Most Popular Baby Names of 1962
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Lisa and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1962 in the US: 46,069 girls were named Lisa and 85,059 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 43 girls and 1 in 24 boys born that year. Lisa took #1 for girls from Mary, and it was Michael's 2nd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,966,603 girls and 2,068,772 boys born in 1962, with 7,583 different girl names and 4,630 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1961
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1961; Jeffrey joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Sherri (#121 to #82), Melissa (#95 to #68) and Sarah (#113 to #98).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Troy (#100 to #67), Vincent (#98 to #66) and Jonathan (#112 to #94).
- 4 girl names and 1 boy name left the top 100, among them Gail (#94 to #103) and Albert (#97 to #101).
- 430 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1962
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1961, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1962
| # | Name | Babies | In 1961 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisa | 46,069 | #2 |
| 2 | Mary | 43,502 | #1 |
| 3 | Susan | 35,752 | #3 |
| 4 | Karen | 35,184 | #5 |
| 5 | Linda | 31,461 | #4 |
| 6 | Patricia | 26,532 | #6 |
| 7 | Donna | 25,719 | #7 |
| 8 | Cynthia | 24,025 | #8 |
| 9 | Deborah | 22,889 | #10 |
| 10 | Sandra | 22,420 | #9 |
| 11 | Lori | 22,395 | #14 |
| 12 | Brenda | 21,274 | #11 |
| 13 | Pamela | 21,270 | #15 |
| 14 | Barbara | 20,641 | #12 |
| 15 | Debra | 20,593 | #13 |
| 16 | Kimberly | 20,363 | #22 |
| 17 | Sharon | 19,630 | #17 |
| 18 | Teresa | 18,517 | #18 |
| 19 | Nancy | 18,027 | #16 |
| 20 | Elizabeth | 17,806 | #19 |
| 21 | Laura | 17,490 | #21 |
| 22 | Julie | 17,090 | #23 |
| 23 | Tammy | 16,743 | #28 |
| 24 | Cheryl | 16,587 | #20 |
| 25 | Robin | 15,128 | #27 |
| 26 | Diane | 14,823 | #26 |
| 27 | Kathy | 14,757 | #25 |
| 28 | Carol | 14,523 | #24 |
| 29 | Kathleen | 14,188 | #29 |
| 30 | Denise | 13,975 | #30 |
| 31 | Michelle | 13,353 | #34 |
| 32 | Debbie | 13,092 | #31 |
| 33 | Tina | 12,781 | #41 |
| 34 | Cindy | 12,297 | #33 |
| 35 | Janet | 12,256 | #32 |
| 36 | Angela | 11,664 | #38 |
| 37 | Kim | 11,657 | #36 |
| 38 | Kelly | 11,530 | #45 |
| 39 | Christine | 11,196 | #39 |
| 40 | Theresa | 11,061 | #35 |
| 41 | Jennifer | 10,977 | #47 |
| 42 | Laurie | 10,675 | #43 |
| 43 | Margaret | 10,075 | #40 |
| 44 | Jacqueline | 9,832 | #37 |
| 45 | Rhonda | 9,803 | #46 |
| 46 | Carolyn | 9,692 | #42 |
| 47 | Rebecca | 9,403 | #44 |
| 48 | Sherry | 9,223 | #53 |
| 49 | Maria | 9,089 | #57 |
| 50 | Dawn | 8,984 | #49 |
| 51 | Connie | 8,882 | #50 |
| 52 | Sheila | 8,778 | #59 |
| 53 | Catherine | 8,697 | #48 |
| 54 | Terri | 8,433 | #51 |
| 55 | Tracy | 8,310 | #64 |
| 56 | Ann | 8,123 | #54 |
| 57 | Diana | 7,842 | #56 |
| 58 | Janice | 7,822 | #52 |
| 59 | Michele | 7,428 | #63 |
| 60 | Paula | 7,193 | #60 |
| 61 | Amy | 7,185 | #69 |
| 62 | Cathy | 7,145 | #55 |
| 63 | Judy | 7,061 | #58 |
| 64 | Wendy | 6,977 | #61 |
| 65 | Suzanne | 6,851 | #68 |
| 66 | Beth | 6,419 | #65 |
| 67 | Valerie | 6,335 | #67 |
| 68 | Melissa | 6,306 | #95 |
| 69 | Beverly | 6,266 | #66 |
| 70 | Stephanie | 6,257 | #78 |
| 71 | Lynn | 6,217 | #71 |
| 72 | Jill | 6,170 | #74 |
| 73 | Jane | 6,114 | #72 |
| 74 | Joyce | 6,096 | #62 |
| 75 | Annette | 6,076 | #73 |
| 76 | Renee | 6,012 | #79 |
| 77 | Wanda | 6,003 | #70 |
| 78 | Carla | 5,820 | #77 |
| 79 | Bonnie | 5,812 | #75 |
| 80 | Leslie | 5,778 | #84 |
| 81 | Anita | 5,521 | #91 |
| 82 | Sherri | 5,363 | #121 |
| 83 | Anne | 5,272 | #90 |
| 83 | Katherine | 5,272 | #86 |
| 85 | Vicki | 5,208 | #76 |
