Most popular baby names of 1962

In 1962, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (85,056 babies, 4.1% of boys) and Lisa for girls (46,074 babies, 2.3% of girls). The rest of the top five were David, John, James and Robert for boys and Mary, Susan, Karen and Linda for girls. SSA recorded 4,629 different boy names and 7,585 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1962
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	85,056	–
2	David	81,335	–
3	John	78,420	–
4	James	72,561	–
5	Robert	70,201	–
6	Mark	53,527	–
7	William	44,859	–
8	Richard	39,418	–
9	Thomas	36,525	–
10	Jeffrey	33,536	▲ 1
11	Scott	30,699	▲ 8
12	Steven	30,686	▼ 2
13	Joseph	30,089	▼ 1
14	Kevin	28,331	–
15	Charles	27,588	▼ 2
16	Timothy	27,107	▼ 1
17	Daniel	25,542	–
18	Kenneth	25,240	▼ 2
19	Paul	23,806	▼ 1
20	Brian	23,227	–
21	Gregory	21,971	▲ 2
22	Gary	20,888	▼ 1
23	Donald	20,422	▼ 1
24	Anthony	20,108	▲ 1
25	Ronald	19,964	▼ 1
26	Christopher	17,535	–
27	Douglas	15,926	▲ 1
28	Stephen	15,615	▼ 1
29	Edward	15,515	–
30	Todd	12,751	▲ 16
31	Larry	12,710	▼ 1
32	George	12,541	▼ 1
33	Eric	12,343	▲ 5
34	Terry	12,304	▼ 2
35	Randy	11,842	▼ 2
36	Keith	11,625	▼ 1
37	Dennis	10,633	▼ 3
38	Jerry	10,576	▼ 1
39	Mike	10,525	▼ 3
40	Patrick	10,498	▼ 1
41	Bruce	10,038	▼ 1
42	Frank	9,760	▼ 1
43	Peter	9,587	▼ 1
44	Jeff	9,424	▲ 5
45	Jeffery	9,281	▲ 5
46	Steve	9,152	▼ 1
47	Roger	9,077	–
48	Raymond	9,068	–
49	Andrew	8,696	▲ 3
50	Ricky	8,692	▼ 6
51	Craig	8,548	▼ 8
52	Tony	8,199	▲ 1
53	Alan	7,720	▼ 2
54	Danny	7,646	–
55	Glenn	7,358	▲ 9
56	Matthew	7,282	▲ 3
57	Russell	7,044	▼ 2
58	Carl	6,851	▼ 2
59	Chris	6,792	▼ 2
60	Joe	6,792	–
61	Barry	6,584	▲ 5
62	Dale	6,367	▼ 4
63	Wayne	6,322	▼ 2
64	Randall	6,235	▼ 1
65	Gerald	6,233	▼ 3
66	Vincent	6,161	▲ 32
67	Troy	6,047	▲ 33
68	Phillip	5,880	▲ 1
69	Johnny	5,778	▲ 1
70	Lawrence	5,620	▼ 3
71	Tim	5,586	▼ 6
72	Billy	5,585	▼ 4
73	Curtis	5,570	▲ 2
74	Martin	5,541	▼ 1
75	Jimmy	5,519	▼ 4
76	Rodney	5,434	▼ 4
77	Greg	5,367	–
78	Bobby	5,323	▼ 2
79	Walter	5,280	▼ 5
80	Jay	5,158	▲ 1
81	Philip	5,070	▼ 2
82	Bryan	4,991	–
83	Darryl	4,968	▼ 3
84	Jon	4,782	▲ 9
85	Jim	4,712	▼ 7
86	Dean	4,656	▼ 2
87	Bradley	4,636	–
88	Samuel	4,552	▲ 1
89	Willie	4,544	▼ 3
90	Roy	4,477	▼ 7
91	Arthur	4,443	▼ 6
92	Henry	4,347	▼ 1
93	Allen	4,270	▲ 3
94	Jonathan	4,255	▲ 18
95	Harold	4,235	▼ 1
96	Victor	4,209	▲ 3
97	Ralph	4,180	▼ 2
98	Tom	4,172	▼ 10
99	Jack	4,170	▼ 9
100	Ronnie	4,115	▼ 8

