Most Popular Baby Names of 1947
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Linda and James were the most popular baby names of 1947 in the US: 99,692 girls were named Linda and 94,767 boys were named James, about 1 in 18 girls and 1 in 19 boys born that year. Linda took #1 for girls from Mary, and it was James's 8th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,772,766 girls and 1,829,599 boys born in 1947, with 6,102 different girl names and 4,264 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1946
- Donna joined the girls' top 10; Larry joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Deborah (#119 to #62), Lynda (#109 to #77) and Lynn (#94 to #75).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Gregory (#56 to #33), Craig (#108 to #93) and Jeffrey (#78 to #66).
- 2 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Carole (#72 to #102) and Clifford (#100 to #101).
- 364 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1947
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1946, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1947
| # | Name | Babies | In 1946 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda | 99,692 | #2 |
| 2 | Mary | 71,690 | #1 |
| 3 | Patricia | 51,278 | #3 |
| 4 | Barbara | 48,800 | #4 |
| 5 | Sandra | 34,779 | #6 |
| 6 | Carol | 33,543 | #5 |
| 7 | Nancy | 32,445 | #7 |
| 8 | Susan | 31,952 | #8 |
| 9 | Sharon | 28,533 | #9 |
| 10 | Donna | 23,517 | #13 |
| 11 | Kathleen | 22,095 | #16 |
| 12 | Judith | 21,996 | #10 |
| 13 | Karen | 21,648 | #15 |
| 14 | Judy | 21,037 | #11 |
| 15 | Carolyn | 20,742 | #12 |
| 16 | Margaret | 20,101 | #17 |
| 17 | Betty | 18,966 | #14 |
| 18 | Diane | 17,775 | #19 |
| 19 | Shirley | 17,648 | #18 |
| 20 | Joyce | 15,915 | #20 |
| 21 | Brenda | 15,830 | #24 |
| 22 | Janice | 15,409 | #22 |
| 23 | Janet | 15,236 | #21 |
| 24 | Cheryl | 13,890 | #27 |
| 25 | Elizabeth | 13,440 | #25 |
| 26 | Dorothy | 12,753 | #23 |
| 27 | Gloria | 12,627 | #26 |
| 28 | Pamela | 12,398 | #34 |
| 29 | Marilyn | 11,881 | #29 |
| 30 | Joan | 11,277 | #28 |
| 31 | Beverly | 11,205 | #30 |
| 32 | Martha | 10,651 | #32 |
| 33 | Cynthia | 10,530 | #46 |
| 34 | Virginia | 10,407 | #31 |
| 35 | Bonnie | 10,214 | #33 |
| 36 | Jane | 9,943 | #35 |
| 37 | Phyllis | 9,187 | #41 |
| 38 | Helen | 8,979 | #36 |
| 39 | Frances | 8,943 | #39 |
| 40 | Jean | 8,940 | #37 |
| 41 | Ann | 8,894 | #40 |
| 42 | Peggy | 8,877 | #43 |
| 43 | Connie | 8,645 | #45 |
| 44 | Ruth | 8,482 | #38 |
| 45 | Christine | 8,379 | #50 |
| 46 | Catherine | 7,889 | #48 |
| 47 | Alice | 7,849 | #44 |
| 48 | Diana | 7,622 | #42 |
| 49 | Gail | 7,242 | #49 |
| 50 | Elaine | 7,059 | #47 |
| 51 | Jo | 6,724 | #53 |
| 52 | Rebecca | 6,333 | #68 |
| 53 | Suzanne | 6,231 | #52 |
| 54 | Paula | 6,102 | #69 |
| 55 | Kathryn | 6,091 | #63 |
| 56 | Joanne | 6,062 | #57 |
| 57 | Marie | 6,057 | #54 |
| 58 | Doris | 6,029 | #51 |
| 59 | Jacqueline | 6,011 | #62 |
| 60 | Rita | 5,982 | #56 |
| 61 | Ellen | 5,856 | #58 |
| 62 | Deborah | 5,837 | #119 |
| 63 | Lois | 5,717 | #55 |
| 64 | Kathy | 5,697 | #79 |
| 65 | Rose | 5,654 | #60 |
| 66 | Wanda | 5,649 | #59 |
| 67 | Sherry | 5,579 | #73 |
| 68 | Charlotte | 5,386 | #64 |
| 69 | Sue | 5,306 | #61 |
| 70 | Sally | 5,265 | #67 |
| 71 | Darlene | 5,255 | #71 |
| 72 | Evelyn | 5,243 | #65 |
| 73 | Sheila | 5,095 | #70 |
| 74 | Laura | 5,051 | #75 |
| 75 | Lynn | 4,994 | #94 |
| 76 | Katherine | 4,884 | #78 |
| 77 | Lynda | 4,840 | #109 |
| 78 | Geraldine | 4,811 | #66 |
| 79 | Maria | 4,712 | #88 |
| 80 | Rosemary | 4,542 | #74 |
| 81 | Marcia | 4,472 | #89 |
| 82 | Norma | 4,425 | #77 |
| 83 | Dianne | 4,415 | #76 |
| 84 | Lorraine | 4,414 | #93 |
| 85 | Theresa | 4,390 | #95 |
| 86 | Jeanne | 4,364 | #83 |
| 87 | Patsy | 4,344 | #85 |
