Most popular baby names of 1951

In 1951, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (87,257 babies, 4.6% of boys) and Linda for girls (73,982 babies, 4.1% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, Michael and David for boys and Mary, Patricia, Deborah and Barbara for girls. SSA recorded 4,253 different boy names and 6,213 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1951
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	87,257	–
2	Robert	86,355	–
3	John	81,570	–
4	Michael	72,805	–
5	David	64,789	–
6	William	62,783	–
7	Richard	54,539	–
8	Thomas	48,275	–
9	Charles	39,408	–
10	Gary	38,161	–
11	Larry	30,559	–
12	Ronald	29,048	–
13	Steven	28,363	▲ 3
14	Joseph	28,148	▼ 1
15	Donald	27,915	▼ 1
16	Kenneth	25,843	▼ 1
17	Dennis	24,265	–
18	Paul	22,852	–
19	Stephen	22,472	–
20	Mark	21,202	▲ 3
21	Daniel	21,121	–
22	George	20,213	▼ 2
23	Edward	19,913	▼ 1
24	Jerry	15,165	–
25	Gregory	14,103	–
26	Bruce	14,090	–
27	Douglas	13,902	▲ 1
28	Timothy	12,704	▲ 4
29	Roger	12,425	▼ 2
30	Terry	12,216	–
31	Frank	11,477	▼ 2
32	Raymond	11,228	▼ 1
33	Lawrence	10,265	–
34	Anthony	9,838	▲ 2
35	Jeffrey	9,715	▲ 8
36	Gerald	9,539	▼ 2
37	Wayne	9,327	▼ 2
38	Peter	8,999	▼ 1
39	Patrick	8,752	▼ 1
40	Alan	8,408	▲ 1
41	Danny	8,179	▼ 2
42	Walter	8,037	▼ 2
43	Carl	7,640	▲ 1
44	Arthur	7,414	▲ 2
45	Willie	7,224	▼ 3
46	Harold	7,178	▼ 1
47	Henry	7,118	–
48	Jack	7,004	–
49	Dale	6,964	–
50	Johnny	6,700	–
51	Ralph	6,525	▲ 1
52	Roy	6,466	▼ 1
53	Kevin	6,350	▲ 20
54	Stanley	6,205	▲ 6
55	Philip	6,097	▼ 2
56	Randy	6,033	▲ 24
57	Joe	5,825	▼ 3
58	Glenn	5,803	▲ 1
59	Keith	5,767	▲ 19
60	Albert	5,760	▼ 4
61	Christopher	5,735	▲ 11
62	Jimmy	5,687	▼ 7
63	Craig	5,623	▲ 6
64	Billy	5,609	▼ 7
65	Eugene	5,579	▼ 7
66	Randall	5,533	▲ 4
67	Samuel	5,476	▼ 5
68	Scott	5,381	▲ 14
69	Andrew	5,372	▼ 1
70	Harry	5,304	▼ 9
71	Barry	5,284	▲ 3
72	Allen	5,179	▼ 1
73	Russell	5,175	▼ 6
74	Howard	5,108	▼ 11
75	Brian	5,100	▲ 4
76	Louis	5,089	▼ 10
77	Bobby	5,006	▼ 12
78	Frederick	4,984	▼ 3
79	Phillip	4,910	▼ 15
80	Leonard	4,738	▼ 3
81	Martin	4,596	▲ 4
82	Ronnie	4,531	▼ 6
83	Ernest	4,381	▼ 2
84	Rodney	4,297	▲ 4
85	Francis	4,200	▲ 1
86	Steve	4,053	▼ 3
87	Fred	3,994	▼ 3
88	Melvin	3,837	▼ 1
89	Eddie	3,747	–
90	Norman	3,729	–
91	Curtis	3,716	▲ 6
92	Lee	3,682	▼ 1
93	Eric	3,664	▲ 5
94	Tommy	3,582	–
95	Earl	3,571	▼ 3
96	Marvin	3,557	▼ 3
97	Micheal	3,276	▲ 7
98	Clarence	3,232	▼ 3
99	Theodore	3,217	–
100	Alfred	3,203	▼ 4

