Most popular baby names of 1965

In 1965, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (81,002 babies, 4.4% of boys) and Lisa for girls (60,269 babies, 3.4% of girls). The rest of the top five were John, David, James and Robert for boys and Mary, Karen, Kimberly and Susan for girls. SSA recorded 4,425 different boy names and 7,533 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1965
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	81,002	–
2	John	71,499	–
3	David	67,828	–
4	James	67,674	–
5	Robert	63,112	–
6	William	40,111	▲ 1
7	Mark	38,245	▼ 1
8	Richard	36,826	–
9	Thomas	31,606	–
10	Jeffrey	29,577	–
11	Joseph	28,633	–
12	Timothy	28,332	▲ 3
13	Kevin	28,183	–
14	Steven	27,977	▼ 2
15	Scott	25,436	▼ 1
16	Paul	24,921	–
17	Daniel	24,834	▲ 2
18	Christopher	24,639	▲ 5
19	Brian	24,550	▲ 1
20	Charles	23,500	▼ 3
21	Kenneth	22,677	▼ 3
22	Anthony	20,329	▼ 1
23	Gregory	18,205	▼ 1
24	Ronald	17,617	–
25	Eric	16,830	▲ 7
26	Donald	16,033	▼ 1
27	Gary	15,259	▼ 1
28	Stephen	14,649	▲ 1
29	Edward	14,411	▼ 2
30	Todd	13,934	▼ 2
31	Patrick	12,931	▼ 1
32	Douglas	12,788	▼ 1
33	Rodney	11,086	▲ 26
34	George	10,678	▼ 1
35	Keith	10,671	▼ 1
36	Matthew	9,984	▲ 7
37	Andrew	9,674	–
38	Larry	9,405	▼ 2
39	Peter	9,396	–
40	Terry	9,090	▼ 5
41	Jerry	9,014	▼ 1
42	Randy	8,862	▼ 4
43	Frank	8,317	▼ 2
44	Dennis	8,215	▼ 2
45	Raymond	8,050	▼ 1
46	Craig	7,876	▲ 2
47	Jeffery	7,737	▼ 2
48	Tony	6,818	▲ 2
49	Roger	6,432	–
50	Bruce	6,325	▼ 4
51	Mike	6,037	▼ 4
52	Darren	5,938	▲ 75
53	Troy	5,857	▲ 4
54	Carl	5,797	▲ 1
55	Steve	5,685	▼ 4
56	Danny	5,675	–
57	Ricky	5,658	▼ 3
58	Russell	5,645	–
59	Alan	5,613	▼ 6
60	Chris	5,480	▲ 5
61	Vincent	5,428	▲ 3
62	Jeff	5,409	▼ 10
63	Bryan	5,344	▲ 7
64	Gerald	5,252	▼ 4
65	Wayne	5,115	▼ 4
66	Lawrence	4,962	▲ 2
67	Martin	4,934	▼ 4
68	Darryl	4,926	▲ 19
69	Shawn	4,924	▲ 19
70	Phillip	4,891	▼ 3
71	Joe	4,834	▼ 9
72	Bradley	4,787	▲ 5
73	Randall	4,753	▼ 7
74	Jonathan	4,723	▲ 9
75	Curtis	4,687	–
76	Johnny	4,685	▼ 2
77	Billy	4,650	▼ 6
78	Jon	4,599	–
79	Sean	4,596	▲ 39
80	Bobby	4,588	▼ 7
81	Jimmy	4,532	▼ 2
82	Walter	4,484	▼ 2
83	Dale	4,397	▼ 11
84	Samuel	4,394	▲ 2
85	Glenn	4,358	▼ 4
86	Barry	4,325	▼ 17
87	Philip	4,279	▼ 11
88	Dean	4,098	▼ 3
89	Jose	3,965	▲ 5
90	Jay	3,942	▼ 6
91	Darrell	3,890	▲ 5
92	Allen	3,836	▲ 1
93	Willie	3,808	▼ 2
94	Henry	3,802	▼ 2
95	Roy	3,784	▼ 5
96	Arthur	3,777	▼ 7
97	Tim	3,718	▼ 15
98	Victor	3,683	▼ 1
99	Harold	3,539	▼ 1
100	Albert	3,419	–