| 88 | Marsha | 4,339 | #98 |
| 89 | Joann | 4,276 | #90 |
| 90 | Roberta | 4,261 | #86 |
| 91 | Eileen | 4,251 | #80 |
| 92 | Anna | 4,238 | #87 |
| 93 | Sarah | 4,223 | #92 |
| 94 | Anita | 4,187 | #84 |
| 94 | Anne | 4,187 | #81 |
| 96 | Glenda | 4,156 | #99 |
| 97 | Sylvia | 4,100 | #82 |
| 98 | Maureen | 4,085 | #95 |
| 99 | Louise | 4,050 | #91 |
| 100 | Constance | 3,894 | #100 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1947
| # | Name | Babies | In 1946 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 94,767 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 91,655 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 88,324 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 67,002 | #4 |
| 5 | Richard | 58,532 | #5 |
| 6 | David | 57,810 | #6 |
| 7 | Michael | 50,506 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 44,842 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 40,781 | #9 |
| 10 | Larry | 34,946 | #11 |
| 11 | Ronald | 34,899 | #10 |
| 12 | Gary | 30,029 | #12 |
| 13 | Donald | 28,260 | #13 |
| 14 | Joseph | 27,520 | #14 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 24,586 | #15 |
| 16 | George | 23,916 | #16 |
| 17 | Dennis | 23,686 | #17 |
| 18 | Paul | 22,796 | #18 |
| 19 | Edward | 20,539 | #19 |
| 20 | Jerry | 18,794 | #20 |
| 21 | Stephen | 15,328 | #24 |
| 22 | Daniel | 15,189 | #21 |
| 23 | Frank | 13,994 | #22 |
| 24 | Steven | 13,528 | #28 |
| 25 | Roger | 12,760 | #23 |
| 26 | Terry | 12,751 | #26 |
| 27 | Raymond | 12,352 | #25 |
| 28 | Gerald | 10,750 | #27 |
| 29 | Bruce | 10,524 | #32 |
| 30 | Wayne | 10,169 | #29 |
| 31 | Douglas | 9,895 | #34 |
| 32 | Lawrence | 9,582 | #31 |
| 33 | Gregory | 9,327 | #56 |
| 34 | Walter | 9,218 | #30 |
| 35 | Harold | 8,904 | #33 |
| 36 | Peter | 8,590 | #38 |
| 37 | Jack | 8,507 | #35 |
| 38 | Arthur | 8,255 | #36 |
| 39 | Danny | 8,069 | #46 |
| 40 | Carl | 8,050 | #39 |
| 41 | Anthony | 8,014 | #44 |
| 42 | Willie | 7,997 | #40 |
| 43 | Joe | 7,904 | #37 |
| 44 | Jimmy | 7,881 | #42 |
| 45 | Alan | 7,823 | #49 |
| 46 | Henry | 7,807 | #41 |
| 47 | Mark | 7,773 | #58 |
| 48 | Roy | 7,560 | #43 |
| 49 | Johnny | 7,441 | #47 |
| 50 | Ralph | 7,389 | #48 |
| 51 | Billy | 6,933 | #45 |
| 52 | Timothy | 6,747 | #60 |
| 53 | Patrick | 6,622 | #59 |
| 54 | Harry | 6,515 | #50 |
| 55 | Albert | 6,462 | #52 |
| 56 | Fred | 6,392 | #51 |
| 57 | Philip | 6,235 | #61 |
| 58 | Steve | 6,231 | #69 |
| 59 | Eugene | 6,178 | #57 |
| 60 | Bobby | 6,116 | #53 |
| 61 | Ronnie | 6,110 | #54 |
| 62 | Howard | 6,061 | #55 |
| 63 | Dale | 5,936 | #62 |
| 64 | Louis | 5,778 | #63 |
| 65 | Mike | 5,750 | #64 |
| 66 | Jeffrey | 5,665 | #78 |
| 67 | Stanley | 5,501 | #65 |
| 68 | Barry | 5,472 | #68 |
| 69 | Russell | 5,270 | #66 |
| 70 | Glenn | 5,157 | #81 |
| 71 | Leonard | 5,155 | #67 |
| 72 | Samuel | 5,110 | #70 |
| 73 | Allen | 5,075 | #74 |
| 74 | Phillip | 4,789 | #83 |
| 75 | Ernest | 4,787 | #71 |
| 76 | Bill | 4,681 | #72 |
| 77 | Jim | 4,640 | #73 |
| 78 | Frederick | 4,637 | #75 |
| 79 | Tommy | 4,594 | #77 |
| 80 | Eddie | 4,457 | #85 |
| 81 | Norman | 4,410 | #76 |
| 82 | Andrew | 4,346 | #84 |
| 83 | Earl | 4,242 | #82 |
| 84 | Francis | 4,208 | #80 |
| 85 | Melvin | 4,169 | #86 |
| 86 | Don | 4,007 | #79 |
| 87 | Tom | 3,922 | #87 |
| 88 | Clarence | 3,921 | #89 |
| 89 | Marvin | 3,773 | #88 |
| 90 | Martin | 3,724 | #92 |
| 91 | Keith | 3,684 | #96 |
| 92 | Lee | 3,676 | #91 |
| 93 | Craig | 3,640 | #108 |
| 94 | Rodney | 3,564 | #93 |
| 95 | Brian | 3,450 | #103 |
| 96 | Alfred | 3,417 | #94 |
| 97 | Ray | 3,379 | #95 |
| 98 | Leroy | 3,347 | #90 |
| 99 | Curtis | 3,037 | #99 |
| 100 | Bernard | 2,994 | #102 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1946, or the year after, 1948, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.