Most popular baby names of 1956

In 1956, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (90,691 babies, 4.3% of boys) and Mary for girls (61,743 babies, 3.1% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, Robert, David and John for boys and Debra, Linda, Deborah and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,454 different boy names and 6,891 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1956
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	90,691	–
2	James	84,903	▲ 1
3	Robert	83,912	▲ 1
4	David	81,650	▼ 2
5	John	80,806	–
6	William	58,990	–
7	Richard	52,912	–
8	Mark	48,829	▲ 1
9	Thomas	44,841	▼ 1
10	Steven	38,410	–
11	Charles	35,239	–
12	Joseph	32,748	▲ 1
13	Gary	31,839	▼ 1
14	Donald	28,226	–
15	Ronald	27,723	▲ 3
16	Kenneth	27,433	▼ 1
17	Paul	26,897	▼ 1
18	Daniel	26,653	▼ 1
19	Timothy	23,289	▲ 3
20	Jeffrey	23,282	–
21	Larry	22,324	▼ 2
22	Kevin	21,763	▲ 5
23	Stephen	21,204	▼ 2
24	Gregory	21,081	–
25	Edward	19,437	–
26	Dennis	18,362	▼ 3
27	George	17,236	▼ 1
28	Randy	16,547	▲ 2
29	Douglas	16,390	–
30	Anthony	15,565	▲ 1
31	Terry	15,066	▼ 3
32	Brian	14,667	▲ 8
33	Bruce	14,660	▼ 1
34	Scott	13,214	▲ 4
35	Jerry	12,620	▼ 2
36	Keith	11,480	▲ 3
37	Peter	11,335	▼ 2
38	Frank	11,150	▼ 4
39	Raymond	11,108	▼ 3
40	Patrick	10,326	▲ 1
41	Roger	10,151	▼ 4
42	Lawrence	8,898	–
43	Ricky	8,781	▲ 3
44	Alan	8,735	▼ 1
45	Wayne	8,717	▼ 1
46	Danny	8,564	▼ 1
47	Christopher	8,385	▲ 2
48	Carl	8,314	▼ 1
49	Gerald	7,991	▼ 1
50	Dale	7,720	▲ 2
51	Craig	7,422	▼ 1
52	Russell	7,402	▲ 5
53	Walter	7,020	▼ 2
54	Randall	6,914	▼ 1
55	Johnny	6,637	–
56	Andrew	6,602	▲ 10
57	Jeffery	6,571	▲ 16
58	Willie	6,528	▼ 4
59	Steve	6,474	▲ 13
60	Arthur	6,288	▼ 4
61	Glenn	6,196	▼ 2
62	Roy	6,133	▼ 4
63	Joe	6,126	▲ 5
64	Philip	6,105	▼ 2
65	Rodney	6,075	–
66	Jack	6,051	▼ 6
67	Ralph	6,041	–
68	Billy	6,013	▲ 1
69	Barry	5,987	▲ 1
70	Stanley	5,985	▼ 6
71	Henry	5,971	▼ 10
72	Harold	5,956	▼ 9
73	Martin	5,682	▲ 4
74	Samuel	5,584	▼ 3
75	Ronnie	5,492	▲ 5
76	Phillip	5,416	▼ 2
77	Bobby	5,358	▼ 2
78	Jimmy	5,346	–
79	Eric	5,253	▲ 6
80	Curtis	5,157	▼ 1
81	Albert	5,151	▼ 5
82	Louis	4,911	–
83	Micheal	4,732	▲ 4
84	Howard	4,706	▼ 1
85	Tony	4,669	▲ 8
86	Eugene	4,619	▼ 5
87	Allen	4,611	▼ 3
88	Darrell	4,468	▲ 3
89	Leonard	4,371	▼ 1
90	Matthew	4,365	▲ 15
91	Frederick	4,305	▼ 5
92	Jay	4,119	▲ 11
93	Eddie	3,994	▼ 1
94	Ernest	3,953	▼ 4
95	Harry	3,925	▼ 6
96	Victor	3,907	▲ 5
97	Mike	3,901	▲ 26
98	Vincent	3,756	▲ 1
99	Dean	3,712	▲ 12
100	Rick	3,656	▲ 10

