Most popular baby names of 1966

In 1966, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (79,984 babies, 4.5% of boys) and Lisa for girls (56,918 babies, 3.4% of girls). The rest of the top five were David, James, John and Robert for boys and Kimberly, Mary, Michelle and Karen for girls. SSA recorded 4,540 different boy names and 7,624 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1966
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	79,984	–
2	David	66,417	▲ 1
3	James	65,163	▲ 1
4	John	65,015	▼ 2
5	Robert	59,309	–
6	William	38,240	–
7	Mark	34,802	–
8	Richard	34,458	–
9	Jeffrey	30,199	▲ 1
10	Thomas	29,005	▼ 1
11	Timothy	28,927	▲ 1
12	Christopher	27,867	▲ 6
13	Steven	27,699	▲ 1
14	Brian	27,255	▲ 5
15	Joseph	26,983	▼ 4
16	Scott	26,036	▼ 1
17	Kevin	25,594	▼ 4
18	Paul	23,578	▼ 2
19	Daniel	23,270	▼ 2
20	Charles	22,251	–
21	Kenneth	20,834	–
22	Anthony	20,627	–
23	Gregory	17,006	–
24	Ronald	16,954	–
25	Eric	16,472	–
26	Stephen	14,743	▲ 2
27	Donald	14,713	▼ 1
28	Gary	14,156	▼ 1
29	Todd	13,557	▲ 1
30	Edward	13,277	▼ 1
31	Patrick	12,407	–
32	Keith	11,614	▲ 3
33	Douglas	11,403	▼ 1
34	Matthew	10,805	▲ 2
35	Rodney	10,269	▼ 2
36	Andrew	10,234	▲ 1
37	George	9,942	▼ 3
38	Larry	8,707	–
39	Peter	8,583	–
40	Terry	8,454	–
41	Jerry	8,429	–
42	Jeffery	7,899	▲ 5
43	Dennis	7,787	▲ 1
44	Frank	7,787	▼ 1
45	Randy	7,760	▼ 3
46	Craig	7,733	–
47	Raymond	7,379	▼ 2
48	Troy	6,905	▲ 5
49	Tony	6,570	▼ 1
50	Sean	6,490	▲ 29
51	Roger	6,297	▼ 2
52	Bryan	5,891	▲ 11
53	Bruce	5,843	▼ 3
54	Shawn	5,725	▲ 15
55	Chris	5,257	▲ 5
56	Carl	5,227	▼ 2
57	Alan	4,943	▲ 2
58	Vincent	4,942	▲ 3
59	Wayne	4,888	▲ 6
60	Gerald	4,863	▲ 4
61	Russell	4,858	▼ 3
62	Danny	4,721	▼ 6
63	Darren	4,720	▼ 11
64	Ricky	4,681	▼ 7
65	Jonathan	4,663	▲ 9
66	Lawrence	4,643	–
67	Steve	4,617	▼ 12
68	Bradley	4,555	▲ 4
69	Mike	4,526	▼ 18
70	Randall	4,448	▲ 3
71	Phillip	4,403	▼ 1
72	Jeff	4,387	▼ 10
73	Johnny	4,364	▲ 3
74	Joe	4,333	▼ 3
75	Curtis	4,242	–
76	Jon	4,240	▲ 2
77	Jimmy	4,237	▲ 4
78	Martin	4,210	▼ 11
79	Jose	4,193	▲ 10
80	Billy	4,183	▼ 3
81	Samuel	4,158	▲ 3
82	Bobby	4,067	▼ 2
83	Walter	4,056	▼ 1
84	Dean	4,040	▲ 4
85	Dale	3,985	▼ 2
86	Philip	3,954	▲ 1
87	Barry	3,917	▼ 1
88	Darryl	3,817	▼ 20
89	Jason	3,768	▲ 22
90	Glenn	3,667	▼ 5
91	Jay	3,598	▼ 1
92	Henry	3,574	▲ 2
93	Willie	3,544	–
94	Roy	3,523	▲ 1
95	Darrell	3,496	▼ 4
96	Arthur	3,483	–
97	Allen	3,420	▼ 5
98	Tracy	3,379	▲ 12
99	Harold	3,322	–
100	Albert	3,297	–

