Most popular baby names of 1949

In 1949, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (86,859 babies, 4.9% of boys) and Linda for girls (91,016 babies, 5.3% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, William and Michael for boys and Mary, Patricia, Barbara and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,203 different boy names and 6,067 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1949
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	86,859	–
2	Robert	83,876	–
3	John	81,180	–
4	William	61,504	–
5	Michael	60,046	▲ 1
6	David	59,610	▼ 1
7	Richard	50,947	–
8	Thomas	45,195	–
9	Charles	40,047	–
10	Larry	31,817	▲ 1
11	Ronald	31,497	▼ 1
12	Gary	28,933	–
13	Donald	27,121	▲ 1
14	Joseph	26,407	▼ 1
15	Kenneth	23,588	–
16	Dennis	21,747	▲ 1
17	Paul	21,589	▲ 1
18	George	21,309	▼ 2
19	Stephen	20,488	▲ 1
20	Steven	19,923	▲ 3
21	Edward	19,172	▼ 2
22	Daniel	18,240	–
23	Jerry	15,870	▼ 2
24	Mark	13,726	▲ 5
25	Roger	12,821	▼ 1
26	Bruce	12,265	▲ 2
27	Frank	11,960	▼ 2
28	Terry	11,457	▼ 2
29	Douglas	11,321	▲ 4
30	Raymond	11,305	▼ 3
31	Gregory	10,979	▲ 1
32	Lawrence	10,253	▼ 1
33	Gerald	9,809	▼ 3
34	Timothy	9,346	▲ 4
35	Wayne	8,927	▼ 1
36	Anthony	8,451	▲ 5
37	Walter	8,296	▼ 2
38	Peter	8,265	▼ 1
39	Patrick	8,074	▲ 9
40	Danny	8,023	▼ 1
41	Willie	7,917	▼ 1
42	Harold	7,817	▼ 6
43	Carl	7,689	▼ 1
44	Arthur	7,481	–
45	Alan	7,255	▲ 1
46	Henry	7,183	▼ 1
47	Jack	7,128	▼ 4
48	Jeffrey	6,987	▲ 10
49	Johnny	6,968	▲ 3
50	Ralph	6,748	▲ 1
51	Roy	6,622	▼ 2
52	Joe	6,535	▼ 5
53	Jimmy	6,417	▼ 3
54	Dale	6,229	▲ 2
55	Philip	6,224	▼ 1
56	Albert	6,063	▼ 1
57	Billy	5,821	▼ 4
58	Eugene	5,595	▲ 3
59	Harry	5,543	▼ 2
60	Stanley	5,527	▲ 5
61	Glenn	5,414	▲ 12
62	Samuel	5,357	▲ 8
63	Howard	5,284	–
64	Ronnie	5,237	▼ 5
65	Louis	5,235	▼ 1
66	Phillip	5,201	▲ 3
67	Bobby	5,120	▼ 5
68	Steve	5,027	▼ 8
69	Russell	5,007	▼ 2
70	Frederick	4,747	▲ 5
71	Allen	4,735	▲ 1
72	Fred	4,731	▼ 6
73	Barry	4,607	▲ 1
74	Leonard	4,551	▼ 3
75	Andrew	4,512	▲ 2
76	Ernest	4,346	–
77	Craig	4,327	▲ 5
78	Francis	4,282	▲ 2
79	Randall	4,161	▲ 19
80	Eddie	4,105	▼ 2
81	Christopher	3,999	▲ 21
82	Melvin	3,972	▼ 1
83	Martin	3,902	▲ 5
84	Tommy	3,886	▼ 5
85	Keith	3,878	▲ 4
86	Brian	3,854	▲ 9
87	Rodney	3,826	▲ 5
88	Mike	3,742	▼ 20
89	Marvin	3,725	▲ 1
90	Norman	3,668	▼ 5
91	Earl	3,653	▼ 8
92	Randy	3,623	▲ 7
93	Lee	3,562	–
94	Clarence	3,395	▼ 7
95	Kevin	3,292	▲ 32
96	Alfred	3,189	–
97	Curtis	3,088	▲ 4
98	Don	3,060	▼ 7
99	Scott	3,055	▲ 23
100	Theodore	3,041	▲ 4

