Most popular baby names of 1961

In 1961, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (86,968 babies, 4.1% of boys) and Mary for girls (47,688 babies, 2.4% of girls). The rest of the top five were David, John, James and Robert for boys and Lisa, Susan, Linda and Karen for girls. SSA recorded 4,656 different boy names and 7,530 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1961
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	86,968	▲ 1
2	David	84,805	▼ 1
3	John	79,973	▲ 1
4	James	75,959	▼ 1
5	Robert	72,963	–
6	Mark	57,786	–
7	William	48,035	–
8	Richard	41,140	–
9	Thomas	37,568	–
10	Steven	32,273	–
11	Jeffrey	32,028	▲ 3
12	Joseph	29,454	–
13	Charles	29,196	–
14	Kevin	28,919	▲ 1
15	Timothy	28,246	▼ 4
16	Kenneth	26,101	–
17	Daniel	25,898	–
18	Paul	25,641	–
19	Scott	23,941	▲ 4
20	Brian	22,562	–
21	Gary	22,168	▲ 1
22	Donald	21,409	▼ 3
23	Gregory	21,360	▲ 1
24	Ronald	20,841	▼ 3
25	Anthony	20,204	–
26	Christopher	17,216	▲ 3
27	Stephen	16,061	–
28	Douglas	15,971	▲ 2
29	Edward	15,876	▼ 3
30	Larry	14,581	▼ 2
31	George	13,645	▲ 2
32	Terry	13,190	▲ 2
33	Randy	12,600	▼ 1
34	Dennis	12,498	▼ 3
35	Keith	12,278	–
36	Mike	11,673	–
37	Jerry	11,377	–
38	Eric	11,114	▲ 6
39	Patrick	11,056	▲ 6
40	Bruce	10,704	▼ 1
41	Frank	10,432	▼ 1
42	Peter	10,346	–
43	Craig	10,233	▼ 2
44	Ricky	10,027	▼ 6
45	Steve	9,998	▼ 2
46	Todd	9,753	▲ 25
47	Roger	9,651	–
48	Raymond	9,613	▼ 2
49	Jeff	9,462	–
50	Jeffery	8,924	▲ 5
51	Alan	8,612	▼ 1
52	Andrew	8,483	▼ 1
53	Tony	8,301	▼ 1
54	Danny	8,194	▼ 6
55	Russell	7,335	▲ 1
56	Carl	7,257	▼ 3
57	Chris	7,204	▲ 6
58	Dale	7,192	▼ 4
59	Matthew	7,078	▲ 2
60	Joe	7,058	▼ 3
61	Wayne	6,760	▼ 3
62	Gerald	6,629	–
63	Randall	6,584	▼ 4
64	Glenn	6,269	▲ 10
65	Tim	6,249	▼ 5
66	Barry	6,217	▲ 6
67	Lawrence	6,096	▼ 3
68	Billy	6,024	▼ 1
69	Phillip	5,977	▼ 3
70	Johnny	5,904	▼ 5
71	Jimmy	5,748	▼ 2
72	Rodney	5,660	▼ 4
73	Martin	5,471	▲ 4
74	Walter	5,467	▼ 4
75	Curtis	5,445	▲ 4
76	Bobby	5,403	▼ 3
77	Greg	5,398	▲ 6
78	Jim	5,351	▼ 3
79	Philip	5,287	▼ 3
80	Darryl	5,133	▲ 16
81	Jay	5,120	▼ 3
82	Bryan	5,028	▲ 6
83	Roy	4,965	▼ 3
84	Dean	4,931	▲ 10
85	Arthur	4,813	▼ 3
86	Willie	4,788	▼ 5
87	Bradley	4,742	▲ 3
88	Tom	4,727	▼ 2
89	Samuel	4,666	▲ 2
90	Jack	4,639	▼ 5
91	Henry	4,621	▼ 7
92	Ronnie	4,620	▼ 5
93	Jon	4,608	▲ 4
94	Harold	4,445	▼ 2
95	Ralph	4,440	▼ 6
96	Allen	4,388	▲ 2
97	Albert	4,320	▼ 4
98	Vincent	4,319	▲ 1
99	Victor	4,299	▲ 4
100	Troy	4,260	▲ 62

