Most Popular Baby Names of 1950
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Linda and James were the most popular baby names of 1950 in the US: 80,433 girls were named Linda and 86,228 boys were named James, about 1 in 21 girls and 1 in 21 boys born that year. It was Linda's 4th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1947), and it was James's 11th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,713,054 girls and 1,790,262 boys born in 1950, with 6,106 different girl names and 4,194 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1949
- Deborah joined the girls' top 10; Gary joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Debra (#134 to #59), Denise (#140 to #82) and Irene (#111 to #92).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Kevin (#95 to #73), Scott (#99 to #82) and Randy (#92 to #80).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Rosemary (#98 to #101) and Don (#98 to #107).
- 318 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1950
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1949, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1950
| # | Name | Babies | In 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda | 80,433 | #1 |
| 2 | Mary | 65,481 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 47,944 | #3 |
| 4 | Barbara | 41,556 | #4 |
| 5 | Susan | 38,017 | #5 |
| 6 | Nancy | 29,617 | #7 |
| 7 | Deborah | 29,063 | #15 |
| 8 | Sandra | 28,896 | #6 |
| 9 | Carol | 26,163 | #8 |
| 10 | Kathleen | 25,706 | #9 |
| 11 | Sharon | 24,612 | #10 |
| 12 | Karen | 24,132 | #11 |
| 13 | Donna | 21,629 | #12 |
| 14 | Brenda | 20,799 | #13 |
| 15 | Margaret | 18,110 | #14 |
| 16 | Diane | 17,636 | #19 |
| 17 | Pamela | 16,202 | #21 |
| 18 | Janet | 16,193 | #23 |
| 19 | Shirley | 15,891 | #18 |
| 20 | Carolyn | 15,588 | #17 |
| 21 | Judith | 15,352 | #16 |
| 22 | Janice | 15,012 | #24 |
| 23 | Cynthia | 14,447 | #27 |
| 24 | Elizabeth | 14,334 | #25 |
| 25 | Judy | 14,207 | #20 |
| 26 | Betty | 13,615 | #22 |
| 27 | Joyce | 13,415 | #26 |
| 28 | Christine | 12,673 | #30 |
| 29 | Cheryl | 11,823 | #28 |
| 30 | Gloria | 11,037 | #29 |
| 31 | Beverly | 10,503 | #31 |
| 32 | Martha | 9,839 | #34 |
| 33 | Bonnie | 9,746 | #35 |
| 34 | Catherine | 9,655 | #37 |
| 35 | Dorothy | 9,551 | #32 |
| 36 | Rebecca | 9,425 | #40 |
| 37 | Marilyn | 9,285 | #33 |
| 38 | Kathy | 9,090 | #42 |
| 39 | Jane | 8,964 | #41 |
| 40 | Joan | 8,860 | #36 |
| 41 | Peggy | 8,532 | #38 |
| 42 | Gail | 8,350 | #51 |
| 43 | Virginia | 8,312 | #39 |
| 44 | Connie | 8,145 | #43 |
| 45 | Ann | 7,921 | #44 |
| 46 | Kathryn | 7,863 | #52 |
| 47 | Diana | 7,447 | #48 |
| 48 | Jean | 7,432 | #45 |
| 49 | Ruth | 7,128 | #47 |
| 50 | Helen | 7,061 | #46 |
| 51 | Frances | 6,975 | #49 |
| 52 | Wanda | 6,929 | #56 |
| 53 | Phyllis | 6,695 | #50 |
| 54 | Paula | 6,631 | #55 |
| 55 | Jacqueline | 6,455 | #58 |
| 56 | Rita | 6,424 | #54 |
| 57 | Alice | 6,363 | #53 |
| 58 | Katherine | 6,205 | #59 |
| 59 | Debra | 6,176 | #134 |
| 60 | Elaine | 6,037 | #57 |
| 61 | Vicki | 5,823 | #70 |
| 62 | Sherry | 5,808 | #68 |
| 63 | Laura | 5,725 | #65 |
| 64 | Jo | 5,676 | #60 |
| 65 | Theresa | 5,628 | #63 |
| 66 | Ellen | 5,567 | #64 |
| 67 | Joanne | 5,491 | #61 |
| 68 | Marsha | 5,400 | #79 |
| 69 | Rose | 5,376 | #66 |
| 70 | Sheila | 5,322 | #76 |
| 71 | Suzanne | 5,266 | #62 |
| 72 | Marie | 5,222 | #67 |
| 73 | Maria | 5,076 | #72 |
| 74 | Doris | 5,053 | #69 |
| 75 | Cathy | 5,031 | #81 |
| 76 | Lynn | 5,020 | #74 |
| 77 | Marcia | 4,955 | #78 |
| 78 | Sally | 4,870 | #77 |
| 79 | Darlene | 4,830 | #75 |
| 80 | Charlotte | 4,735 | #71 |
| 81 | Teresa | 4,724 | #82 |
| 82 | Denise | 4,514 | #140 |
| 83 | Lois | 4,504 | #73 |
| 84 | Anne | 4,459 | #86 |
| 85 | Constance | 4,441 | #83 |
| 86 | Evelyn | 4,275 | #80 |
| 87 | Glenda | 4,215 | #87 |
| 88 | Sarah | 4,143 | #84 |