Top 100 girl names, 1949
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	91,016	–
2	Mary	66,869	–
3	Patricia	46,325	▲ 1
4	Barbara	42,599	▼ 1
5	Susan	37,709	–
6	Sandra	30,643	–
7	Nancy	29,248	–
8	Carol	26,781	–
9	Kathleen	26,357	▲ 1
10	Sharon	25,713	▼ 1
11	Karen	22,468	▲ 1
12	Donna	22,056	▼ 1
13	Brenda	20,544	▲ 4
14	Margaret	19,452	▼ 1
15	Deborah	19,210	▲ 15
16	Judith	17,610	▼ 1
17	Carolyn	17,404	▼ 3
18	Shirley	17,282	▲ 2
19	Diane	17,251	–
20	Judy	15,979	▼ 4
21	Pamela	15,132	▲ 1
22	Betty	14,937	▼ 4
23	Janet	14,859	▲ 1
24	Janice	14,453	▼ 1
25	Elizabeth	13,714	▲ 1
26	Joyce	13,572	▼ 5
27	Cynthia	12,900	–
28	Cheryl	12,007	▼ 3
29	Gloria	11,878	▼ 1
30	Christine	11,798	▲ 5
31	Beverly	10,552	–
32	Dorothy	10,409	▼ 3
33	Marilyn	9,865	–
34	Martha	9,809	▼ 2
35	Bonnie	9,731	▼ 1
36	Joan	9,206	▲ 1
37	Catherine	9,137	▲ 4
38	Peggy	9,118	–
39	Virginia	8,895	▼ 3
40	Rebecca	8,778	▲ 10
41	Jane	8,719	▼ 2
42	Kathy	8,451	▲ 13
43	Connie	8,219	–
44	Ann	7,870	–
45	Jean	7,760	▲ 2
46	Helen	7,707	▼ 6
47	Ruth	7,651	▼ 2
48	Diana	7,535	–
49	Frances	7,440	▼ 7
50	Phyllis	7,315	▼ 4
51	Gail	7,225	–
52	Kathryn	7,184	▲ 2
53	Alice	6,660	▼ 4
54	Rita	6,654	▲ 5
55	Paula	6,577	▼ 3
56	Wanda	6,307	▲ 1
57	Elaine	6,214	▼ 4
58	Jacqueline	6,039	–
59	Katherine	6,039	▲ 9
60	Jo	5,802	▼ 4
61	Joanne	5,746	▲ 4
62	Suzanne	5,609	▲ 4
63	Theresa	5,603	–
64	Ellen	5,505	▲ 3
65	Laura	5,384	▲ 8
66	Rose	5,371	▼ 4
67	Marie	5,306	▼ 7
68	Sherry	5,295	▼ 7
69	Doris	5,284	▼ 5
70	Vicki	5,193	▲ 11
71	Charlotte	5,142	▼ 2
72	Maria	5,123	▲ 3
73	Lois	4,915	▼ 3
74	Lynn	4,880	▲ 6
75	Darlene	4,799	▲ 2
76	Sheila	4,774	▼ 5
77	Sally	4,773	▼ 5
78	Marcia	4,650	▲ 1
79	Marsha	4,611	▼ 3
80	Evelyn	4,529	▼ 6
81	Cathy	4,407	▲ 23
82	Teresa	4,328	–
83	Constance	4,327	▲ 10
84	Sarah	4,295	▲ 1
85	Dianne	4,141	▲ 1
86	Anne	4,052	▲ 1
87	Glenda	3,975	▲ 5
88	Sue	3,926	▼ 10
89	Maureen	3,923	▼ 1
90	Geraldine	3,919	▼ 7
91	Anna	3,897	▼ 2
92	Jeanne	3,865	▲ 3
93	Lynda	3,830	▼ 9
94	Sylvia	3,816	▲ 6
95	Eileen	3,722	▼ 4
96	Victoria	3,669	▲ 12
97	Roberta	3,660	▲ 4
98	Rosemary	3,633	▼ 8
99	Anita	3,589	▲ 3
100	Charlene	3,541	▲ 5

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1949. 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.