Most Popular Baby Names of 1951
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Linda and James were the most popular baby names of 1951 in the US: 73,982 girls were named Linda and 87,256 boys were named James, about 1 in 24 girls and 1 in 22 boys born that year. It was Linda's 5th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1947), and it was James's 12th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1940).
Social Security records list 1,800,859 girls and 1,882,837 boys born in 1951, with 6,212 different girl names and 4,252 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1950
- Karen joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1950.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Debra (#59 to #18), Denise (#82 to #48) and Vickie (#108 to #87).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Randy (#80 to #56), Kevin (#73 to #53) and Keith (#78 to #59).
- 3 girl names and 1 boy name left the top 100, among them Joann (#98 to #104) and Clifford (#100 to #101).
- 329 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1951
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1950, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1951
| # | Name | Babies | In 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Linda | 73,982 | #1 |
| 2 | Mary | 65,721 | #2 |
| 3 | Patricia | 56,446 | #3 |
| 4 | Deborah | 42,053 | #7 |
| 5 | Barbara | 40,617 | #4 |
| 6 | Susan | 40,228 | #5 |
| 7 | Nancy | 30,346 | #6 |
| 8 | Karen | 27,998 | #12 |
| 9 | Sandra | 27,665 | #8 |
| 10 | Kathleen | 26,716 | #10 |
| 11 | Carol | 24,781 | #9 |
| 12 | Donna | 24,074 | #13 |
| 13 | Sharon | 23,920 | #11 |
| 14 | Brenda | 21,717 | #14 |
| 15 | Diane | 19,840 | #16 |
| 16 | Pamela | 18,570 | #17 |
| 17 | Margaret | 17,692 | #15 |
| 18 | Debra | 17,064 | #59 |
| 19 | Janet | 16,947 | #18 |
| 20 | Cynthia | 16,295 | #23 |
| 21 | Janice | 15,958 | #22 |
| 22 | Carolyn | 15,206 | #20 |
| 23 | Elizabeth | 15,118 | #24 |
| 24 | Christine | 15,017 | #28 |
| 25 | Judith | 14,935 | #21 |
| 26 | Judy | 14,017 | #25 |
| 27 | Shirley | 13,919 | #19 |
| 28 | Joyce | 13,472 | #27 |
| 29 | Betty | 12,822 | #26 |
| 30 | Cheryl | 11,986 | #29 |
| 31 | Gloria | 10,951 | #30 |
| 32 | Rebecca | 10,932 | #36 |
| 33 | Beverly | 10,860 | #31 |
| 34 | Catherine | 10,566 | #34 |
| 35 | Kathy | 10,406 | #38 |
| 36 | Gail | 9,886 | #42 |
| 37 | Bonnie | 9,706 | #33 |
| 38 | Martha | 9,605 | #32 |
| 39 | Joan | 9,403 | #40 |
| 40 | Peggy | 9,208 | #41 |
| 41 | Marilyn | 9,148 | #37 |
| 42 | Dorothy | 9,089 | #35 |
| 43 | Jane | 8,942 | #39 |
| 44 | Connie | 8,722 | #44 |
| 45 | Kathryn | 8,460 | #46 |
| 46 | Ann | 8,423 | #45 |
| 47 | Virginia | 8,180 | #43 |
| 48 | Denise | 8,116 | #82 |
| 49 | Jean | 7,627 | #48 |
| 50 | Diana | 7,396 | #47 |
| 51 | Paula | 7,290 | #54 |
| 52 | Wanda | 7,233 | #52 |
| 53 | Ruth | 7,076 | #49 |
| 54 | Helen | 6,949 | #50 |
| 55 | Katherine | 6,930 | #58 |
| 56 | Jacqueline | 6,915 | #55 |
| 57 | Phyllis | 6,791 | #53 |
| 58 | Vicki | 6,630 | #61 |
| 59 | Frances | 6,584 | #51 |
| 60 | Laura | 6,466 | #63 |
| 61 | Rita | 6,415 | #56 |
| 62 | Alice | 6,315 | #57 |
| 63 | Teresa | 6,213 | #81 |
| 64 | Theresa | 6,190 | #65 |
| 65 | Rose | 6,185 | #69 |
| 66 | Elaine | 6,069 | #60 |
| 67 | Jo | 6,001 | #64 |
| 68 | Ellen | 5,945 | #66 |
| 69 | Sheila | 5,897 | #70 |
| 70 | Sherry | 5,889 | #62 |
| 71 | Cathy | 5,697 | #75 |
| 72 | Lynn | 5,629 | #76 |
| 73 | Joanne | 5,358 | #67 |
| 74 | Marcia | 5,299 | #77 |
| 75 | Maria | 5,236 | #73 |
| 76 | Marsha | 5,188 | #68 |
| 77 | Sally | 5,138 | #78 |
| 78 | Marie | 5,046 | #72 |
| 79 | Darlene | 5,030 | #79 |
| 80 | Doris | 5,025 | #74 |
| 81 | Victoria | 4,907 | #94 |
| 82 | Anne | 4,873 | #84 |
| 83 | Suzanne | 4,828 | #71 |
| 84 | Charlotte | 4,649 | #80 |
| 85 | Lois | 4,533 | #83 |
