helen6,9490.4%
  55. 55Katherine6,9300.4%
  56. 56Jacqueline6,9150.4%
  57. 57Phyllis6,7910.4%
  58. 58Vicki6,6300.4%
  59. 59Frances6,5840.4%
  60. 60Laura6,4660.4%
  61. 61Rita6,4150.4%
  62. 62Alice6,3150.4%
  63. 63Teresa6,2130.3%
  64. 64Theresa6,1900.3%
  65. 65Rose6,1850.3%
  66. 66Elaine6,0690.3%
  67. 67Jo6,0010.3%
  68. 68Ellen5,9450.3%
  69. 69Sheila5,8970.3%
  70. 70Sherry5,8890.3%
  71. 71Cathy5,6970.3%
  72. 72Lynn5,6290.3%
  73. 73Joanne5,3580.3%
  74. 74Marcia5,2990.3%
  75. 75Maria5,2360.3%
  76. 76Marsha5,1880.3%
  77. 77Sally5,1380.3%
  78. 78Marie5,0460.3%
  79. 79Darlene5,0300.3%
  80. 80Doris5,0250.3%
  81. 81Victoria4,9070.3%
  82. 82Anne4,8730.3%
  83. 83Suzanne4,8280.3%
  84. 84Charlotte4,6490.3%
  85. 85Lois4,5330.3%
  86. 86Constance4,3670.2%
  87. 87Vickie4,3200.2%
  88. 88Evelyn4,2320.2%
  89. 89Glenda4,1350.2%
  90. 90Dianne4,0340.2%
  91. 91Sarah4,0280.2%
  92. 92Roberta3,9790.2%
  93. 93Maureen3,8780.2%
  94. 94Anna3,8700.2%
  95. 95Eileen3,8160.2%
  96. 96Anita3,7850.2%
  97. 97Sylvia3,7770.2%
  98. 98Jeanne3,7680.2%
  99. 99Julie3,6860.2%
  100. 100Valerie3,5590.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1James87,2564.6%
  2. 2Robert86,3534.6%
  3. 3John81,5694.3%
  4. 4Michael72,8073.9%
  5. 5David64,7883.4%
  6. 6William62,7813.3%
  7. 7Richard54,5412.9%
  8. 8Thomas48,2752.6%
  9. 9Charles39,4062.1%
  10. 10Gary38,1602.0%
  11. 11Larry30,5581.6%
  12. 12Ronald29,0491.5%
  13. 13Steven28,3631.5%
  14. 14Joseph28,1471.5%
  15. 15Donald27,9161.5%
  16. 16Kenneth25,8411.4%
  17. 17Dennis24,2641.3%
  18. 18Paul22,8531.2%
  19. 19Stephen22,4741.2%
  20. 20Mark21,2011.1%
  21. 21Daniel21,1211.1%
  22. 22George20,2121.1%
  23. 23Edward19,9131.1%
  24. 24Jerry15,1640.8%
  25. 25Gregory14,1020.7%
  26. 26Bruce14,0900.7%
  27. 27Douglas13,9020.7%
  28. 28Timothy12,7050.7%
  29. 29Roger12,4250.7%
  30. 30Terry12,2160.6%
  31. 31Frank11,4770.6%
  32. 32Raymond11,2270.6%
  33. 33Lawrence10,2660.5%
  34. 34Anthony9,8360.5%
  35. 35Jeffrey9,7130.5%
  36. 36Gerald9,5390.5%
  37. 37Wayne9,3270.5%
  38. 38Peter8,9990.5%
  39. 39Patrick8,7510.5%
  40. 40Alan8,4080.4%
  41. 41Danny8,1790.4%
  42. 42Walter8,0380.4%
  43. 43Carl7,6410.4%
  44. 44Arthur7,4140.4%
  45. 45Willie7,2260.4%
  46. 46Harold7,1780.4%
  47. 47Henry7,1200.4%
  48. 48Jack7,0040.4%
  49. 49Dale6,9630.4%
  50. 50Johnny6,7000.4%
  51. 51Ralph6,5250.3%
  52. 52Roy6,4660.3%
  53. 53Kevin6,3490.3%
  54. 54Stanley6,2050.3%
  55. 55Philip6,0980.3%
  56. 56Randy6,0340.3%
  57. 57Joe5,8240.3%
  58. 58Glenn5,8030.3%
  59. 59Keith5,7670.3%
  60. 60Albert5,7580.3%
  61. 61Christopher5,7340.3%
  62. 62Jimmy5,6870.3%
  63. 63Craig5,6230.3%
  64. 64Billy5,6100.3%
  65. 65Eugene5,5800.3%
  66. 66Randall5,5320.3%
  67. 67Samuel5,4760.3%
  68. 68Scott5,3810.3%
  69. 69Andrew5,3730.3%
  70. 70Harry5,3030.3%
  71. 71Barry5,2840.3%
  72. 72Allen5,1790.3%
  73. 73Russell5,1750.3%
  74. 74Howard5,1080.3%
  75. 75Brian5,1010.3%
  76. 76Louis5,0890.3%
  77. 77Bobby5,0060.3%
  78. 78Frederick4,9840.3%
  79. 79Phillip4,9100.3%
  80. 80Leonard4,7380.3%
  81. 81Martin4,5960.2%
  82. 82Ronnie4,5300.2%
  83. 83Ernest4,3820.2%
  84. 84Rodney4,2960.2%
  85. 85Francis4,1990.2%
  86. 86Steve4,0530.2%
  87. 87Fred3,9940.2%
  88. 88Melvin3,8370.2%
  89. 89Eddie3,7480.2%
  90. 90Norman3,7290.2%
  91. 91Curtis3,7160.2%
  92. 92Lee3,6820.2%
  93. 93Eric3,6640.2%
  94. 94Tommy3,5820.2%
  95. 95Earl3,5710.2%
  96. 96Marvin3,5570.2%
  97. 97Micheal3,2760.2%
  98. 98Clarence3,2320.2%
  99. 99Theodore3,2160.2%
  100. 100Alfred3,2030.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1951 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.