Most popular baby names of 1948

In 1948, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (88,604 babies, 5.0% of boys) and Linda for girls (96,216 babies, 5.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and David for boys and Mary, Barbara, Patricia and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,199 different boy names and 6,040 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1948
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	88,604	–
2	Robert	85,475	–
3	John	82,832	–
4	William	61,970	–
5	David	56,624	▲ 1
6	Michael	52,566	▲ 1
7	Richard	50,969	▼ 2
8	Thomas	43,778	–
9	Charles	38,678	–
10	Ronald	33,524	▲ 1
11	Larry	33,434	▼ 1
12	Gary	28,396	–
13	Joseph	26,802	▲ 1
14	Donald	26,443	▼ 1
15	Kenneth	23,553	–
16	George	21,926	–
17	Dennis	21,763	–
18	Paul	21,252	–
19	Edward	18,983	–
20	Stephen	17,060	▲ 1
21	Jerry	16,808	▼ 1
22	Daniel	16,509	–
23	Steven	15,979	▲ 1
24	Roger	12,818	▲ 1
25	Frank	12,698	▼ 2
26	Terry	12,136	–
27	Raymond	11,612	–
28	Bruce	11,065	▲ 1
29	Mark	10,266	▲ 18
30	Gerald	9,842	▼ 2
31	Lawrence	9,768	▲ 1
32	Gregory	9,724	▲ 1
33	Douglas	9,470	▼ 2
34	Wayne	8,682	▼ 4
35	Walter	8,627	▼ 1
36	Harold	8,144	▼ 1
37	Peter	8,049	▼ 1
38	Timothy	8,043	▲ 14
39	Danny	8,008	–
40	Willie	7,970	▲ 2
41	Anthony	7,879	–
42	Carl	7,828	▼ 2
43	Jack	7,612	▼ 6
44	Arthur	7,577	▼ 6
45	Henry	7,420	▲ 1
46	Alan	7,394	▼ 1
47	Joe	7,287	▼ 4
48	Patrick	7,192	▲ 5
49	Roy	7,066	▼ 1
50	Jimmy	6,926	▼ 6
51	Ralph	6,915	▼ 1
52	Johnny	6,861	▼ 3
53	Billy	6,220	▼ 2
54	Philip	6,161	▲ 3
55	Albert	6,156	–
56	Dale	6,089	▲ 7
57	Harry	5,945	▼ 3
58	Jeffrey	5,930	▲ 8
59	Ronnie	5,902	▲ 2
60	Steve	5,741	▼ 2
61	Eugene	5,608	▼ 2
62	Bobby	5,581	▼ 2
63	Howard	5,497	▼ 1
64	Louis	5,386	–
65	Stanley	5,383	▲ 2
66	Fred	5,376	▼ 10
67	Russell	5,109	▲ 2
68	Mike	5,045	▼ 3
69	Phillip	5,018	▲ 5
70	Samuel	5,003	▲ 2
71	Leonard	4,780	–
72	Allen	4,755	▲ 1
73	Glenn	4,740	▼ 3
74	Barry	4,670	▼ 6
75	Frederick	4,517	▲ 3
76	Ernest	4,513	▼ 1
77	Andrew	4,308	▲ 5
78	Eddie	4,235	▲ 2
79	Tommy	4,220	–
80	Francis	4,215	▲ 4
81	Melvin	4,057	▲ 4
82	Craig	3,986	▲ 11
83	Earl	3,976	–
84	Bill	3,926	▼ 8
85	Norman	3,894	▼ 4
86	Jim	3,808	▼ 9
87	Clarence	3,790	▲ 1
88	Martin	3,698	▲ 2
89	Keith	3,661	▲ 2
90	Marvin	3,625	▼ 1
91	Don	3,546	▼ 5
92	Rodney	3,466	▲ 2
93	Lee	3,445	▼ 1
94	Tom	3,429	▼ 7
95	Brian	3,358	–
96	Alfred	3,245	–
97	Leroy	3,234	▲ 1
98	Randall	3,179	▲ 8
99	Randy	3,141	▲ 17
100	Ray	3,134	▼ 3

