Most Popular Baby Names of 1948
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Linda and James were the most popular baby names of 1948 in the US: 96,220 girls were named Linda and 88,605 boys were named James, about 1 in 18 girls and 1 in 20 boys born that year. It was Linda's 2nd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1947), and it was James's 9th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,697,908 girls and 1,754,618 boys born in 1948, with 6,038 different girl names and 4,197 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1947
- Kathleen joined the girls' top 10; Ronald joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Teresa (#121 to #82), Deborah (#62 to #30) and Theresa (#85 to #62).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Mark (#47 to #29), Randy (#116 to #99) and Timothy (#52 to #38).
- 3 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Roberta (#90 to #101) and Curtis (#99 to #101).
- 302 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1948
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1947, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1948
| # | Name | Babies | In 1947 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda | 96,220 | #1 |
| 2 | Mary | 68,597 | #2 |
| 3 | Barbara | 46,826 | #4 |
| 4 | Patricia | 46,140 | #3 |
| 5 | Susan | 35,988 | #8 |
| 6 | Sandra | 31,063 | #5 |
| 7 | Nancy | 29,411 | #7 |
| 8 | Carol | 28,977 | #6 |
| 9 | Sharon | 26,143 | #9 |
| 10 | Kathleen | 23,257 | #11 |
| 11 | Donna | 22,033 | #10 |
| 12 | Karen | 21,996 | #13 |
| 13 | Margaret | 18,873 | #16 |
| 14 | Carolyn | 18,623 | #15 |
| 15 | Judith | 17,787 | #12 |
| 16 | Judy | 17,706 | #14 |
| 17 | Brenda | 17,700 | #21 |
| 18 | Betty | 16,625 | #17 |
| 19 | Diane | 16,607 | #18 |
| 20 | Shirley | 16,121 | #19 |
| 21 | Joyce | 14,380 | #20 |
| 22 | Pamela | 14,281 | #28 |
| 23 | Janice | 14,162 | #22 |
| 24 | Janet | 13,977 | #23 |
| 25 | Cheryl | 13,220 | #24 |
| 26 | Elizabeth | 13,215 | #25 |
| 27 | Cynthia | 12,240 | #33 |
| 28 | Gloria | 11,690 | #27 |
| 29 | Dorothy | 11,324 | #26 |
| 30 | Deborah | 11,244 | #62 |
| 31 | Beverly | 10,795 | #31 |
| 32 | Martha | 10,011 | #32 |
| 33 | Marilyn | 9,937 | #29 |
| 34 | Bonnie | 9,817 | #35 |
| 35 | Christine | 9,677 | #45 |
| 36 | Virginia | 9,296 | #34 |
| 37 | Joan | 9,275 | #30 |
| 38 | Peggy | 9,089 | #42 |
| 39 | Jane | 8,781 | #36 |
| 40 | Helen | 8,301 | #38 |
| 41 | Catherine | 8,244 | #46 |
| 42 | Frances | 8,179 | #39 |
| 43 | Connie | 8,055 | #43 |
| 44 | Ann | 8,025 | #41 |
| 45 | Ruth | 7,903 | #44 |
| 46 | Phyllis | 7,876 | #37 |
| 47 | Jean | 7,774 | #40 |
| 48 | Diana | 7,706 | #48 |
| 49 | Alice | 6,981 | #47 |
| 50 | Rebecca | 6,795 | #52 |
| 51 | Gail | 6,603 | #49 |
| 52 | Paula | 6,600 | #54 |
| 53 | Elaine | 6,403 | #50 |
| 54 | Kathryn | 6,177 | #55 |
| 55 | Kathy | 6,148 | #64 |
| 56 | Jo | 5,986 | #51 |
| 57 | Wanda | 5,918 | #66 |
| 58 | Jacqueline | 5,838 | #59 |
| 59 | Rita | 5,835 | #60 |
| 60 | Marie | 5,786 | #57 |
| 61 | Sherry | 5,717 | #67 |
| 62 | Rose | 5,556 | #65 |
| 62 | Theresa | 5,556 | #85 |
| 64 | Doris | 5,548 | #58 |
| 65 | Joanne | 5,499 | #56 |
| 66 | Suzanne | 5,448 | #53 |
| 67 | Ellen | 5,289 | #61 |
| 68 | Katherine | 5,169 | #76 |
| 69 | Charlotte | 5,164 | #68 |
| 70 | Lois | 5,077 | #63 |
| 71 | Sheila | 5,022 | #73 |
| 72 | Sally | 5,012 | #70 |
| 73 | Laura | 4,901 | #74 |
| 74 | Evelyn | 4,840 | #72 |
| 75 | Maria | 4,817 | #79 |
| 76 | Marsha | 4,725 | #88 |
| 77 | Darlene | 4,692 | #71 |
| 78 | Sue | 4,675 | #69 |
| 79 | Marcia | 4,640 | #81 |
| 80 | Lynn | 4,609 | #75 |
| 81 | Vicki | 4,365 | #101 |
| 82 | Teresa | 4,217 | #121 |
| 83 | Geraldine | 4,208 | #78 |
| 84 | Lynda | 4,167 | #77 |
| 85 | Sarah | 4,159 | #93 |
| 86 | Dianne | 4,138 | #83 |
