Most Popular Baby Names of 1953
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Robert were the most popular baby names of 1953 in the US: 64,389 girls were named Mary and 86,243 boys were named Robert, about 1 in 29 girls and 1 in 23 boys born that year. Mary took #1 for girls from Linda, and Robert took #1 for boys from James.
Social Security records list 1,881,301 girls and 1,972,299 boys born in 1953, with 6,495 different girl names and 4,338 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1952
- Pamela joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1952.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Cindy (#140 to #99), Robin (#102 to #66) and Julie (#85 to #74).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Ricky (#81 to #51), Rodney (#84 to #58) and Brian (#64 to #53).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Sylvia (#99 to #101) and Clifford (#99 to #102).
- 376 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1953
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1952, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1953
| # | Name | Babies | In 1952 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 64,389 | #2 |
| 2 | Linda | 61,281 | #1 |
| 3 | Deborah | 52,199 | #4 |
| 4 | Patricia | 51,019 | #3 |
| 5 | Susan | 44,297 | #5 |
| 6 | Barbara | 38,473 | #6 |
| 7 | Debra | 36,856 | #9 |
| 8 | Nancy | 30,620 | #7 |
| 9 | Karen | 29,858 | #8 |
| 10 | Pamela | 25,760 | #17 |
| 11 | Sandra | 25,500 | #10 |
| 12 | Cynthia | 25,140 | #18 |
| 13 | Donna | 24,227 | #13 |
| 14 | Kathleen | 23,731 | #11 |
| 15 | Sharon | 23,040 | #14 |
| 16 | Carol | 22,290 | #12 |
| 17 | Diane | 21,351 | #16 |
| 18 | Brenda | 20,122 | #15 |
| 19 | Janet | 17,771 | #19 |
| 20 | Margaret | 16,195 | #21 |
| 21 | Elizabeth | 16,099 | #22 |
| 22 | Janice | 14,627 | #23 |
| 23 | Kathy | 13,400 | #29 |
| 24 | Rebecca | 12,959 | #30 |
| 25 | Carolyn | 12,919 | #24 |
| 26 | Joyce | 12,796 | #27 |
| 27 | Judy | 12,735 | #26 |
| 28 | Cheryl | 12,264 | #31 |
| 29 | Shirley | 12,148 | #28 |
| 30 | Judith | 11,969 | #25 |
| 31 | Denise | 11,950 | #33 |
| 32 | Christine | 11,793 | #20 |
| 33 | Betty | 11,369 | #32 |
| 34 | Beverly | 11,240 | #35 |
| 35 | Catherine | 10,849 | #34 |
| 36 | Marilyn | 10,742 | #38 |
| 37 | Joan | 9,774 | #37 |
| 38 | Gloria | 9,680 | #36 |
| 39 | Gail | 9,585 | #39 |
| 40 | Paula | 9,557 | #47 |
| 41 | Martha | 9,263 | #40 |
| 42 | Teresa | 8,932 | #52 |
| 43 | Jane | 8,913 | #42 |
| 44 | Peggy | 8,762 | #43 |
| 45 | Bonnie | 8,615 | #41 |
| 46 | Ann | 8,579 | #45 |
| 47 | Connie | 8,575 | #44 |
| 48 | Kathryn | 8,324 | #48 |
| 49 | Dorothy | 8,162 | #46 |
| 50 | Theresa | 7,715 | #60 |
| 51 | Laura | 7,628 | #53 |
| 52 | Jean | 7,571 | #50 |
| 53 | Virginia | 7,546 | #49 |
| 54 | Jo | 7,513 | #55 |
| 55 | Diana | 7,438 | #51 |
| 56 | Cathy | 7,301 | #56 |
| 57 | Wanda | 7,203 | #54 |
| 58 | Jacqueline | 7,128 | #58 |
| 59 | Rose | 7,004 | #62 |
| 60 | Sheila | 6,965 | #64 |
| 61 | Vicki | 6,821 | #61 |
| 62 | Ruth | 6,582 | #57 |
| 63 | Katherine | 6,559 | #59 |
| 64 | Rita | 6,284 | #66 |
| 65 | Helen | 6,123 | #63 |
| 66 | Robin | 6,037 | #102 |
| 67 | Lynn | 5,997 | #71 |
| 68 | Maria | 5,992 | #72 |
| 69 | Phyllis | 5,961 | #65 |
| 70 | Sherry | 5,935 | #68 |
| 71 | Joanne | 5,890 | #78 |
| 72 | Frances | 5,786 | #67 |
| 73 | Alice | 5,740 | #69 |
| 74 | Julie | 5,668 | #85 |
| 75 | Darlene | 5,591 | #77 |
| 76 | Ellen | 5,537 | #70 |
| 77 | Elaine | 5,496 | #73 |
| 78 | Suzanne | 5,472 | #84 |
| 79 | Vickie | 5,297 | #76 |
| 80 | Anne | 5,256 | #79 |
| 81 | Sally | 5,183 | #81 |
| 82 | Victoria | 5,164 | #74 |
| 83 | Marsha | 5,131 | #75 |
| 84 | Marcia | 5,062 | #80 |
| 85 | Rhonda | 5,029 | #95 |
