Most popular baby names of 1947

In 1947, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (94,763 babies, 5.2% of boys) and Linda for girls (99,693 babies, 5.6% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Richard for boys and Mary, Patricia, Barbara and Sandra for girls. SSA recorded 4,267 different boy names and 6,104 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1947
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	94,763	–
2	Robert	91,654	–
3	John	88,321	–
4	William	67,001	–
5	Richard	58,531	–
6	David	57,809	–
7	Michael	50,505	–
8	Thomas	44,840	–
9	Charles	40,779	–
10	Larry	34,945	▲ 1
11	Ronald	34,900	▼ 1
12	Gary	30,030	–
13	Donald	28,260	–
14	Joseph	27,521	–
15	Kenneth	24,584	–
16	George	23,913	–
17	Dennis	23,686	–
18	Paul	22,793	–
19	Edward	20,539	–
20	Jerry	18,791	–
21	Stephen	15,328	▲ 3
22	Daniel	15,189	▼ 1
23	Frank	13,995	▼ 1
24	Steven	13,529	▲ 4
25	Roger	12,760	▼ 2
26	Terry	12,751	–
27	Raymond	12,352	▼ 2
28	Gerald	10,750	▼ 1
29	Bruce	10,524	▲ 3
30	Wayne	10,168	▼ 1
31	Douglas	9,893	▲ 3
32	Lawrence	9,582	▼ 1
33	Gregory	9,327	▲ 23
34	Walter	9,217	▼ 4
35	Harold	8,904	▼ 2
36	Peter	8,590	▲ 2
37	Jack	8,507	▼ 2
38	Arthur	8,255	▼ 2
39	Danny	8,069	▲ 7
40	Carl	8,051	▼ 1
41	Anthony	8,014	▲ 3
42	Willie	7,995	▼ 2
43	Joe	7,904	▼ 6
44	Jimmy	7,881	▼ 2
45	Alan	7,823	▲ 4
46	Henry	7,808	▼ 5
47	Mark	7,773	▲ 11
48	Roy	7,560	▼ 5
49	Johnny	7,442	▼ 2
50	Ralph	7,389	▼ 2
51	Billy	6,932	▼ 6
52	Timothy	6,747	▲ 8
53	Patrick	6,621	▲ 6
54	Harry	6,515	▼ 4
55	Albert	6,462	▼ 3
56	Fred	6,392	▼ 5
57	Philip	6,236	▲ 4
58	Steve	6,231	▲ 11
59	Eugene	6,178	▼ 2
60	Bobby	6,116	▼ 7
61	Ronnie	6,109	▼ 7
62	Howard	6,061	▼ 7
63	Dale	5,936	▼ 1
64	Louis	5,778	▼ 1
65	Mike	5,750	▼ 1
66	Jeffrey	5,666	▲ 12
67	Stanley	5,502	▼ 2
68	Barry	5,472	–
69	Russell	5,270	▼ 3
70	Glenn	5,157	▲ 11
71	Leonard	5,157	▼ 4
72	Samuel	5,109	▼ 2
73	Allen	5,075	▲ 1
74	Phillip	4,789	▲ 9
75	Ernest	4,786	▼ 4
76	Bill	4,681	▼ 4
77	Jim	4,640	▼ 4
78	Frederick	4,637	▼ 3
79	Tommy	4,594	▼ 2
80	Eddie	4,457	▲ 5
81	Norman	4,410	▼ 5
82	Andrew	4,346	▲ 2
83	Earl	4,242	▼ 1
84	Francis	4,207	▼ 4
85	Melvin	4,168	▲ 1
86	Don	4,005	▼ 7
87	Tom	3,922	–
88	Clarence	3,920	▲ 1
89	Marvin	3,773	▼ 1
90	Martin	3,724	▲ 2
91	Keith	3,683	▲ 5
92	Lee	3,676	▼ 1
93	Craig	3,640	▲ 15
94	Rodney	3,564	▼ 1
95	Brian	3,450	▲ 8
96	Alfred	3,417	▼ 2
97	Ray	3,378	▼ 2
98	Leroy	3,347	▼ 8
99	Curtis	3,037	–
100	Bernard	2,994	▲ 2

