Most Popular Baby Names of 1949
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Linda and James were the most popular baby names of 1949 in the US: 91,015 girls were named Linda and 86,858 boys were named James, about 1 in 19 girls and 1 in 20 boys born that year. It was Linda's 3rd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1947), and it was James's 10th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,710,877 girls and 1,773,939 boys born in 1949, with 6,064 different girl names and 4,203 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1948
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1948; Larry joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Cathy (#104 to #81), Deborah (#30 to #15) and Kathy (#55 to #42).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Kevin (#127 to #95), Scott (#122 to #99) and Christopher (#102 to #81).
- 5 girl names and 5 boy names left the top 100, among them Joann (#94 to #101) and Leroy (#97 to #101).
- 278 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1949
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1948, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1949
| # | Name | Babies | In 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda | 91,015 | #1 |
| 2 | Mary | 66,874 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 46,324 | #4 |
| 4 | Barbara | 42,600 | #3 |
| 5 | Susan | 37,709 | #5 |
| 6 | Sandra | 30,643 | #6 |
| 7 | Nancy | 29,249 | #7 |
| 8 | Carol | 26,780 | #8 |
| 9 | Kathleen | 26,357 | #10 |
| 10 | Sharon | 25,713 | #9 |
| 11 | Karen | 22,468 | #12 |
| 12 | Donna | 22,056 | #11 |
| 13 | Brenda | 20,543 | #17 |
| 14 | Margaret | 19,452 | #13 |
| 15 | Deborah | 19,209 | #30 |
| 16 | Judith | 17,610 | #15 |
| 17 | Carolyn | 17,404 | #14 |
| 18 | Shirley | 17,281 | #20 |
| 19 | Diane | 17,252 | #19 |
| 20 | Judy | 15,979 | #16 |
| 21 | Pamela | 15,132 | #22 |
| 22 | Betty | 14,936 | #18 |
| 23 | Janet | 14,860 | #24 |
| 24 | Janice | 14,453 | #23 |
| 25 | Elizabeth | 13,714 | #26 |
| 26 | Joyce | 13,572 | #21 |
| 27 | Cynthia | 12,901 | #27 |
| 28 | Cheryl | 12,007 | #25 |
| 29 | Gloria | 11,879 | #28 |
| 30 | Christine | 11,797 | #35 |
| 31 | Beverly | 10,552 | #31 |
| 32 | Dorothy | 10,410 | #29 |
| 33 | Marilyn | 9,865 | #33 |
| 34 | Martha | 9,808 | #32 |
| 35 | Bonnie | 9,732 | #34 |
| 36 | Joan | 9,206 | #37 |
| 37 | Catherine | 9,137 | #41 |
| 38 | Peggy | 9,118 | #38 |
| 39 | Virginia | 8,896 | #36 |
| 40 | Rebecca | 8,778 | #50 |
| 41 | Jane | 8,719 | #39 |
| 42 | Kathy | 8,451 | #55 |
| 43 | Connie | 8,219 | #43 |
| 44 | Ann | 7,870 | #44 |
| 45 | Jean | 7,760 | #47 |
| 46 | Helen | 7,707 | #40 |
| 47 | Ruth | 7,651 | #45 |
| 48 | Diana | 7,535 | #48 |
| 49 | Frances | 7,440 | #42 |
| 50 | Phyllis | 7,315 | #46 |
| 51 | Gail | 7,225 | #51 |
| 52 | Kathryn | 7,184 | #54 |
| 53 | Alice | 6,660 | #49 |
| 54 | Rita | 6,653 | #59 |
| 55 | Paula | 6,577 | #52 |
| 56 | Wanda | 6,307 | #57 |
| 57 | Elaine | 6,214 | #53 |
| 58 | Jacqueline | 6,040 | #58 |
| 59 | Katherine | 6,039 | #68 |
| 60 | Jo | 5,802 | #56 |
| 61 | Joanne | 5,746 | #65 |
| 62 | Suzanne | 5,609 | #66 |
| 63 | Theresa | 5,603 | #62 |
| 64 | Ellen | 5,504 | #67 |
| 65 | Laura | 5,384 | #73 |
| 66 | Rose | 5,371 | #62 |
| 67 | Marie | 5,306 | #60 |
| 68 | Sherry | 5,295 | #61 |
| 69 | Doris | 5,284 | #64 |
| 70 | Vicki | 5,193 | #81 |
| 71 | Charlotte | 5,142 | #69 |
| 72 | Maria | 5,123 | #75 |
| 73 | Lois | 4,915 | #70 |
| 74 | Lynn | 4,880 | #80 |
| 75 | Darlene | 4,799 | #77 |
| 76 | Sheila | 4,774 | #71 |
| 77 | Sally | 4,773 | #72 |
| 78 | Marcia | 4,651 | #79 |
| 79 | Marsha | 4,611 | #76 |
| 80 | Evelyn | 4,529 | #74 |
| 81 | Cathy | 4,407 | #104 |
| 82 | Teresa | 4,328 | #82 |
| 83 | Constance | 4,327 | #93 |
| 84 | Sarah | 4,295 | #85 |
| 85 | Dianne | 4,141 | #86 |
| 86 | Anne | 4,052 | #87 |
| 87 | Glenda | 3,975 | #92 |
