Most popular baby names of 1950

In 1950, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (86,223 babies, 4.8% of boys) and Linda for girls (80,431 babies, 4.7% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, Michael and David for boys and Mary, Patricia, Barbara and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,196 different boy names and 6,110 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1950
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	86,223	–
2	Robert	83,551	–
3	John	79,412	–
4	Michael	65,138	▲ 1
5	David	60,729	▲ 1
6	William	60,679	▼ 2
7	Richard	51,004	–
8	Thomas	45,596	–
9	Charles	39,097	–
10	Gary	33,740	▲ 2
11	Larry	31,478	▼ 1
12	Ronald	29,908	▼ 1
13	Joseph	27,022	▲ 1
14	Donald	26,999	▼ 1
15	Kenneth	23,813	–
16	Steven	23,250	▲ 4
17	Dennis	22,862	▼ 1
18	Paul	21,743	▼ 1
19	Stephen	20,511	–
20	George	20,182	▼ 2
21	Daniel	19,189	▲ 1
22	Edward	18,715	▼ 1
23	Mark	16,605	▲ 1
24	Jerry	15,262	▼ 1
25	Gregory	13,311	▲ 6
26	Bruce	12,674	–
27	Roger	12,552	▼ 2
28	Douglas	12,265	▲ 1
29	Frank	11,607	▼ 2
30	Terry	11,433	▼ 2
31	Raymond	11,181	▼ 1
32	Timothy	10,498	▲ 2
33	Lawrence	10,174	▼ 1
34	Gerald	9,725	▼ 1
35	Wayne	9,259	–
36	Anthony	8,614	–
37	Peter	8,366	▲ 1
38	Patrick	8,180	▲ 1
39	Danny	8,143	▲ 1
40	Walter	7,798	▼ 3
41	Alan	7,738	▲ 4
42	Willie	7,720	▼ 1
43	Jeffrey	7,643	▲ 5
44	Carl	7,288	▼ 1
45	Harold	7,215	▼ 3
46	Arthur	7,161	▼ 2
47	Henry	6,965	▼ 1
48	Jack	6,839	▼ 1
49	Dale	6,787	▲ 5
50	Johnny	6,581	▼ 1
51	Roy	6,454	–
52	Ralph	6,406	▼ 2
53	Philip	6,070	▲ 2
54	Joe	6,033	▼ 2
55	Jimmy	5,761	▼ 2
56	Albert	5,754	–
57	Billy	5,676	–
58	Eugene	5,482	–
59	Glenn	5,465	▲ 2
60	Stanley	5,453	–
61	Harry	5,375	▼ 2
62	Samuel	5,226	–
63	Howard	5,165	–
64	Phillip	5,055	▲ 2
65	Bobby	5,018	▲ 2
66	Louis	4,947	▼ 1
67	Russell	4,945	▲ 2
68	Andrew	4,932	▲ 7
69	Craig	4,888	▲ 8
70	Randall	4,843	▲ 9
71	Allen	4,841	–
72	Christopher	4,835	▲ 9
73	Kevin	4,751	▲ 22
74	Barry	4,693	▼ 1
75	Frederick	4,659	▼ 5
76	Ronnie	4,616	▼ 12
77	Leonard	4,581	▼ 3
78	Keith	4,567	▲ 7
79	Brian	4,442	▲ 7
80	Randy	4,355	▲ 12
81	Ernest	4,309	▼ 5
82	Scott	4,268	▲ 17
83	Steve	4,207	▼ 15
84	Fred	4,195	▼ 12
85	Martin	4,180	▼ 2
86	Francis	4,082	▼ 8
87	Melvin	3,886	▼ 5
88	Rodney	3,856	▼ 1
89	Eddie	3,761	▼ 9
90	Norman	3,641	–
91	Lee	3,611	▲ 2
92	Earl	3,589	▼ 1
93	Marvin	3,493	▼ 4
94	Tommy	3,434	▼ 10
95	Clarence	3,340	▼ 1
96	Alfred	3,235	–
97	Curtis	3,209	–
98	Eric	3,095	▲ 7
99	Theodore	2,960	▲ 1
100	Clifford	2,941	▲ 3