| 89 | Maureen | 4,070 | #89 |
| 90 | Dianne | 3,921 | #85 |
| 91 | Eileen | 3,883 | #95 |
| 92 | Irene | 3,825 | #111 |
| 93 | Anna | 3,815 | #91 |
| 94 | Victoria | 3,781 | #96 |
| 95 | Jeanne | 3,736 | #92 |
| 96 | Roberta | 3,630 | #97 |
| 97 | Sylvia | 3,612 | #94 |
| 98 | Joann | 3,600 | #101 |
| 99 | Anita | 3,572 | #99 |
| 100 | Sue | 3,503 | #88 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1950
| # | Name | Babies | In 1949 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 86,228 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 83,553 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 79,412 | #3 |
| 4 | Michael | 65,136 | #5 |
| 5 | David | 60,729 | #6 |
| 6 | William | 60,680 | #4 |
| 7 | Richard | 51,003 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 45,596 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 39,095 | #9 |
| 10 | Gary | 33,737 | #12 |
| 11 | Larry | 31,480 | #10 |
| 12 | Ronald | 29,908 | #11 |
| 13 | Joseph | 27,022 | #14 |
| 14 | Donald | 26,999 | #13 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 23,813 | #15 |
| 16 | Steven | 23,250 | #20 |
| 17 | Dennis | 22,862 | #16 |
| 18 | Paul | 21,742 | #17 |
| 19 | Stephen | 20,511 | #19 |
| 20 | George | 20,183 | #18 |
| 21 | Daniel | 19,189 | #22 |
| 22 | Edward | 18,714 | #21 |
| 23 | Mark | 16,604 | #24 |
| 24 | Jerry | 15,261 | #23 |
| 25 | Gregory | 13,311 | #31 |
| 26 | Bruce | 12,674 | #26 |
| 27 | Roger | 12,552 | #25 |
| 28 | Douglas | 12,264 | #29 |
| 29 | Frank | 11,606 | #27 |
| 30 | Terry | 11,433 | #28 |
| 31 | Raymond | 11,180 | #30 |
| 32 | Timothy | 10,499 | #34 |
| 33 | Lawrence | 10,173 | #32 |
| 34 | Gerald | 9,726 | #33 |
| 35 | Wayne | 9,259 | #35 |
| 36 | Anthony | 8,612 | #36 |
| 37 | Peter | 8,362 | #38 |
| 38 | Patrick | 8,179 | #39 |
| 39 | Danny | 8,143 | #40 |
| 40 | Walter | 7,798 | #37 |
| 41 | Alan | 7,737 | #45 |
| 42 | Willie | 7,717 | #41 |
| 43 | Jeffrey | 7,644 | #48 |
| 44 | Carl | 7,288 | #43 |
| 45 | Harold | 7,214 | #42 |
| 46 | Arthur | 7,161 | #44 |
| 47 | Henry | 6,963 | #46 |
| 48 | Jack | 6,840 | #47 |
| 49 | Dale | 6,785 | #54 |
| 50 | Johnny | 6,581 | #49 |
| 51 | Roy | 6,454 | #51 |
| 52 | Ralph | 6,406 | #50 |
| 53 | Philip | 6,070 | #55 |
| 54 | Joe | 6,033 | #52 |
| 55 | Jimmy | 5,761 | #53 |
| 56 | Albert | 5,754 | #56 |
| 57 | Billy | 5,674 | #57 |
| 58 | Eugene | 5,481 | #58 |
| 59 | Glenn | 5,465 | #61 |
| 60 | Stanley | 5,453 | #60 |
| 61 | Harry | 5,375 | #59 |
| 62 | Samuel | 5,227 | #62 |
| 63 | Howard | 5,164 | #63 |
| 64 | Phillip | 5,055 | #66 |
| 65 | Bobby | 5,019 | #67 |
| 66 | Louis | 4,947 | #64 |
| 67 | Russell | 4,945 | #69 |
| 68 | Andrew | 4,932 | #75 |
| 69 | Craig | 4,888 | #77 |
| 70 | Randall | 4,843 | #79 |
| 71 | Allen | 4,840 | #71 |
| 72 | Christopher | 4,835 | #81 |
| 73 | Kevin | 4,752 | #95 |
| 74 | Barry | 4,694 | #73 |
| 75 | Frederick | 4,659 | #70 |
| 76 | Ronnie | 4,616 | #64 |
| 77 | Leonard | 4,581 | #74 |
| 78 | Keith | 4,566 | #85 |
| 79 | Brian | 4,441 | #86 |
| 80 | Randy | 4,354 | #92 |
| 81 | Ernest | 4,308 | #76 |
| 82 | Scott | 4,268 | #99 |
| 83 | Steve | 4,207 | #68 |
| 84 | Fred | 4,195 | #72 |
| 85 | Martin | 4,180 | #83 |
| 86 | Francis | 4,082 | #78 |
| 87 | Melvin | 3,886 | #82 |
| 88 | Rodney | 3,856 | #87 |
| 89 | Eddie | 3,760 | #80 |
| 90 | Norman | 3,641 | #90 |
| 91 | Lee | 3,611 | #93 |
| 92 | Earl | 3,589 | #91 |
| 93 | Marvin | 3,493 | #89 |
| 94 | Tommy | 3,434 | #84 |
| 95 | Clarence | 3,340 | #94 |
| 96 | Alfred | 3,235 | #96 |
| 97 | Curtis | 3,209 | #97 |
| 98 | Eric | 3,095 | #105 |
| 99 | Theodore | 2,960 | #100 |
| 100 | Clifford | 2,940 | #103 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1949, or the year after, 1951, the top 100 of the whole 1950s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1950s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.