| 88 | Sue | 3,926 | #78 |
| 89 | Maureen | 3,923 | #88 |
| 90 | Geraldine | 3,919 | #83 |
| 91 | Anna | 3,897 | #89 |
| 92 | Jeanne | 3,865 | #95 |
| 93 | Lynda | 3,830 | #84 |
| 94 | Sylvia | 3,816 | #100 |
| 95 | Eileen | 3,722 | #91 |
| 96 | Victoria | 3,669 | #108 |
| 97 | Roberta | 3,660 | #101 |
| 98 | Rosemary | 3,633 | #90 |
| 99 | Anita | 3,591 | #102 |
| 100 | Charlene | 3,541 | #105 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1949
| # | Name | Babies | In 1948 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 86,858 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 83,873 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 81,178 | #3 |
| 4 | William | 61,506 | #4 |
| 5 | Michael | 60,047 | #6 |
| 6 | David | 59,611 | #5 |
| 7 | Richard | 50,946 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 45,192 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 40,052 | #9 |
| 10 | Larry | 31,819 | #11 |
| 11 | Ronald | 31,502 | #10 |
| 12 | Gary | 28,935 | #12 |
| 13 | Donald | 27,121 | #14 |
| 14 | Joseph | 26,408 | #13 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 23,589 | #15 |
| 16 | Dennis | 21,746 | #17 |
| 17 | Paul | 21,589 | #18 |
| 18 | George | 21,308 | #16 |
| 19 | Stephen | 20,488 | #20 |
| 20 | Steven | 19,923 | #23 |
| 21 | Edward | 19,174 | #19 |
| 22 | Daniel | 18,240 | #22 |
| 23 | Jerry | 15,871 | #21 |
| 24 | Mark | 13,725 | #29 |
| 25 | Roger | 12,821 | #24 |
| 26 | Bruce | 12,265 | #28 |
| 27 | Frank | 11,960 | #25 |
| 28 | Terry | 11,457 | #26 |
| 29 | Douglas | 11,322 | #33 |
| 30 | Raymond | 11,305 | #27 |
| 31 | Gregory | 10,979 | #32 |
| 32 | Lawrence | 10,253 | #31 |
| 33 | Gerald | 9,808 | #30 |
| 34 | Timothy | 9,346 | #38 |
| 35 | Wayne | 8,927 | #34 |
| 36 | Anthony | 8,452 | #41 |
| 37 | Walter | 8,297 | #35 |
| 38 | Peter | 8,266 | #37 |
| 39 | Patrick | 8,075 | #48 |
| 40 | Danny | 8,023 | #39 |
| 41 | Willie | 7,916 | #40 |
| 42 | Harold | 7,817 | #36 |
| 43 | Carl | 7,689 | #42 |
| 44 | Arthur | 7,482 | #44 |
| 45 | Alan | 7,255 | #46 |
| 46 | Henry | 7,183 | #45 |
| 47 | Jack | 7,128 | #43 |
| 48 | Jeffrey | 6,987 | #58 |
| 49 | Johnny | 6,968 | #52 |
| 50 | Ralph | 6,748 | #51 |
| 51 | Roy | 6,622 | #49 |
| 52 | Joe | 6,535 | #47 |
| 53 | Jimmy | 6,417 | #50 |
| 54 | Dale | 6,229 | #56 |
| 55 | Philip | 6,224 | #54 |
| 56 | Albert | 6,064 | #55 |
| 57 | Billy | 5,821 | #53 |
| 58 | Eugene | 5,595 | #61 |
| 59 | Harry | 5,544 | #57 |
| 60 | Stanley | 5,527 | #65 |
| 61 | Glenn | 5,415 | #73 |
| 62 | Samuel | 5,356 | #70 |
| 63 | Howard | 5,284 | #63 |
| 64 | Louis | 5,235 | #64 |
| 64 | Ronnie | 5,235 | #59 |
| 66 | Phillip | 5,201 | #69 |
| 67 | Bobby | 5,120 | #62 |
| 68 | Steve | 5,027 | #60 |
| 69 | Russell | 5,007 | #67 |
| 70 | Frederick | 4,748 | #75 |
| 71 | Allen | 4,735 | #72 |
| 72 | Fred | 4,731 | #66 |
| 73 | Barry | 4,607 | #74 |
| 74 | Leonard | 4,551 | #71 |
| 75 | Andrew | 4,513 | #77 |
| 76 | Ernest | 4,346 | #76 |
| 77 | Craig | 4,328 | #82 |
| 78 | Francis | 4,281 | #80 |
| 79 | Randall | 4,161 | #98 |
| 80 | Eddie | 4,106 | #78 |
| 81 | Christopher | 4,000 | #102 |
| 82 | Melvin | 3,972 | #81 |
| 83 | Martin | 3,903 | #88 |
| 84 | Tommy | 3,886 | #79 |
| 85 | Keith | 3,878 | #89 |
| 86 | Brian | 3,854 | #95 |
| 87 | Rodney | 3,826 | #92 |
| 88 | Mike | 3,742 | #68 |
| 89 | Marvin | 3,725 | #90 |
| 90 | Norman | 3,668 | #85 |
| 91 | Earl | 3,652 | #83 |
| 92 | Randy | 3,623 | #99 |
| 93 | Lee | 3,562 | #93 |
| 94 | Clarence | 3,395 | #87 |
| 95 | Kevin | 3,292 | #127 |
| 96 | Alfred | 3,190 | #96 |
| 97 | Curtis | 3,088 | #101 |
| 98 | Don | 3,060 | #91 |
| 99 | Scott | 3,055 | #122 |
| 100 | Theodore | 3,041 | #104 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1948, or the year after, 1950, the top 100 of the whole 1940s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1940s.