Top 100 girl names, 1948
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	96,216	–
2	Mary	68,598	–
3	Barbara	46,824	▲ 1
4	Patricia	46,140	▼ 1
5	Susan	35,988	▲ 3
6	Sandra	31,062	▼ 1
7	Nancy	29,412	–
8	Carol	28,977	▼ 2
9	Sharon	26,143	–
10	Kathleen	23,257	▲ 1
11	Donna	22,033	▼ 1
12	Karen	21,996	▲ 1
13	Margaret	18,873	▲ 3
14	Carolyn	18,623	▲ 1
15	Judith	17,787	▼ 3
16	Judy	17,705	▼ 2
17	Brenda	17,699	▲ 4
18	Betty	16,625	▼ 1
19	Diane	16,607	▼ 1
20	Shirley	16,122	▼ 1
21	Joyce	14,381	▼ 1
22	Pamela	14,281	▲ 6
23	Janice	14,162	▼ 1
24	Janet	13,977	▼ 1
25	Cheryl	13,220	▼ 1
26	Elizabeth	13,215	▼ 1
27	Cynthia	12,240	▲ 6
28	Gloria	11,691	▼ 1
29	Dorothy	11,322	▼ 3
30	Deborah	11,244	▲ 32
31	Beverly	10,796	–
32	Martha	10,011	–
33	Marilyn	9,937	▼ 4
34	Bonnie	9,818	▲ 1
35	Christine	9,677	▲ 10
36	Virginia	9,296	▼ 2
37	Joan	9,275	▼ 7
38	Peggy	9,089	▲ 4
39	Jane	8,781	▼ 3
40	Helen	8,301	▼ 2
41	Catherine	8,244	▲ 5
42	Frances	8,179	▼ 3
43	Connie	8,055	–
44	Ann	8,025	▼ 3
45	Ruth	7,903	▼ 1
46	Phyllis	7,876	▼ 9
47	Jean	7,774	▼ 7
48	Diana	7,706	–
49	Alice	6,981	▼ 2
50	Rebecca	6,795	▲ 2
51	Gail	6,603	▼ 2
52	Paula	6,600	▲ 2
53	Elaine	6,403	▼ 3
54	Kathryn	6,177	▲ 1
55	Kathy	6,148	▲ 9
56	Jo	5,986	▼ 5
57	Wanda	5,919	▲ 9
58	Jacqueline	5,838	▲ 1
59	Rita	5,835	▲ 1
60	Marie	5,786	▼ 3
61	Sherry	5,717	▲ 6
62	Rose	5,556	▲ 3
63	Theresa	5,556	▲ 22
64	Doris	5,547	▼ 6
65	Joanne	5,499	▼ 9
66	Suzanne	5,448	▼ 13
67	Ellen	5,289	▼ 6
68	Katherine	5,169	▲ 8
69	Charlotte	5,164	▼ 1
70	Lois	5,077	▼ 7
71	Sheila	5,022	▲ 2
72	Sally	5,012	▼ 2
73	Laura	4,901	▲ 1
74	Evelyn	4,840	▼ 2
75	Maria	4,817	▲ 4
76	Marsha	4,725	▲ 12
77	Darlene	4,692	▼ 6
78	Sue	4,674	▼ 9
79	Marcia	4,640	▲ 2
80	Lynn	4,609	▼ 5
81	Vicki	4,365	▲ 20
82	Teresa	4,217	▲ 39
83	Geraldine	4,208	▼ 5
84	Lynda	4,168	▼ 7
85	Sarah	4,159	▲ 8
86	Dianne	4,138	▼ 3
87	Anne	4,122	▲ 8
88	Maureen	4,077	▲ 10
89	Anna	4,037	▲ 3
90	Rosemary	3,869	▼ 10
91	Eileen	3,838	–
92	Glenda	3,831	▲ 4
93	Constance	3,812	▲ 7
94	Joann	3,799	▼ 5
95	Jeanne	3,789	▼ 9
96	Lorraine	3,745	▼ 12
97	Annie	3,721	▲ 6
98	Patsy	3,714	▼ 11
99	Louise	3,685	–
100	Sylvia	3,671	▼ 3

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1948. 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.