Top 100 girl names, 1956
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	61,743	–
2	Debra	48,324	▲ 2
3	Linda	48,085	–
4	Deborah	47,837	▼ 2
5	Susan	46,562	–
6	Patricia	43,330	–
7	Karen	40,052	▲ 1
8	Cynthia	32,339	▲ 3
9	Barbara	32,302	▼ 2
10	Donna	29,852	–
11	Nancy	28,784	▼ 2
12	Pamela	26,927	–
13	Sharon	26,881	▲ 3
14	Sandra	24,302	▼ 1
15	Diane	22,518	▼ 1
16	Carol	21,407	▼ 1
17	Kathleen	21,377	–
18	Cheryl	21,279	▲ 1
19	Brenda	19,343	▼ 1
20	Kathy	17,177	▲ 2
21	Janet	16,758	▼ 1
22	Elizabeth	16,353	▼ 1
23	Denise	14,509	–
24	Teresa	14,464	▲ 2
25	Margaret	13,914	▼ 1
26	Janice	13,017	▼ 1
27	Rebecca	12,170	–
28	Catherine	12,057	–
29	Robin	11,621	▲ 4
30	Joyce	11,091	▼ 1
31	Lisa	11,012	▲ 17
32	Theresa	10,841	▲ 6
33	Carolyn	10,634	▼ 3
34	Laura	10,570	▲ 7
35	Judy	10,197	▼ 3
36	Cathy	10,132	▲ 8
37	Cindy	9,979	▲ 42
38	Kim	9,896	▲ 37
39	Debbie	9,862	▲ 24
40	Beverly	9,450	▼ 6
41	Shirley	9,429	▼ 4
42	Christine	9,371	▼ 2
43	Connie	9,361	▼ 8
44	Betty	9,218	▼ 8
45	Judith	9,115	▼ 14
46	Ann	8,990	▼ 3
47	Paula	8,925	▼ 8
48	Julie	8,573	▲ 19
49	Gail	8,435	▼ 7
50	Jane	8,241	–
51	Bonnie	8,132	▼ 6
52	Joan	8,080	▼ 6
53	Gloria	7,929	▼ 6
54	Sherry	7,898	▲ 2
55	Sheila	7,872	▲ 2
56	Diana	7,851	▼ 1
57	Vicki	7,767	▼ 5
58	Lynn	7,736	▲ 4
59	Martha	7,709	▼ 6
60	Kathryn	7,594	▼ 1
61	Wanda	7,547	–
62	Rhonda	7,521	▲ 9
63	Peggy	7,493	▼ 12
64	Rose	7,337	▼ 10
65	Jean	7,174	▼ 5
66	Lori	7,145	▲ 23
67	Katherine	7,081	▼ 2
68	Vickie	6,956	–
69	Jo	6,954	▼ 11
70	Marilyn	6,926	▼ 21
71	Darlene	6,919	▲ 5
72	Dorothy	6,858	▼ 8
73	Maria	6,731	▼ 4
74	Kimberly	6,730	▲ 37
75	Virginia	6,392	▼ 9
76	Laurie	6,206	▲ 15
77	Ruth	6,075	▼ 7
78	Jacqueline	6,062	▼ 5
79	Rita	6,055	▼ 7
80	Valerie	5,910	–
81	Terri	5,744	▲ 4
82	Phyllis	5,642	▼ 8
83	Anita	5,505	▲ 11
84	Ellen	5,432	▼ 3
85	Victoria	5,388	▼ 3
86	Anne	5,356	▼ 2
87	Tina	5,330	▲ 45
88	Michelle	5,327	▲ 9
89	Elaine	5,310	▼ 12
90	Helen	5,279	▼ 12
91	Terry	5,272	▼ 8
92	Dawn	5,127	▲ 11
93	Angela	5,033	▲ 16
94	Suzanne	5,024	▼ 8
95	Wendy	4,861	▼ 5
96	Marie	4,794	▼ 4
97	Jennifer	4,710	▲ 7
98	Alice	4,681	▼ 11
99	Joanne	4,671	▼ 11
100	Michele	4,617	▼ 7

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1956. 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.