Most popular baby names of 1952

In 1952, the most popular names for US babies were James for boys (87,066 babies, 4.5% of boys) and Linda for girls (67,081 babies, 3.6% of girls). The rest of the top five were Robert, John, Michael and David for boys and Mary, Patricia, Deborah and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,257 different boy names and 6,390 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1952
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	James	87,066	–
2	Robert	86,588	–
3	John	83,138	–
4	Michael	79,039	–
5	David	71,753	–
6	William	63,039	–
7	Richard	58,353	–
8	Thomas	48,650	–
9	Charles	38,865	–
10	Gary	38,753	–
11	Steven	32,037	▲ 2
12	Joseph	28,510	▲ 2
13	Donald	28,269	▲ 2
14	Larry	28,241	▼ 3
15	Ronald	27,801	▼ 3
16	Kenneth	25,910	–
17	Mark	25,678	▲ 3
18	Dennis	24,552	▼ 1
19	Paul	24,293	▼ 1
20	Daniel	23,420	▲ 1
21	Stephen	23,054	▼ 2
22	George	19,820	–
23	Edward	19,504	–
24	Gregory	15,190	▲ 1
25	Bruce	14,480	▲ 1
26	Jerry	14,438	▼ 2
27	Timothy	14,167	▲ 1
28	Douglas	13,680	▼ 1
29	Terry	12,438	▲ 1
30	Roger	12,132	▼ 1
31	Jeffrey	12,008	▲ 4
32	Frank	11,268	▼ 1
33	Raymond	11,235	▼ 1
34	Anthony	11,186	–
35	Lawrence	10,302	▼ 2
36	Peter	9,586	▲ 2
37	Patrick	9,175	▲ 2
38	Wayne	9,088	▼ 1
39	Gerald	9,031	▼ 3
40	Danny	8,821	▲ 1
41	Randy	8,646	▲ 15
42	Alan	8,310	▼ 2
43	Kevin	7,916	▲ 10
44	Walter	7,899	▼ 2
45	Carl	7,825	▼ 2
46	Dale	7,415	▲ 3
47	Arthur	7,236	▼ 3
48	Willie	7,196	▼ 3
49	Keith	7,174	▲ 10
50	Henry	6,974	▼ 3
51	Harold	6,956	▼ 5
52	Jack	6,938	▼ 4
53	Johnny	6,772	▼ 3
54	Scott	6,538	▲ 14
55	Roy	6,524	▼ 3
56	Ralph	6,469	▼ 5
57	Christopher	6,301	▲ 4
58	Stanley	6,226	▼ 4
59	Craig	6,187	▲ 4
60	Philip	6,154	▼ 5
61	Glenn	5,944	▼ 3
62	Randall	5,892	▲ 4
63	Joe	5,891	▼ 6
64	Brian	5,741	▲ 11
65	Billy	5,707	▼ 1
66	Albert	5,660	▼ 6
67	Samuel	5,648	–
68	Andrew	5,573	▲ 1
69	Barry	5,505	▲ 2
70	Russell	5,349	▲ 3
71	Eugene	5,314	▼ 6
72	Jimmy	5,311	▼ 10
73	Howard	5,244	▲ 1
74	Phillip	5,002	▲ 5
75	Harry	4,992	▼ 5
76	Frederick	4,979	▲ 2
77	Bobby	4,960	–
78	Allen	4,956	▼ 6
79	Louis	4,922	▼ 3
80	Martin	4,736	▲ 1
81	Ricky	4,655	▲ 21
82	Ronnie	4,636	–
83	Leonard	4,619	▼ 3
84	Rodney	4,403	–
85	Steve	4,313	▲ 1
86	Curtis	4,175	▲ 5
87	Ernest	4,122	▼ 4
88	Eric	3,990	▲ 5
89	Francis	3,979	▼ 4
90	Fred	3,960	▼ 3
91	Melvin	3,920	▼ 3
92	Lee	3,655	–
93	Eddie	3,644	▼ 4
94	Micheal	3,613	▲ 3
95	Marvin	3,575	▲ 1
96	Norman	3,572	▼ 6
97	Tommy	3,512	▼ 3
98	Earl	3,456	▼ 3
99	Clifford	3,317	▲ 2
100	Theodore	3,268	▼ 1