Top 100 girl names, 1966
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Lisa	56,918	–
2	Kimberly	32,231	▲ 2
3	Mary	28,889	▼ 1
4	Michelle	27,159	▲ 14
5	Karen	25,449	▼ 2
6	Susan	23,775	▼ 1
7	Patricia	20,111	▼ 1
8	Tammy	18,620	▲ 3
9	Angela	18,535	▲ 1
10	Jennifer	18,215	▲ 10
11	Cynthia	17,417	▼ 2
12	Donna	17,037	▼ 5
13	Julie	16,332	▲ 1
14	Pamela	16,250	▼ 2
15	Deborah	16,248	▼ 2
16	Elizabeth	15,886	–
17	Sandra	15,852	▼ 2
18	Linda	15,564	▼ 10
19	Laura	15,553	▼ 2
20	Christine	15,547	▲ 1
21	Lori	14,671	▼ 2
22	Melissa	14,253	▲ 16
23	Tina	13,892	▲ 6
24	Dawn	13,603	▲ 2
25	Brenda	13,295	▼ 2
26	Kelly	13,242	▲ 4
27	Barbara	13,123	▼ 2
28	Sharon	13,061	▼ 6
29	Teresa	13,024	▼ 5
30	Amy	12,998	▲ 5
31	Tracy	12,504	▲ 5
32	Denise	11,795	▼ 4
33	Nancy	11,730	▼ 1
34	Cheryl	11,713	▼ 3
35	Debra	11,262	▼ 8
36	Michele	10,686	▲ 12
37	Kathleen	10,492	▼ 3
38	Stephanie	10,161	▲ 6
39	Rhonda	9,805	▼ 2
40	Rebecca	9,777	▲ 1
41	Wendy	9,515	▼ 2
42	Robin	9,440	▼ 9
43	Kim	9,194	–
44	Maria	9,130	▲ 2
45	Diane	8,750	▼ 5
46	Theresa	8,700	▼ 1
47	Jacqueline	8,359	–
48	Carol	8,259	▼ 6
49	Jill	7,870	▲ 2
50	Paula	7,857	▼ 1
51	Sheila	7,208	▼ 1
52	Andrea	7,145	▲ 11
53	Sherry	6,983	▲ 3
54	Catherine	6,961	▲ 3
55	Margaret	6,961	▼ 3
56	Cindy	6,793	▼ 3
57	Janet	6,434	▼ 2
58	Gina	6,355	▲ 12
59	Kathy	6,319	▼ 5
60	Carolyn	6,120	▼ 2
61	Ann	5,992	▼ 2
62	Suzanne	5,684	▲ 3
63	Laurie	5,667	▼ 3
64	Diana	5,505	–
65	Beth	5,444	▲ 1
66	Renee	5,354	▲ 2
67	Christina	5,341	▲ 7
68	Dana	5,278	▲ 10
69	Tracey	5,127	▲ 16
70	Connie	5,102	▼ 9
71	Leslie	4,999	▲ 4
72	Terri	4,920	▼ 3
73	Debbie	4,845	▼ 11
74	Valerie	4,815	▼ 7
75	Monica	4,722	▼ 3
76	Stacey	4,586	▲ 8
77	Carla	4,508	▼ 1
78	Katherine	4,492	▲ 1
79	Annette	4,428	▼ 8
80	Janice	4,345	▼ 7
81	Lynn	4,306	▼ 1
82	Regina	4,295	–
83	Anne	4,151	▼ 6
84	Wanda	4,094	▼ 3
85	Sarah	4,035	▲ 7
86	Kathryn	4,008	▲ 1
87	Heidi	3,967	▲ 18
88	Anita	3,872	▲ 6
89	Shelly	3,856	▲ 9
90	Bonnie	3,841	▼ 1
91	Stacy	3,778	▲ 28
92	Sherri	3,747	▼ 1
93	Colleen	3,746	–
94	Darlene	3,728	▼ 11
95	Anna	3,679	▲ 1
96	Tonya	3,629	▲ 33
97	Judy	3,510	▼ 11
98	Tamara	3,481	▲ 6
99	Cathy	3,421	▼ 11
100	Holly	3,399	▲ 13

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1966. 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.