Top 100 girl names, 1961
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Mary	47,688	–
2	Lisa	42,719	▲ 4
3	Susan	37,530	▼ 1
4	Linda	35,592	▼ 1
5	Karen	34,697	▼ 1
6	Patricia	28,889	▲ 1
7	Donna	28,674	▼ 2
8	Cynthia	24,389	▲ 1
9	Sandra	24,154	▲ 2
10	Deborah	24,105	–
11	Brenda	23,781	▲ 2
12	Barbara	22,998	–
13	Debra	22,161	▼ 5
14	Lori	21,875	▲ 6
15	Pamela	21,690	▼ 1
16	Nancy	20,728	▼ 1
17	Sharon	20,458	▼ 1
18	Teresa	18,909	▲ 1
19	Elizabeth	18,855	▼ 1
20	Cheryl	18,299	▼ 3
21	Laura	17,900	▲ 4
22	Kimberly	17,356	▲ 4
23	Julie	17,041	▲ 5
24	Carol	16,668	▼ 1
25	Kathy	16,384	▼ 4
26	Diane	16,204	▼ 4
27	Robin	15,651	▲ 6
28	Tammy	15,529	▲ 3
29	Kathleen	15,393	▼ 2
30	Denise	15,381	▼ 1
31	Debbie	14,883	▼ 7
32	Janet	13,932	–
33	Cindy	13,387	▼ 3
34	Michelle	12,743	▲ 5
35	Theresa	11,959	–
36	Kim	11,368	▼ 2
37	Jacqueline	10,981	▲ 48
38	Angela	10,841	▲ 12
39	Christine	10,596	▲ 1
40	Margaret	10,560	▼ 4
41	Tina	10,521	▲ 5
42	Carolyn	10,509	▲ 1
43	Laurie	10,433	▼ 6
44	Rebecca	10,237	▼ 6
45	Kelly	9,641	▲ 7
46	Rhonda	9,468	▼ 2
47	Jennifer	9,266	▲ 14
48	Catherine	9,250	▼ 6
49	Dawn	9,150	▲ 8
50	Connie	8,987	▼ 3
51	Terri	8,730	▼ 2
52	Janice	8,724	▼ 11
53	Sherry	8,359	▲ 1
54	Ann	8,218	▼ 3
55	Cathy	8,208	▼ 10
56	Diana	8,198	▼ 3
57	Maria	7,947	▲ 2
58	Judy	7,918	▼ 10
59	Sheila	7,800	▼ 3
60	Paula	7,746	▼ 5
61	Wendy	7,152	▲ 2
62	Joyce	6,996	▼ 4
63	Michele	6,992	▲ 26
64	Tracy	6,988	▲ 20
65	Beth	6,716	▲ 7
66	Beverly	6,708	▼ 6
67	Valerie	6,675	▼ 2
68	Suzanne	6,611	▲ 10
69	Amy	6,610	▲ 8
70	Wanda	6,465	▼ 4
71	Lynn	6,440	▼ 7
72	Jane	6,362	▼ 5
73	Annette	6,202	▼ 11
74	Jill	6,137	▲ 2
75	Bonnie	6,032	▼ 4
76	Vicki	5,966	▼ 3
77	Carla	5,817	▲ 33
78	Stephanie	5,815	▲ 13
79	Renee	5,782	▲ 14
80	Darlene	5,729	▼ 5
81	Martha	5,724	▲ 2
82	Gloria	5,691	▼ 3
83	Judith	5,689	▼ 9
84	Leslie	5,669	▲ 8
85	Shirley	5,638	▼ 15
86	Katherine	5,632	▼ 5
87	Betty	5,583	▼ 19
88	Peggy	5,568	▼ 19
89	Joan	5,551	▼ 9
90	Anne	5,521	▼ 2
91	Anita	5,503	▼ 4
92	Jean	5,366	▼ 6
93	Kathryn	5,227	▼ 11
94	Gail	4,972	▼ 4
95	Melissa	4,901	▲ 14
96	Ruth	4,896	▲ 1
97	Ellen	4,844	▼ 3
98	Regina	4,761	▲ 7
99	Dorothy	4,731	▼ 4
100	Anna	4,677	▲ 4

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1961. 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.