| 86 | Constance | 4,367 | #85 |
| 87 | Vickie | 4,320 | #108 |
| 88 | Evelyn | 4,232 | #86 |
| 89 | Glenda | 4,135 | #87 |
| 90 | Dianne | 4,034 | #90 |
| 91 | Sarah | 4,028 | #88 |
| 92 | Roberta | 3,979 | #96 |
| 93 | Maureen | 3,878 | #89 |
| 94 | Anna | 3,870 | #93 |
| 95 | Eileen | 3,816 | #91 |
| 96 | Anita | 3,785 | #99 |
| 97 | Sylvia | 3,777 | #97 |
| 98 | Jeanne | 3,768 | #95 |
| 99 | Julie | 3,686 | #111 |
| 100 | Valerie | 3,559 | #116 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1951
| # | Name | Babies | In 1950 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 87,256 | #1 |
| 2 | Robert | 86,353 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 81,569 | #3 |
| 4 | Michael | 72,807 | #4 |
| 5 | David | 64,788 | #5 |
| 6 | William | 62,781 | #6 |
| 7 | Richard | 54,541 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 48,275 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 39,406 | #9 |
| 10 | Gary | 38,160 | #10 |
| 11 | Larry | 30,558 | #11 |
| 12 | Ronald | 29,049 | #12 |
| 13 | Steven | 28,363 | #16 |
| 14 | Joseph | 28,147 | #13 |
| 15 | Donald | 27,916 | #14 |
| 16 | Kenneth | 25,841 | #15 |
| 17 | Dennis | 24,264 | #17 |
| 18 | Paul | 22,853 | #18 |
| 19 | Stephen | 22,474 | #19 |
| 20 | Mark | 21,201 | #23 |
| 21 | Daniel | 21,121 | #21 |
| 22 | George | 20,212 | #20 |
| 23 | Edward | 19,913 | #22 |
| 24 | Jerry | 15,164 | #24 |
| 25 | Gregory | 14,102 | #25 |
| 26 | Bruce | 14,090 | #26 |
| 27 | Douglas | 13,902 | #28 |
| 28 | Timothy | 12,705 | #32 |
| 29 | Roger | 12,425 | #27 |
| 30 | Terry | 12,216 | #30 |
| 31 | Frank | 11,477 | #29 |
| 32 | Raymond | 11,227 | #31 |
| 33 | Lawrence | 10,266 | #33 |
| 34 | Anthony | 9,836 | #36 |
| 35 | Jeffrey | 9,713 | #43 |
| 36 | Gerald | 9,539 | #34 |
| 37 | Wayne | 9,327 | #35 |
| 38 | Peter | 8,999 | #37 |
| 39 | Patrick | 8,751 | #38 |
| 40 | Alan | 8,408 | #41 |
| 41 | Danny | 8,179 | #39 |
| 42 | Walter | 8,038 | #40 |
| 43 | Carl | 7,641 | #44 |
| 44 | Arthur | 7,414 | #46 |
| 45 | Willie | 7,226 | #42 |
| 46 | Harold | 7,178 | #45 |
| 47 | Henry | 7,120 | #47 |
| 48 | Jack | 7,004 | #48 |
| 49 | Dale | 6,963 | #49 |
| 50 | Johnny | 6,700 | #50 |
| 51 | Ralph | 6,525 | #52 |
| 52 | Roy | 6,466 | #51 |
| 53 | Kevin | 6,349 | #73 |
| 54 | Stanley | 6,205 | #60 |
| 55 | Philip | 6,098 | #53 |
| 56 | Randy | 6,034 | #80 |
| 57 | Joe | 5,824 | #54 |
| 58 | Glenn | 5,803 | #59 |
| 59 | Keith | 5,767 | #78 |
| 60 | Albert | 5,758 | #56 |
| 61 | Christopher | 5,734 | #72 |
| 62 | Jimmy | 5,687 | #55 |
| 63 | Craig | 5,623 | #69 |
| 64 | Billy | 5,610 | #57 |
| 65 | Eugene | 5,580 | #58 |
| 66 | Randall | 5,532 | #70 |
| 67 | Samuel | 5,476 | #62 |
| 68 | Scott | 5,381 | #82 |
| 69 | Andrew | 5,373 | #68 |
| 70 | Harry | 5,303 | #61 |
| 71 | Barry | 5,284 | #74 |
| 72 | Allen | 5,179 | #71 |
| 73 | Russell | 5,175 | #67 |
| 74 | Howard | 5,108 | #63 |
| 75 | Brian | 5,101 | #79 |
| 76 | Louis | 5,089 | #66 |
| 77 | Bobby | 5,006 | #65 |
| 78 | Frederick | 4,984 | #75 |
| 79 | Phillip | 4,910 | #64 |
| 80 | Leonard | 4,738 | #77 |
| 81 | Martin | 4,596 | #85 |
| 82 | Ronnie | 4,530 | #76 |
| 83 | Ernest | 4,382 | #81 |
| 84 | Rodney | 4,296 | #88 |
| 85 | Francis | 4,199 | #86 |
| 86 | Steve | 4,053 | #83 |
| 87 | Fred | 3,994 | #84 |
| 88 | Melvin | 3,837 | #87 |
| 89 | Eddie | 3,748 | #89 |
| 90 | Norman | 3,729 | #90 |
| 91 | Curtis | 3,716 | #97 |
| 92 | Lee | 3,682 | #91 |
| 93 | Eric | 3,664 | #98 |
| 94 | Tommy | 3,582 | #94 |
| 95 | Earl | 3,571 | #92 |
| 96 | Marvin | 3,557 | #93 |
| 97 | Micheal | 3,276 | #104 |
| 98 | Clarence | 3,232 | #95 |
| 99 | Theodore | 3,216 | #99 |
| 100 | Alfred | 3,203 | #96 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1950, or the year after, 1952, 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.