Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1956

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1956 — 4,122,003 recorded births in total that year.

19551957 The 1950s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1956

Girls’ names

  1. 1Mary61,7413.1%
  2. 2Debra48,3242.4%
  3. 3Linda48,0842.4%
  4. 4Deborah47,8342.4%
  5. 5Susan46,5582.3%
  6. 6Patricia43,3292.2%
  7. 7Karen40,0522.0%
  8. 8Cynthia32,3391.6%
  9. 9Barbara32,3021.6%
  10. 10Donna29,8521.5%
  11. 11Nancy28,7841.4%
  12. 12Pamela26,9281.3%
  13. 13Sharon26,8811.3%
  14. 14Sandra24,3021.2%
  15. 15Diane22,5181.1%
  16. 16Carol21,4081.1%
  17. 17Kathleen21,3771.1%
  18. 18Cheryl21,2781.1%
  19. 19Brenda19,3411.0%
  20. 20Kathy17,1770.9%
  21. 21Janet16,7580.8%
  22. 22Elizabeth16,3550.8%
  23. 23Denise14,5090.7%
  24. 24Teresa14,4640.7%
  25. 25Margaret13,9130.7%
  26. 26Janice13,0170.6%
  27. 27Rebecca12,1680.6%
  28. 28Catherine12,0560.6%
  29. 29Robin11,6210.6%
  30. 30Joyce11,0910.6%
  31. 31Lisa11,0120.5%
  32. 32Theresa10,8410.5%
  33. 33Carolyn10,6340.5%
  34. 34Laura10,5700.5%
  35. 35Judy10,1970.5%
  36. 36Cathy10,1320.5%
  37. 37Cindy9,9780.5%
  38. 38Kim9,8970.5%
  39. 39Debbie9,8630.5%
  40. 40Beverly9,4490.5%
  41. 41Shirley9,4290.5%
  42. 42Christine9,3710.5%
  43. 43Connie9,3610.5%
  44. 44Betty9,2180.5%
  45. 45Judith9,1150.5%
  46. 46Ann8,9900.4%
  47. 47Paula8,9250.4%
  48. 48Julie8,5740.4%
  49. 49Gail8,4350.4%
  50. 50Jane8,2410.4%
  51. 51Bonnie8,1330.4%
  52. 52Joan8,0800.4%
  53. 53Gloria7,9270.4%
  54. 54Sherry7,8980.4%
  55. 55Sheila7,8720.4%
  56. 56Diana7,8510.4%
  57. 57Vicki7,7670.4%
  58. 58Lynn7,7360.4%
  59. 59Martha7,7110.4%
  60. 60Kathryn7,5940.4%
  61. 61Wanda7,5460.4%
  62. 62Rhonda7,5210.4%
  63. 63Peggy7,4940.4%
  64. 64Rose7,3370.4%
  65. 65Jean7,1750.4%
  66. 66Lori7,1450.4%
  67. 67Katherine7,0820.4%
  68. 68Vickie6,9570.3%
  69. 69Jo6,9530.3%
  70. 70Marilyn6,9260.3%
  71. 71Darlene6,9190.3%
  72. 72Dorothy6,8580.3%
  73. 73Maria6,7330.3%
  74. 74Kimberly6,7300.3%
  75. 75Virginia6,3920.3%
  76. 76Laurie6,2070.3%
  77. 77Ruth6,0750.3%
  78. 78Jacqueline6,0620.3%
  79. 79Rita6,0540.3%
  80. 80Valerie5,9090.3%
  81. 81Terri5,7440.3%
  82. 82Phyllis5,6420.3%
  83. 83Anita5,5050.3%
  84. 84Ellen5,4320.3%
  85. 85Victoria5,3880.3%
  86. 86Anne5,3560.3%
  87. 87Tina5,3300.3%
  88. 88Michelle5,3270.3%
  89. 89Elaine5,3100.3%
  90. 90Helen5,2780.3%
  91. 91Terry5,2720.3%
  92. 92Dawn5,1280.3%
  93. 93Angela5,0340.3%
  94. 94Suzanne5,0240.3%
  95. 95Wendy4,8610.2%
  96. 96Marie4,7940.2%
  97. 97Jennifer4,7110.2%
  98. 98Alice4,6800.2%