| 86 | Marie | 4,955 | #82 |
| 87 | Doris | 4,900 | #83 |
| 88 | Valerie | 4,591 | #87 |
| 89 | Anita | 4,407 | #91 |
| 90 | Roberta | 4,299 | #88 |
| 91 | Lois | 4,219 | #86 |
| 92 | Maureen | 4,112 | #94 |
| 93 | Sarah | 4,086 | #93 |
| 94 | Evelyn | 4,064 | #90 |
| 95 | Constance | 4,030 | #92 |
| 96 | Leslie | 3,904 | #104 |
| 97 | Jeanne | 3,853 | #98 |
| 98 | Anna | 3,837 | #101 |
| 99 | Cindy | 3,825 | #140 |
| 100 | Charlotte | 3,813 | #89 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1953
| # | Name | Babies | In 1952 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 86,243 | #2 |
| 2 | James | 86,066 | #1 |
| 3 | Michael | 84,198 | #4 |
| 4 | John | 80,165 | #3 |
| 5 | David | 76,119 | #5 |
| 6 | William | 61,829 | #6 |
| 7 | Richard | 58,389 | #7 |
| 8 | Thomas | 47,008 | #8 |
| 9 | Charles | 38,421 | #9 |
| 10 | Gary | 36,967 | #10 |
| 11 | Steven | 33,721 | #11 |
| 12 | Mark | 29,341 | #17 |
| 13 | Joseph | 29,269 | #12 |
| 14 | Donald | 28,361 | #13 |
| 15 | Ronald | 27,713 | #15 |
| 16 | Paul | 25,509 | #19 |
| 17 | Kenneth | 25,507 | #16 |
| 18 | Larry | 25,208 | #14 |
| 19 | Dennis | 23,658 | #18 |
| 20 | Daniel | 23,498 | #20 |
| 21 | Stephen | 21,807 | #21 |
| 22 | George | 19,176 | #22 |
| 23 | Edward | 18,984 | #23 |
| 24 | Gregory | 16,160 | #24 |
| 25 | Jeffrey | 15,949 | #31 |
| 26 | Timothy | 15,187 | #27 |
| 27 | Douglas | 14,138 | #28 |
| 28 | Bruce | 14,048 | #25 |
| 29 | Jerry | 13,901 | #26 |
| 30 | Terry | 13,259 | #29 |
| 31 | Roger | 13,172 | #30 |
| 32 | Anthony | 11,693 | #34 |
| 33 | Frank | 11,180 | #32 |
| 34 | Raymond | 11,110 | #33 |
| 35 | Randy | 10,666 | #41 |
| 36 | Kevin | 10,011 | #43 |
| 37 | Lawrence | 9,856 | #35 |
| 38 | Peter | 9,729 | #36 |
| 39 | Patrick | 9,468 | #37 |
| 40 | Wayne | 8,905 | #38 |
| 41 | Danny | 8,627 | #40 |
| 42 | Gerald | 8,619 | #39 |
| 43 | Alan | 8,454 | #42 |
| 44 | Carl | 7,829 | #45 |
| 45 | Walter | 7,509 | #44 |
| 46 | Scott | 7,489 | #54 |
| 47 | Keith | 7,375 | #49 |
| 48 | Dale | 7,350 | #46 |
| 49 | Willie | 7,056 | #48 |
| 50 | Arthur | 7,001 | #47 |
| 51 | Ricky | 6,887 | #81 |
| 52 | Johnny | 6,717 | #53 |
| 53 | Brian | 6,665 | #64 |
| 54 | Henry | 6,662 | #50 |
| 55 | Roy | 6,655 | #55 |
| 56 | Harold | 6,580 | #51 |
| 57 | Jack | 6,540 | #52 |
| 58 | Rodney | 6,536 | #84 |
| 59 | Ralph | 6,513 | #56 |
| 60 | Craig | 6,459 | #59 |
| 61 | Philip | 6,279 | #60 |
| 62 | Stanley | 6,275 | #58 |
| 63 | Christopher | 6,081 | #57 |
| 64 | Randall | 5,973 | #62 |
| 65 | Billy | 5,856 | #65 |
| 66 | Joe | 5,797 | #62 |
| 67 | Glenn | 5,726 | #61 |
| 68 | Andrew | 5,626 | #68 |
| 69 | Albert | 5,439 | #66 |
| 70 | Samuel | 5,423 | #67 |
| 71 | Russell | 5,374 | #70 |
| 72 | Jimmy | 5,310 | #72 |
| 73 | Barry | 5,182 | #69 |
| 74 | Bobby | 5,179 | #77 |
| 75 | Eugene | 5,147 | #71 |
| 76 | Phillip | 5,103 | #74 |
| 77 | Howard | 4,985 | #73 |
| 77 | Louis | 4,985 | #79 |
| 79 | Ronnie | 4,970 | #82 |
| 80 | Frederick | 4,865 | #76 |
| 81 | Allen | 4,854 | #78 |
| 82 | Martin | 4,778 | #80 |
| 83 | Harry | 4,580 | #75 |
| 84 | Steve | 4,539 | #85 |
| 85 | Leonard | 4,412 | #83 |
| 86 | Curtis | 4,353 | #86 |
| 87 | Ernest | 4,095 | #87 |
| 88 | Micheal | 3,987 | #94 |
| 89 | Eric | 3,929 | #88 |
| 90 | Francis | 3,875 | #89 |
| 91 | Melvin | 3,811 | #91 |
| 92 | Fred | 3,789 | #90 |
| 93 | Lee | 3,583 | #92 |
| 94 | Marvin | 3,564 | #95 |
| 95 | Tommy | 3,469 | #97 |
| 96 | Earl | 3,437 | #98 |
| 97 | Eddie | 3,417 | #93 |
| 98 | Norman | 3,372 | #96 |
| 99 | Jay | 3,235 | #106 |
| 100 | Vincent | 3,174 | #101 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1952, or the year after, 1954, 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.