Top 100 girl names, 1950
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	80,431	–
2	Mary	65,482	–
3	Patricia	47,944	–
4	Barbara	41,555	–
5	Susan	38,017	–
6	Nancy	29,617	▲ 1
7	Deborah	29,062	▲ 8
8	Sandra	28,896	▼ 2
9	Carol	26,163	▼ 1
10	Kathleen	25,705	▼ 1
11	Sharon	24,612	▼ 1
12	Karen	24,132	▼ 1
13	Donna	21,629	▼ 1
14	Brenda	20,798	▼ 1
15	Margaret	18,110	▼ 1
16	Diane	17,636	▲ 3
17	Pamela	16,202	▲ 4
18	Janet	16,193	▲ 5
19	Shirley	15,891	▼ 1
20	Carolyn	15,587	▼ 3
21	Judith	15,352	▼ 5
22	Janice	15,010	▲ 2
23	Cynthia	14,447	▲ 4
24	Elizabeth	14,334	▲ 1
25	Judy	14,207	▼ 5
26	Betty	13,614	▼ 4
27	Joyce	13,416	▼ 1
28	Christine	12,673	▲ 2
29	Cheryl	11,823	▼ 1
30	Gloria	11,037	▼ 1
31	Beverly	10,504	–
32	Martha	9,838	▲ 2
33	Bonnie	9,746	▲ 2
34	Catherine	9,655	▲ 3
35	Dorothy	9,550	▼ 3
36	Rebecca	9,426	▲ 4
37	Marilyn	9,285	▼ 4
38	Kathy	9,090	▲ 4
39	Jane	8,964	▲ 2
40	Joan	8,860	▼ 4
41	Peggy	8,532	▼ 3
42	Gail	8,350	▲ 9
43	Virginia	8,312	▼ 4
44	Connie	8,145	▼ 1
45	Ann	7,921	▼ 1
46	Kathryn	7,863	▲ 6
47	Diana	7,447	▲ 1
48	Jean	7,432	▼ 3
49	Ruth	7,128	▼ 2
50	Helen	7,060	▼ 4
51	Frances	6,974	▼ 2
52	Wanda	6,929	▲ 4
53	Phyllis	6,695	▼ 3
54	Paula	6,631	▲ 1
55	Jacqueline	6,455	▲ 3
56	Rita	6,423	▼ 2
57	Alice	6,363	▼ 4
58	Katherine	6,205	▲ 1
59	Debra	6,176	▲ 75
60	Elaine	6,037	▼ 3
61	Vicki	5,823	▲ 9
62	Sherry	5,808	▲ 6
63	Laura	5,725	▲ 2
64	Jo	5,676	▼ 4
65	Theresa	5,628	▼ 2
66	Ellen	5,567	▼ 2
67	Joanne	5,491	▼ 6
68	Marsha	5,400	▲ 11
69	Rose	5,376	▼ 3
70	Sheila	5,322	▲ 6
71	Suzanne	5,267	▼ 9
72	Marie	5,222	▼ 5
73	Maria	5,076	▼ 1
74	Doris	5,053	▼ 5
75	Cathy	5,031	▲ 6
76	Lynn	5,019	▼ 2
77	Marcia	4,956	▲ 1
78	Sally	4,870	▼ 1
79	Darlene	4,830	▼ 4
80	Charlotte	4,736	▼ 9
81	Teresa	4,724	▲ 1
82	Denise	4,514	▲ 58
83	Lois	4,504	▼ 10
84	Anne	4,459	▲ 2
85	Constance	4,441	▼ 2
86	Evelyn	4,275	▼ 6
87	Glenda	4,215	–
88	Sarah	4,144	▼ 4
89	Maureen	4,070	–
90	Dianne	3,921	▼ 5
91	Eileen	3,883	▲ 4
92	Irene	3,825	▲ 19
93	Anna	3,815	▼ 2
94	Victoria	3,781	▲ 2
95	Jeanne	3,736	▼ 3
96	Roberta	3,630	▲ 1
97	Sylvia	3,612	▼ 3
98	Joann	3,600	▲ 3
99	Anita	3,573	–
100	Sue	3,503	▼ 12

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1950. 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.