  99. 99Joanne4,6710.2%
  100. 100Michele4,6170.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael90,6914.3%
  2. 2James84,8974.0%
  3. 3Robert83,9244.0%
  4. 4David81,6523.9%
  5. 5John80,8043.8%
  6. 6William58,9912.8%
  7. 7Richard52,9152.5%
  8. 8Mark48,8282.3%
  9. 9Thomas44,8362.1%
  10. 10Steven38,4131.8%
  11. 11Charles35,2391.7%
  12. 12Joseph32,7491.5%
  13. 13Gary31,8421.5%
  14. 14Donald28,2231.3%
  15. 15Ronald27,7251.3%
  16. 16Kenneth27,4321.3%
  17. 17Paul26,8971.3%
  18. 18Daniel26,6551.3%
  19. 19Timothy23,2881.1%
  20. 20Jeffrey23,2851.1%
  21. 21Larry22,3221.1%
  22. 22Kevin21,7611.0%
  23. 23Stephen21,2041.0%
  24. 24Gregory21,0821.0%
  25. 25Edward19,4360.9%
  26. 26Dennis18,3590.9%
  27. 27George17,2320.8%
  28. 28Randy16,5470.8%
  29. 29Douglas16,3890.8%
  30. 30Anthony15,5650.7%
  31. 31Terry15,0640.7%
  32. 32Brian14,6660.7%
  33. 33Bruce14,6600.7%
  34. 34Scott13,2140.6%
  35. 35Jerry12,6230.6%
  36. 36Keith11,4800.5%
  37. 37Peter11,3340.5%
  38. 38Frank11,1510.5%
  39. 39Raymond11,1080.5%
  40. 40Patrick10,3260.5%
  41. 41Roger10,1530.5%
  42. 42Lawrence8,8980.4%
  43. 43Ricky8,7800.4%
  44. 44Alan8,7340.4%
  45. 45Wayne8,7170.4%
  46. 46Danny8,5650.4%
  47. 47Christopher8,3840.4%
  48. 48Carl8,3130.4%
  49. 49Gerald7,9910.4%
  50. 50Dale7,7200.4%
  51. 51Craig7,4220.4%
  52. 52Russell7,4020.4%
  53. 53Walter7,0190.3%
  54. 54Randall6,9130.3%
  55. 55Johnny6,6360.3%
  56. 56Andrew6,6030.3%
  57. 57Jeffery6,5690.3%
  58. 58Willie6,5250.3%
  59. 59Steve6,4720.3%
  60. 60Arthur6,2890.3%
  61. 61Glenn6,1960.3%
  62. 62Roy6,1330.3%
  63. 63Joe6,1240.3%
  64. 64Philip6,1050.3%
  65. 65Rodney6,0760.3%
  66. 66Jack6,0510.3%
  67. 67Ralph6,0410.3%
  68. 68Billy6,0130.3%
  69. 69Barry5,9880.3%
  70. 70Stanley5,9850.3%
  71. 71Henry5,9710.3%
  72. 72Harold5,9550.3%
  73. 73Martin5,6820.3%
  74. 74Samuel5,5850.3%
  75. 75Ronnie5,4910.3%
  76. 76Phillip5,4140.3%
  77. 77Bobby5,3580.3%
  78. 78Jimmy5,3450.3%
  79. 79Eric5,2520.2%
  80. 80Curtis5,1570.2%
  81. 81Albert5,1500.2%
  82. 82Louis4,9100.2%
  83. 83Micheal4,7320.2%
  84. 84Howard4,7070.2%
  85. 85Tony4,6690.2%
  86. 86Eugene4,6200.2%
  87. 87Allen4,6120.2%
  88. 88Darrell4,4680.2%
  89. 89Leonard4,3710.2%
  90. 90Matthew4,3660.2%
  91. 91Frederick4,3060.2%
  92. 92Jay4,1200.2%
  93. 93Eddie3,9940.2%
  94. 94Ernest3,9520.2%
  95. 95Harry3,9250.2%
  96. 96Victor3,9080.2%
  97. 97Mike3,9000.2%
  98. 98Vincent3,7560.2%
  99. 99Dean3,7120.2%
  100. 100Rick3,6550.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1956 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.