| 86 | Judith | 5,183 | #83 |
| 87 | Martha | 5,159 | #81 |
| 88 | Darlene | 5,107 | #80 |
| 88 | Kathryn | 5,107 | #93 |
| 90 | Gloria | 5,102 | #82 |
| 91 | Regina | 5,002 | #98 |
| 92 | Penny | 5,001 | #101 |
| 93 | Peggy | 4,900 | #88 |
| 94 | Joan | 4,879 | #89 |
| 95 | Jean | 4,877 | #92 |
| 96 | Shirley | 4,869 | #85 |
| 97 | Betty | 4,763 | #87 |
| 98 | Sarah | 4,548 | #113 |
| 99 | Andrea | 4,540 | #110 |
| 100 | Anna | 4,430 | #100 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1962
| # | Name | Babies | In 1961 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 85,059 | #1 |
| 2 | David | 81,337 | #2 |
| 3 | John | 78,427 | #3 |
| 4 | James | 72,555 | #4 |
| 5 | Robert | 70,199 | #5 |
| 6 | Mark | 53,520 | #6 |
| 7 | William | 44,853 | #7 |
| 8 | Richard | 39,422 | #8 |
| 9 | Thomas | 36,529 | #9 |
| 10 | Jeffrey | 33,537 | #11 |
| 11 | Scott | 30,703 | #19 |
| 12 | Steven | 30,688 | #10 |
| 13 | Joseph | 30,090 | #12 |
| 14 | Kevin | 28,325 | #14 |
| 15 | Charles | 27,590 | #13 |
| 16 | Timothy | 27,111 | #15 |
| 17 | Daniel | 25,543 | #17 |
| 18 | Kenneth | 25,241 | #16 |
| 19 | Paul | 23,802 | #18 |
| 20 | Brian | 23,221 | #20 |
| 21 | Gregory | 21,976 | #23 |
| 22 | Gary | 20,884 | #21 |
| 23 | Donald | 20,425 | #22 |
| 24 | Anthony | 20,103 | #25 |
| 25 | Ronald | 19,963 | #24 |
| 26 | Christopher | 17,535 | #26 |
| 27 | Douglas | 15,928 | #28 |
| 28 | Stephen | 15,616 | #27 |
| 29 | Edward | 15,518 | #29 |
| 30 | Todd | 12,752 | #46 |
| 31 | Larry | 12,711 | #30 |
| 32 | George | 12,544 | #31 |
| 33 | Eric | 12,348 | #38 |
| 34 | Terry | 12,301 | #32 |
| 35 | Randy | 11,840 | #33 |
| 36 | Keith | 11,626 | #35 |
| 37 | Dennis | 10,633 | #34 |
| 38 | Jerry | 10,576 | #37 |
| 39 | Mike | 10,530 | #36 |
| 40 | Patrick | 10,499 | #39 |
| 41 | Bruce | 10,038 | #40 |
| 42 | Frank | 9,761 | #41 |
| 43 | Peter | 9,585 | #42 |
| 44 | Jeff | 9,424 | #49 |
| 45 | Jeffery | 9,282 | #50 |
| 46 | Steve | 9,154 | #45 |
| 47 | Roger | 9,079 | #47 |
| 48 | Raymond | 9,070 | #48 |
| 49 | Andrew | 8,697 | #52 |
| 50 | Ricky | 8,694 | #44 |
| 51 | Craig | 8,544 | #43 |
| 52 | Tony | 8,197 | #53 |
| 53 | Alan | 7,719 | #51 |
| 54 | Danny | 7,644 | #54 |
| 55 | Glenn | 7,356 | #64 |
| 56 | Matthew | 7,279 | #59 |
| 57 | Russell | 7,042 | #55 |
| 58 | Carl | 6,854 | #56 |
| 59 | Joe | 6,793 | #60 |
| 60 | Chris | 6,791 | #57 |
| 61 | Barry | 6,585 | #66 |
| 62 | Dale | 6,365 | #58 |
| 63 | Wayne | 6,324 | #61 |
| 64 | Randall | 6,236 | #63 |
| 65 | Gerald | 6,232 | #62 |
| 66 | Vincent | 6,159 | #98 |
| 67 | Troy | 6,048 | #100 |
| 68 | Phillip | 5,881 | #69 |
| 69 | Johnny | 5,777 | #70 |
| 70 | Lawrence | 5,619 | #67 |
| 71 | Billy | 5,588 | #68 |
| 72 | Tim | 5,585 | #65 |
| 73 | Curtis | 5,569 | #75 |
| 74 | Martin | 5,538 | #73 |
| 75 | Jimmy | 5,518 | #71 |
| 76 | Rodney | 5,435 | #72 |
| 77 | Greg | 5,365 | #77 |
| 78 | Bobby | 5,323 | #76 |
| 79 | Walter | 5,282 | #74 |
| 80 | Jay | 5,158 | #81 |
| 81 | Philip | 5,069 | #79 |
| 82 | Bryan | 4,992 | #82 |
| 83 | Darryl | 4,969 | #80 |
| 84 | Jon | 4,785 | #93 |
| 85 | Jim | 4,715 | #78 |
| 86 | Dean | 4,655 | #84 |
| 87 | Bradley | 4,637 | #87 |
| 88 | Samuel | 4,552 | #89 |
| 89 | Willie | 4,541 | #86 |
| 90 | Roy | 4,476 | #83 |
| 91 | Arthur | 4,441 | #85 |
| 92 | Henry | 4,346 | #92 |
| 93 | Allen | 4,272 | #96 |
| 94 | Jonathan | 4,253 | #112 |
| 95 | Harold | 4,233 | #94 |
| 96 | Victor | 4,208 | #99 |
| 97 | Ralph | 4,180 | #95 |
| 98 | Tom | 4,171 | #88 |
| 99 | Jack | 4,170 | #90 |
| 100 | Ronnie | 4,113 | #91 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1961, or the year after, 1963, the top 100 of the whole 1960s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1960s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.