Top 100 girl names, 1947
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	99,693	▲ 1
2	Mary	71,689	▼ 1
3	Patricia	51,278	–
4	Barbara	48,800	–
5	Sandra	34,779	▲ 1
6	Carol	33,543	▼ 1
7	Nancy	32,445	–
8	Susan	31,951	–
9	Sharon	28,533	–
10	Donna	23,518	▲ 3
11	Kathleen	22,095	▲ 5
12	Judith	21,996	▼ 2
13	Karen	21,648	▲ 2
14	Judy	21,036	▼ 3
15	Carolyn	20,741	▼ 3
16	Margaret	20,102	▲ 1
17	Betty	18,964	▼ 3
18	Diane	17,775	▲ 1
19	Shirley	17,647	▼ 1
20	Joyce	15,914	–
21	Brenda	15,830	▲ 3
22	Janice	15,409	–
23	Janet	15,236	▼ 2
24	Cheryl	13,890	▲ 3
25	Elizabeth	13,439	–
26	Dorothy	12,753	▼ 3
27	Gloria	12,626	▼ 1
28	Pamela	12,398	▲ 6
29	Marilyn	11,881	–
30	Joan	11,276	▼ 2
31	Beverly	11,205	▼ 1
32	Martha	10,652	–
33	Cynthia	10,530	▲ 13
34	Virginia	10,407	▼ 3
35	Bonnie	10,215	▼ 2
36	Jane	9,942	▼ 1
37	Phyllis	9,187	▲ 4
38	Helen	8,979	▼ 2
39	Frances	8,943	–
40	Jean	8,940	▼ 3
41	Ann	8,894	▼ 1
42	Peggy	8,877	▲ 1
43	Connie	8,645	▲ 2
44	Ruth	8,481	▼ 6
45	Christine	8,377	▲ 5
46	Catherine	7,889	▲ 2
47	Alice	7,849	▼ 3
48	Diana	7,622	▼ 6
49	Gail	7,242	–
50	Elaine	7,058	▼ 3
51	Jo	6,724	▲ 2
52	Rebecca	6,333	▲ 16
53	Suzanne	6,231	▼ 1
54	Paula	6,102	▲ 15
55	Kathryn	6,091	▲ 8
56	Joanne	6,063	▲ 1
57	Marie	6,057	▼ 3
58	Doris	6,029	▼ 7
59	Jacqueline	6,011	▲ 3
60	Rita	5,982	▼ 4
61	Ellen	5,856	▼ 3
62	Deborah	5,837	▲ 57
63	Lois	5,717	▼ 8
64	Kathy	5,697	▲ 15
65	Rose	5,654	▼ 5
66	Wanda	5,649	▼ 7
67	Sherry	5,579	▲ 6
68	Charlotte	5,386	▼ 4
69	Sue	5,306	▼ 8
70	Sally	5,265	▼ 3
71	Darlene	5,255	–
72	Evelyn	5,243	▼ 7
73	Sheila	5,095	▼ 3
74	Laura	5,051	▲ 1
75	Lynn	4,994	▲ 19
76	Katherine	4,885	▲ 2
77	Lynda	4,840	▲ 32
78	Geraldine	4,811	▼ 12
79	Maria	4,712	▲ 9
80	Rosemary	4,542	▼ 6
81	Marcia	4,472	▲ 8
82	Norma	4,425	▼ 5
83	Dianne	4,415	▼ 7
84	Lorraine	4,414	▲ 9
85	Theresa	4,390	▲ 11
86	Jeanne	4,364	▼ 3
87	Patsy	4,344	▼ 2
88	Marsha	4,339	▲ 10
89	Joann	4,276	▲ 1
90	Roberta	4,261	▼ 4
91	Eileen	4,251	▼ 11
92	Anna	4,238	▼ 5
93	Sarah	4,223	▼ 1
94	Anita	4,187	▼ 10
95	Anne	4,187	▼ 14
96	Glenda	4,156	▲ 3
97	Sylvia	4,100	▼ 15
98	Maureen	4,085	▼ 3
99	Louise	4,050	▼ 8
100	Constance	3,894	–

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1947. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.