Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1961

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1961 — 4,142,426 recorded births in total that year.

19601962 The 1960s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1961

Girls’ names

  1. 1Mary47,6822.4%
  2. 2Lisa42,7202.1%
  3. 3Susan37,5321.9%
  4. 4Linda35,5971.8%
  5. 5Karen34,7071.7%
  6. 6Patricia28,8891.4%
  7. 7Donna28,6791.4%
  8. 8Cynthia24,3931.2%
  9. 9Sandra24,1531.2%
  10. 10Deborah24,1071.2%
  11. 11Brenda23,7811.2%
  12. 12Barbara23,0021.1%
  13. 13Debra22,1601.1%
  14. 14Lori21,8761.1%
  15. 15Pamela21,6911.1%
  16. 16Nancy20,7291.0%
  17. 17Sharon20,4591.0%
  18. 18Teresa18,9090.9%
  19. 19Elizabeth18,8550.9%
  20. 20Cheryl18,3010.9%
  21. 21Laura17,9010.9%
  22. 22Kimberly17,3550.9%
  23. 23Julie17,0400.8%
  24. 24Carol16,6670.8%
  25. 25Kathy16,3850.8%
  26. 26Diane16,2050.8%
  27. 27Robin15,6530.8%
  28. 28Tammy15,5320.8%
  29. 29Kathleen15,3950.8%
  30. 30Denise15,3790.8%
  31. 31Debbie14,8820.7%
  32. 32Janet13,9300.7%
  33. 33Cindy13,3880.7%
  34. 34Michelle12,7410.6%
  35. 35Theresa11,9600.6%
  36. 36Kim11,3670.6%
  37. 37Jacqueline10,9830.5%
  38. 38Angela10,8430.5%
  39. 39Christine10,5980.5%
  40. 40Margaret10,5590.5%
  41. 41Tina10,5210.5%
  42. 42Carolyn10,5090.5%
  43. 43Laurie10,4350.5%
  44. 44Rebecca10,2360.5%
  45. 45Kelly9,6420.5%
  46. 46Rhonda9,4690.5%
  47. 47Jennifer9,2650.5%
  48. 48Catherine9,2510.5%
  49. 49Dawn9,1480.5%
  50. 50Connie8,9860.4%
  51. 51Terri8,7300.4%
  52. 52Janice8,7270.4%
  53. 53Sherry8,3610.4%
  54. 54Ann8,2160.4%
  55. 55Cathy8,2110.4%
  56. 56Diana8,1980.4%
  57. 57Maria7,9470.4%
  58. 58Judy7,9220.4%
  59. 59Sheila7,8050.4%
  60. 60Paula7,7440.4%
  61. 61Wendy7,1540.4%
  62. 62Joyce6,9960.3%
  63. 63Michele6,9950.3%
  64. 64Tracy6,9880.3%
  65. 65Beth6,7160.3%
  66. 66Beverly6,7080.3%
  67. 67Valerie6,6770.3%
  68. 68Suzanne6,6110.3%
  69. 69Amy6,6100.3%
  70. 70Wanda6,4670.3%
  71. 71Lynn6,4410.3%
  72. 72Jane6,3650.3%
  73. 73Annette6,2030.3%
  74. 74Jill6,1370.3%
  75. 75Bonnie6,0330.3%
  76. 76Vicki5,9670.3%
  77. 77Carla5,8170.3%
  78. 78Stephanie5,8160.3%
  79. 79Renee5,7820.3%
  80. 80Darlene5,7280.3%
  81. 81Martha5,7240.3%
  82. 82Gloria5,6910.3%
  83. 83Judith5,6900.3%
  84. 84Leslie5,6680.3%
  85. 85Shirley5,6380.3%
  86. 86Katherine5,6320.3%
  87. 87Betty5,5840.3%
  88. 88Peggy5,5670.3%
  89. 89Joan5,5510.3%
  90. 90Anne5,5240.3%
  91. 91Anita5,5030.3%
  92. 92Jean5,3660.3%
  93. 93Kathryn5,2260.3%
  94. 94Gail4,9730.2%
  95. 95Melissa4,9000.2%
  96. 96Ruth4,8960.2%
  97. 97Ellen4,8440.2%