Top 100 girl names, 1962
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Lisa	46,074	▲ 1
2	Mary	43,498	▼ 1
3	Susan	35,750	–
4	Karen	35,188	▲ 1
5	Linda	31,463	▼ 1
6	Patricia	26,532	–
7	Donna	25,722	–
8	Cynthia	24,024	–
9	Deborah	22,894	▲ 1
10	Sandra	22,418	▼ 1
11	Lori	22,395	▲ 3
12	Brenda	21,275	▼ 1
13	Pamela	21,271	▲ 2
14	Barbara	20,641	▼ 2
15	Debra	20,593	▼ 2
16	Kimberly	20,362	▲ 6
17	Sharon	19,629	–
18	Teresa	18,519	–
19	Nancy	18,024	▼ 3
20	Elizabeth	17,804	▼ 1
21	Laura	17,490	–
22	Julie	17,089	▲ 1
23	Tammy	16,746	▲ 5
24	Cheryl	16,588	▼ 4
25	Robin	15,129	▲ 2
26	Diane	14,819	–
27	Kathy	14,757	▼ 2
28	Carol	14,523	▼ 4
29	Kathleen	14,190	–
30	Denise	13,975	–
31	Michelle	13,353	▲ 3
32	Debbie	13,094	▼ 1
33	Tina	12,781	▲ 8
34	Cindy	12,300	▼ 1
35	Janet	12,255	▼ 3
36	Angela	11,663	▲ 2
37	Kim	11,658	▼ 1
38	Kelly	11,530	▲ 7
39	Christine	11,197	–
40	Theresa	11,058	▼ 5
41	Jennifer	10,977	▲ 6
42	Laurie	10,674	▲ 1
43	Margaret	10,073	▼ 3
44	Jacqueline	9,836	▼ 7
45	Rhonda	9,802	▲ 1
46	Carolyn	9,693	▼ 4
47	Rebecca	9,403	▼ 3
48	Sherry	9,223	▲ 5
49	Maria	9,090	▲ 8
50	Dawn	8,982	▼ 1
51	Connie	8,881	▼ 1
52	Sheila	8,777	▲ 7
53	Catherine	8,697	▼ 5
54	Terri	8,432	▼ 3
55	Tracy	8,309	▲ 9
56	Ann	8,123	▼ 2
57	Diana	7,841	▼ 1
58	Janice	7,822	▼ 6
59	Michele	7,429	▲ 4
60	Paula	7,193	–
61	Amy	7,185	▲ 8
62	Cathy	7,145	▼ 7
63	Judy	7,060	▼ 5
64	Wendy	6,979	▼ 3
65	Suzanne	6,852	▲ 3
66	Beth	6,419	▼ 1
67	Valerie	6,335	–
68	Melissa	6,308	▲ 27
69	Beverly	6,266	▼ 3
70	Stephanie	6,257	▲ 8
71	Lynn	6,217	–
72	Jill	6,170	▲ 2
73	Jane	6,116	▼ 1
74	Joyce	6,096	▼ 12
75	Annette	6,076	▼ 2
76	Renee	6,013	▲ 3
77	Wanda	6,004	▼ 7
78	Carla	5,821	▼ 1
79	Bonnie	5,810	▼ 4
80	Leslie	5,778	▲ 4
81	Anita	5,522	▲ 10
82	Sherri	5,362	▲ 39
83	Anne	5,273	▲ 7
84	Katherine	5,271	▲ 2
85	Vicki	5,207	▼ 9
86	Judith	5,182	▼ 3
87	Martha	5,158	▼ 6
88	Darlene	5,107	▼ 8
89	Kathryn	5,107	▲ 4
90	Gloria	5,103	▼ 8
91	Penny	5,003	▲ 10
92	Regina	5,003	▲ 6
93	Peggy	4,899	▼ 5
94	Joan	4,880	▼ 5
95	Jean	4,879	▼ 3
96	Shirley	4,870	▼ 11
97	Betty	4,764	▼ 10
98	Sarah	4,547	▲ 15
99	Andrea	4,543	▲ 11
100	Anna	4,430	–

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1962. 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.