| 87 | Anne | 4,122 | #94 |
| 88 | Maureen | 4,077 | #98 |
| 89 | Anna | 4,037 | #92 |
| 90 | Rosemary | 3,870 | #80 |
| 91 | Eileen | 3,838 | #91 |
| 92 | Glenda | 3,831 | #96 |
| 93 | Constance | 3,811 | #100 |
| 94 | Joann | 3,799 | #89 |
| 95 | Jeanne | 3,789 | #86 |
| 96 | Lorraine | 3,745 | #84 |
| 97 | Annie | 3,721 | #103 |
| 98 | Patsy | 3,714 | #87 |
| 99 | Louise | 3,685 | #99 |
| 100 | Sylvia | 3,671 | #97 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1948
| # | Name | Babies | In 1947 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 88,605 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 85,478 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 82,834 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 61,972 | #4 |
| 5 | David | 56,627 | #6 |
| 6 | Michael | 52,566 | #7 |
| 7 | Richard | 50,970 | #5 |
| 8 | Thomas | 43,780 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 38,676 | #9 |
| 10 | Ronald | 33,527 | #11 |
| 11 | Larry | 33,436 | #10 |
| 12 | Gary | 28,397 | #12 |
| 13 | Joseph | 26,801 | #14 |
| 14 | Donald | 26,442 | #13 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 23,550 | #15 |
| 16 | George | 21,926 | #16 |
| 17 | Dennis | 21,765 | #17 |
| 18 | Paul | 21,252 | #18 |
| 19 | Edward | 18,983 | #19 |
| 20 | Stephen | 17,061 | #21 |
| 21 | Jerry | 16,809 | #20 |
| 22 | Daniel | 16,510 | #22 |
| 23 | Steven | 15,979 | #24 |
| 24 | Roger | 12,818 | #25 |
| 25 | Frank | 12,698 | #23 |
| 26 | Terry | 12,136 | #26 |
| 27 | Raymond | 11,612 | #27 |
| 28 | Bruce | 11,065 | #29 |
| 29 | Mark | 10,267 | #47 |
| 30 | Gerald | 9,842 | #28 |
| 31 | Lawrence | 9,768 | #32 |
| 32 | Gregory | 9,724 | #33 |
| 33 | Douglas | 9,468 | #31 |
| 34 | Wayne | 8,682 | #30 |
| 35 | Walter | 8,627 | #34 |
| 36 | Harold | 8,144 | #35 |
| 37 | Peter | 8,048 | #36 |
| 38 | Timothy | 8,043 | #52 |
| 39 | Danny | 8,009 | #39 |
| 40 | Willie | 7,971 | #42 |
| 41 | Anthony | 7,878 | #41 |
| 42 | Carl | 7,829 | #40 |
| 43 | Jack | 7,612 | #37 |
| 44 | Arthur | 7,576 | #38 |
| 45 | Henry | 7,421 | #46 |
| 46 | Alan | 7,394 | #45 |
| 47 | Joe | 7,288 | #43 |
| 48 | Patrick | 7,192 | #53 |
| 49 | Roy | 7,067 | #48 |
| 50 | Jimmy | 6,927 | #44 |
| 51 | Ralph | 6,915 | #50 |
| 52 | Johnny | 6,862 | #49 |
| 53 | Billy | 6,220 | #51 |
| 54 | Philip | 6,162 | #57 |
| 55 | Albert | 6,156 | #55 |
| 56 | Dale | 6,091 | #63 |
| 57 | Harry | 5,945 | #54 |
| 58 | Jeffrey | 5,929 | #66 |
| 59 | Ronnie | 5,902 | #61 |
| 60 | Steve | 5,742 | #58 |
| 61 | Eugene | 5,608 | #59 |
| 62 | Bobby | 5,581 | #60 |
| 63 | Howard | 5,497 | #62 |
| 64 | Louis | 5,386 | #64 |
| 65 | Stanley | 5,383 | #67 |
| 66 | Fred | 5,376 | #56 |
| 67 | Russell | 5,109 | #69 |
| 68 | Mike | 5,045 | #65 |
| 69 | Phillip | 5,018 | #74 |
| 70 | Samuel | 5,002 | #72 |
| 71 | Leonard | 4,781 | #71 |
| 72 | Allen | 4,755 | #73 |
| 73 | Glenn | 4,740 | #70 |
| 74 | Barry | 4,670 | #68 |
| 75 | Frederick | 4,516 | #78 |
| 76 | Ernest | 4,512 | #75 |
| 77 | Andrew | 4,305 | #82 |
| 78 | Eddie | 4,234 | #80 |
| 79 | Tommy | 4,220 | #79 |
| 80 | Francis | 4,214 | #84 |
| 81 | Melvin | 4,057 | #85 |
| 82 | Craig | 3,985 | #93 |
| 83 | Earl | 3,977 | #83 |
| 84 | Bill | 3,926 | #76 |
| 85 | Norman | 3,894 | #81 |
| 86 | Jim | 3,808 | #77 |
| 87 | Clarence | 3,790 | #88 |
| 88 | Martin | 3,698 | #90 |
| 89 | Keith | 3,660 | #91 |
| 90 | Marvin | 3,625 | #89 |
| 91 | Don | 3,546 | #86 |
| 92 | Rodney | 3,466 | #94 |
| 93 | Lee | 3,445 | #92 |
| 94 | Tom | 3,429 | #87 |
| 95 | Brian | 3,358 | #95 |
| 96 | Alfred | 3,245 | #96 |
| 97 | Leroy | 3,234 | #98 |
| 98 | Randall | 3,179 | #106 |
| 99 | Randy | 3,141 | #116 |
| 100 | Ray | 3,134 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1947, or the year after, 1949, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.