Top 100 girl names, 1951
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	73,982	–
2	Mary	65,722	–
3	Patricia	56,446	–
4	Deborah	42,053	▲ 3
5	Barbara	40,619	▼ 1
6	Susan	40,228	▼ 1
7	Nancy	30,346	▼ 1
8	Karen	27,998	▲ 4
9	Sandra	27,666	▼ 1
10	Kathleen	26,716	–
11	Carol	24,781	▼ 2
12	Donna	24,075	▲ 1
13	Sharon	23,921	▼ 2
14	Brenda	21,717	–
15	Diane	19,841	▲ 1
16	Pamela	18,570	▲ 1
17	Margaret	17,692	▼ 2
18	Debra	17,065	▲ 41
19	Janet	16,947	▼ 1
20	Cynthia	16,295	▲ 3
21	Janice	15,959	▲ 1
22	Carolyn	15,208	▼ 2
23	Elizabeth	15,118	▲ 1
24	Christine	15,018	▲ 4
25	Judith	14,936	▼ 4
26	Judy	14,016	▼ 1
27	Shirley	13,918	▼ 8
28	Joyce	13,472	▼ 1
29	Betty	12,822	▼ 3
30	Cheryl	11,986	▼ 1
31	Gloria	10,952	▼ 1
32	Rebecca	10,931	▲ 4
33	Beverly	10,858	▼ 2
34	Catherine	10,566	–
35	Kathy	10,406	▲ 3
36	Gail	9,886	▲ 6
37	Bonnie	9,706	▼ 4
38	Martha	9,605	▼ 6
39	Joan	9,403	▲ 1
40	Peggy	9,208	▲ 1
41	Marilyn	9,148	▼ 4
42	Dorothy	9,090	▼ 7
43	Jane	8,942	▼ 4
44	Connie	8,722	–
45	Kathryn	8,460	▲ 1
46	Ann	8,423	▼ 1
47	Virginia	8,180	▼ 4
48	Denise	8,116	▲ 34
49	Jean	7,627	▼ 1
50	Diana	7,396	▼ 3
51	Paula	7,291	▲ 3
52	Wanda	7,232	–
53	Ruth	7,076	▼ 4
54	Helen	6,950	▼ 4
55	Katherine	6,930	▲ 3
56	Jacqueline	6,917	▼ 1
57	Phyllis	6,791	▼ 4
58	Vicki	6,631	▲ 3
59	Frances	6,584	▼ 8
60	Laura	6,466	▲ 3
61	Rita	6,415	▼ 5
62	Alice	6,315	▼ 5
63	Teresa	6,214	▲ 18
64	Theresa	6,190	▲ 1
65	Rose	6,185	▲ 4
66	Elaine	6,069	▼ 6
67	Jo	6,001	▼ 3
68	Ellen	5,945	▼ 2
69	Sheila	5,897	▲ 1
70	Sherry	5,889	▼ 8
71	Cathy	5,697	▲ 4
72	Lynn	5,628	▲ 4
73	Joanne	5,358	▼ 6
74	Marcia	5,299	▲ 3
75	Maria	5,236	▼ 2
76	Marsha	5,188	▼ 8
77	Sally	5,138	▲ 1
78	Marie	5,046	▼ 6
79	Darlene	5,030	–
80	Doris	5,025	▼ 6
81	Victoria	4,907	▲ 13
82	Anne	4,873	▲ 2
83	Suzanne	4,827	▼ 12
84	Charlotte	4,649	▼ 4
85	Lois	4,533	▼ 2
86	Constance	4,367	▼ 1
87	Vickie	4,320	▲ 21
88	Evelyn	4,232	▼ 2
89	Glenda	4,135	▼ 2
90	Dianne	4,034	–
91	Sarah	4,028	▼ 3
92	Roberta	3,979	▲ 4
93	Maureen	3,878	▼ 4
94	Anna	3,870	▼ 1
95	Eileen	3,816	▼ 4
96	Anita	3,785	▲ 3
97	Sylvia	3,777	–
98	Jeanne	3,768	▼ 3
99	Julie	3,686	▲ 12
100	Valerie	3,559	▲ 16

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1951. 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.