  98. 98Regina4,7640.2%
  99. 99Dorothy4,7320.2%
  100. 100Anna4,6780.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael86,9744.1%
  2. 2David84,8104.0%
  3. 3John79,9833.8%
  4. 4James75,9693.6%
  5. 5Robert72,9773.4%
  6. 6Mark57,7962.7%
  7. 7William48,0452.3%
  8. 8Richard41,1421.9%
  9. 9Thomas37,5651.8%
  10. 10Steven32,2751.5%
  11. 11Jeffrey32,0291.5%
  12. 12Joseph29,4501.4%
  13. 13Charles29,1941.4%
  14. 14Kevin28,9261.4%
  15. 15Timothy28,2531.3%
  16. 16Kenneth26,1001.2%
  17. 17Daniel25,9041.2%
  18. 18Paul25,6401.2%
  19. 19Scott23,9341.1%
  20. 20Brian22,5661.1%
  21. 21Gary22,1741.0%
  22. 22Donald21,4091.0%
  23. 23Gregory21,3641.0%
  24. 24Ronald20,8421.0%
  25. 25Anthony20,2091.0%
  26. 26Christopher17,2230.8%
  27. 27Stephen16,0690.8%
  28. 28Douglas15,9780.8%
  29. 29Edward15,8770.7%
  30. 30Larry14,5800.7%
  31. 31George13,6440.6%
  32. 32Terry13,1940.6%
  33. 33Randy12,6030.6%
  34. 34Dennis12,5030.6%
  35. 35Keith12,2750.6%
  36. 36Mike11,6670.5%
  37. 37Jerry11,3810.5%
  38. 38Eric11,1110.5%
  39. 39Patrick11,0520.5%
  40. 40Bruce10,7050.5%
  41. 41Frank10,4330.5%
  42. 42Peter10,3490.5%
  43. 43Craig10,2350.5%
  44. 44Ricky10,0270.5%
  45. 45Steve9,9970.5%
  46. 46Todd9,7500.5%
  47. 47Roger9,6520.5%
  48. 48Raymond9,6180.5%
  49. 49Jeff9,4630.4%
  50. 50Jeffery8,9230.4%
  51. 51Alan8,6170.4%
  52. 52Andrew8,4830.4%
  53. 53Tony8,3060.4%
  54. 54Danny8,1990.4%
  55. 55Russell7,3330.3%
  56. 56Carl7,2550.3%
  57. 57Chris7,2030.3%
  58. 58Dale7,1930.3%
  59. 59Matthew7,0810.3%
  60. 60Joe7,0560.3%
  61. 61Wayne6,7620.3%
  62. 62Gerald6,6300.3%
  63. 63Randall6,5870.3%
  64. 64Glenn6,2710.3%
  65. 65Tim6,2450.3%
  66. 66Barry6,2200.3%
  67. 67Lawrence6,0940.3%
  68. 68Billy6,0260.3%
  69. 69Phillip5,9760.3%
  70. 70Johnny5,9050.3%
  71. 71Jimmy5,7490.3%
  72. 72Rodney5,6600.3%
  73. 73Martin5,4760.3%
  74. 74Walter5,4670.3%
  75. 75Curtis5,4470.3%
  76. 76Bobby5,4020.3%
  77. 77Greg5,3970.3%
  78. 78Jim5,3520.3%
  79. 79Philip5,2880.2%
  80. 80Darryl5,1340.2%
  81. 81Jay5,1190.2%
  82. 82Bryan5,0280.2%
  83. 83Roy4,9660.2%
  84. 84Dean4,9330.2%
  85. 85Arthur4,8150.2%
  86. 86Willie4,7900.2%
  87. 87Bradley4,7450.2%
  88. 88Tom4,7310.2%
  89. 89Samuel4,6670.2%
  90. 90Jack4,6390.2%
  91. 91Ronnie4,6240.2%
  92. 92Henry4,6200.2%
  93. 93Jon4,6080.2%
  94. 94Harold4,4480.2%
  95. 95Ralph4,4430.2%
  96. 96Allen4,3910.2%
  97. 97Albert4,3240.2%
  98. 98Vincent4,3170.2%
  99. 99Victor4,3010.2%
  100. 100Troy4,2590.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1961 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.