Top 100 girl names, 1952
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Linda	67,081	–
2	Mary	65,627	–
3	Patricia	53,098	–
4	Deborah	49,812	–
5	Susan	41,348	▲ 1
6	Barbara	39,863	▼ 1
7	Nancy	31,739	–
8	Karen	28,957	–
9	Debra	26,832	▲ 9
10	Sandra	26,097	▼ 1
11	Kathleen	25,767	▼ 1
12	Carol	23,999	▼ 1
13	Donna	23,716	▼ 1
14	Sharon	23,387	▼ 1
15	Brenda	21,439	▼ 1
16	Diane	21,063	▼ 1
17	Pamela	20,880	▼ 1
18	Cynthia	19,879	▲ 2
19	Janet	17,921	–
20	Christine	17,548	▲ 4
21	Margaret	17,101	▼ 4
22	Elizabeth	16,023	▲ 1
23	Janice	14,978	▼ 2
24	Carolyn	14,272	▼ 2
25	Judith	14,064	–
26	Judy	13,632	–
27	Joyce	13,125	▲ 1
28	Shirley	12,529	▼ 1
29	Kathy	12,369	▲ 6
30	Rebecca	12,226	▲ 2
31	Cheryl	12,201	▼ 1
32	Betty	12,129	▼ 3
33	Denise	11,652	▲ 15
34	Catherine	11,053	–
35	Beverly	10,547	▼ 2
36	Gloria	10,458	▼ 5
37	Joan	10,277	▲ 2
38	Marilyn	9,803	▲ 3
39	Gail	9,760	▼ 3
40	Martha	9,696	▼ 2
41	Bonnie	9,382	▼ 4
42	Jane	9,322	▲ 1
43	Peggy	8,990	▼ 3
44	Connie	8,756	–
45	Ann	8,652	▲ 1
46	Dorothy	8,608	▼ 4
47	Paula	8,566	▲ 4
48	Kathryn	8,504	▼ 3
49	Virginia	8,161	▼ 2
50	Jean	7,511	▼ 1
51	Diana	7,393	▼ 1
52	Teresa	7,294	▲ 11
53	Laura	7,188	▲ 7
54	Wanda	7,163	▼ 2
55	Jo	7,092	▲ 12
56	Cathy	7,011	▲ 15
57	Ruth	6,953	▼ 4
58	Jacqueline	6,937	▼ 2
59	Katherine	6,891	▼ 4
60	Theresa	6,809	▲ 4
61	Vicki	6,774	▼ 3
62	Rose	6,553	▲ 3
63	Helen	6,464	▼ 9
64	Sheila	6,218	▲ 5
65	Phyllis	6,151	▼ 8
66	Rita	6,148	▼ 5
67	Frances	6,079	▼ 8
68	Sherry	5,956	▲ 2
69	Alice	5,908	▼ 7
70	Ellen	5,842	▼ 2
71	Lynn	5,818	▲ 1
72	Maria	5,694	▲ 3
73	Elaine	5,650	▼ 7
74	Victoria	5,603	▲ 7
75	Marsha	5,583	▲ 1
76	Vickie	5,482	▲ 11
77	Darlene	5,427	▲ 2
78	Joanne	5,351	▼ 5
79	Anne	5,257	▲ 3
80	Marcia	5,210	▼ 6
81	Sally	5,037	▼ 4
82	Marie	4,977	▼ 4
83	Doris	4,950	▼ 3
84	Suzanne	4,909	▼ 1
85	Julie	4,497	▲ 14
86	Lois	4,362	▼ 1
87	Valerie	4,263	▲ 13
88	Roberta	4,228	▲ 4
89	Charlotte	4,204	▼ 5
90	Evelyn	4,155	▼ 2
91	Anita	4,134	▲ 5
92	Constance	4,116	▼ 6
93	Sarah	4,048	▼ 2
94	Maureen	4,039	▼ 1
95	Rhonda	3,963	▲ 16
96	Dianne	3,895	▼ 6
97	Glenda	3,880	▼ 8
98	Jeanne	3,827	–
99	Sylvia	3,789	▼ 2
100	Eileen	3,742	▼ 5

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1952. 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.