Top 100 girl names, 1965
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Lisa	60,269	–
2	Mary	34,271	–
3	Karen	32,870	▲ 1
4	Kimberly	28,837	▲ 2
5	Susan	26,322	▼ 2
6	Patricia	23,553	▼ 1
7	Donna	19,700	–
8	Linda	19,343	–
9	Cynthia	19,242	–
10	Angela	18,752	▲ 12
11	Tammy	18,012	▼ 1
12	Pamela	17,468	▼ 1
13	Deborah	17,084	▼ 1
14	Julie	16,988	▲ 3
15	Sandra	16,370	▼ 2
16	Elizabeth	16,323	–
17	Laura	16,218	▼ 3
18	Michelle	16,215	▲ 5
19	Lori	15,700	▼ 4
20	Jennifer	15,206	▲ 11
21	Christine	15,201	▲ 7
22	Sharon	15,130	▼ 2
23	Brenda	15,057	▼ 5
24	Teresa	14,577	▼ 3
25	Barbara	14,023	▼ 6
26	Dawn	13,341	▲ 7
27	Debra	13,098	▼ 3
28	Denise	13,034	▼ 3
29	Tina	12,831	▲ 5
30	Kelly	12,763	▲ 5
31	Cheryl	12,552	▼ 2
32	Nancy	12,257	▼ 6
33	Robin	11,995	▼ 6
34	Kathleen	11,778	▼ 4
35	Amy	11,530	▲ 9
36	Tracy	11,173	▲ 4
37	Rhonda	10,947	▲ 6
38	Melissa	10,564	▲ 15
39	Wendy	10,481	▲ 16
40	Diane	10,364	▼ 8
41	Rebecca	10,210	▲ 5
42	Carol	10,096	▼ 6
43	Kim	10,084	▼ 1
44	Stephanie	9,763	▲ 13
45	Theresa	9,684	▼ 7
46	Maria	9,479	▼ 5
47	Jacqueline	9,411	▼ 10
48	Michele	8,665	▲ 10
49	Paula	7,914	▼ 4
50	Sheila	7,902	▲ 1
51	Jill	7,821	▲ 10
52	Margaret	7,796	▼ 3
53	Cindy	7,778	▼ 6
54	Kathy	7,762	▼ 15
55	Janet	7,654	▼ 7
56	Sherry	7,381	▼ 6
57	Catherine	7,243	▼ 3
58	Carolyn	6,966	▼ 2
59	Ann	6,782	▲ 1
60	Laurie	6,533	▼ 1
61	Connie	6,155	▲ 3
62	Debbie	6,088	▼ 10
63	Andrea	6,081	▲ 14
64	Diana	5,927	▼ 1
65	Suzanne	5,912	▲ 2
66	Beth	5,774	▼ 1
67	Valerie	5,649	▼ 1
68	Renee	5,497	▲ 3
69	Terri	5,375	▼ 7
70	Gina	5,266	▲ 9
71	Annette	5,262	▼ 3
72	Monica	5,113	▲ 18
73	Janice	5,031	▼ 4
74	Christina	4,977	▲ 14
75	Leslie	4,875	▼ 2
76	Carla	4,781	▲ 2
77	Anne	4,725	▼ 1
78	Dana	4,722	▼ 8
79	Katherine	4,706	▲ 3
80	Lynn	4,668	▼ 8
81	Wanda	4,655	–
82	Regina	4,549	▲ 1
83	Darlene	4,358	▼ 3
84	Stacey	4,268	▲ 42
85	Tracey	4,258	▲ 26
86	Judy	4,242	▼ 12
87	Kathryn	4,157	▼ 3
88	Cathy	4,151	▼ 13
89	Bonnie	4,129	–
90	Joyce	4,128	▼ 3
91	Sherri	4,064	▼ 5
92	Sarah	4,061	–
93	Colleen	4,029	▲ 1
94	Anita	4,017	▼ 9
95	Jane	3,927	▼ 2
96	Anna	3,920	▲ 1
97	Penny	3,899	▼ 1
98	Shelly	3,850	▲ 3
99	Martha	3,799	▼ 4
100	Melinda	3,796	▲ 13

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1965. 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.