Most Popular Baby Names of 1965
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Lisa and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1965 in the US: 60,271 girls were named Lisa and 80,992 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 29 girls and 1 in 23 boys born that year. It was Lisa's 4th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1962), and it was Michael's 5th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,765,164 girls and 1,860,143 boys born in 1965, with 7,534 different girl names and 4,424 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1964
- Angela joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1964.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Stacey (#126 to #84), Tracey (#111 to #85) and Monica (#90 to #72).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Darren (#127 to #52), Sean (#118 to #79) and Rodney (#59 to #33).
- 4 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Beverly (#91 to #101) and Jack (#99 to #104).
- 413 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1965
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1964, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1965
| # | Name | Babies | In 1964 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisa | 60,271 | #1 |
| 2 | Mary | 34,270 | #2 |
| 3 | Karen | 32,869 | #4 |
| 4 | Kimberly | 28,836 | #6 |
| 5 | Susan | 26,321 | #3 |
| 6 | Patricia | 23,552 | #5 |
| 7 | Donna | 19,700 | #7 |
| 8 | Linda | 19,345 | #8 |
| 9 | Cynthia | 19,239 | #9 |
| 10 | Angela | 18,754 | #22 |
| 11 | Tammy | 18,013 | #10 |
| 12 | Pamela | 17,467 | #11 |
| 13 | Deborah | 17,081 | #12 |
| 14 | Julie | 16,987 | #17 |
| 15 | Sandra | 16,371 | #13 |
| 16 | Elizabeth | 16,321 | #16 |
| 17 | Laura | 16,218 | #14 |
| 18 | Michelle | 16,215 | #23 |
| 19 | Lori | 15,695 | #15 |
| 20 | Jennifer | 15,207 | #31 |
| 21 | Christine | 15,204 | #28 |
| 22 | Sharon | 15,129 | #20 |
| 23 | Brenda | 15,060 | #18 |
| 24 | Teresa | 14,578 | #21 |
| 25 | Barbara | 14,023 | #19 |
| 26 | Dawn | 13,344 | #33 |
| 27 | Debra | 13,098 | #24 |
| 28 | Denise | 13,036 | #25 |
| 29 | Tina | 12,831 | #34 |
| 30 | Kelly | 12,763 | #35 |
| 31 | Cheryl | 12,550 | #29 |
| 32 | Nancy | 12,255 | #26 |
| 33 | Robin | 11,995 | #27 |
| 34 | Kathleen | 11,778 | #30 |
| 35 | Amy | 11,530 | #44 |
| 36 | Tracy | 11,174 | #40 |
| 37 | Rhonda | 10,949 | #43 |
| 38 | Melissa | 10,563 | #53 |
| 39 | Wendy | 10,481 | #55 |
| 40 | Diane | 10,365 | #32 |
| 41 | Rebecca | 10,211 | #46 |
| 42 | Carol | 10,097 | #36 |
| 43 | Kim | 10,083 | #42 |
| 44 | Stephanie | 9,765 | #57 |
| 45 | Theresa | 9,685 | #38 |
| 46 | Maria | 9,480 | #41 |
| 47 | Jacqueline | 9,413 | #37 |
| 48 | Michele | 8,661 | #58 |
| 49 | Paula | 7,915 | #45 |
| 50 | Sheila | 7,904 | #51 |
| 51 | Jill | 7,820 | #61 |
| 52 | Margaret | 7,799 | #49 |
| 53 | Cindy | 7,777 | #47 |
| 54 | Kathy | 7,762 | #39 |
| 55 | Janet | 7,654 | #48 |
| 56 | Sherry | 7,381 | #50 |
| 57 | Catherine | 7,243 | #54 |
| 58 | Carolyn | 6,965 | #56 |
| 59 | Ann | 6,784 | #60 |
| 60 | Laurie | 6,533 | #59 |
| 61 | Connie | 6,155 | #64 |
| 62 | Debbie | 6,088 | #52 |
| 63 | Andrea | 6,080 | #77 |
| 64 | Diana | 5,926 | #63 |
| 65 | Suzanne | 5,912 | #67 |
| 66 | Beth | 5,774 | #65 |
| 67 | Valerie | 5,648 | #66 |
| 68 | Renee | 5,496 | #71 |
| 69 | Terri | 5,373 | #62 |
| 70 | Gina | 5,267 | #79 |
| 71 | Annette | 5,262 | #68 |
| 72 | Monica | 5,113 | #90 |
| 73 | Janice | 5,029 | #69 |
| 74 | Christina | 4,979 | #88 |
| 75 | Leslie | 4,875 | #73 |
| 76 | Carla | 4,781 | #78 |
| 77 | Anne | 4,726 | #76 |
| 78 | Dana | 4,722 | #70 |
| 79 | Katherine | 4,706 | #82 |
| 80 | Lynn | 4,668 | #72 |
| 81 | Wanda | 4,654 | #81 |
| 82 | Regina | 4,548 | #83 |
| 83 | Darlene | 4,356 | #80 |
| 84 | Stacey | 4,269 | #126 |
| 85 | Tracey | 4,260 | #111 |
| 86 | Judy | 4,243 | #74 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 4,157 | #84 |
| 88 | Cathy | 4,151 | #75 |
| 89 | Bonnie | 4,130 | #89 |
| 90 | Joyce | 4,128 | #87 |
| 91 | Sherri | 4,065 | #86 |
| 92 | Sarah | 4,062 | #92 |
| 93 | Colleen | 4,028 | #94 |
| 94 | Anita | 4,017 | #85 |
| 95 | Jane | 3,927 | #93 |
| 96 | Anna | 3,920 | #97 |
| 97 | Penny | 3,898 | #96 |
| 98 | Shelly | 3,850 | #101 |
| 99 | Martha | 3,801 | #95 |
| 100 | Melinda | 3,796 | #113 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1965
| # | Name | Babies | In 1964 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 80,992 | #1 |
| 2 | John | 71,493 | #2 |
| 3 | David | 67,825 | #3 |
| 4 | James | 67,666 | #4 |
| 5 | Robert | 63,106 | #5 |
| 6 | William | 40,111 | #7 |
| 7 | Mark | 38,244 | #6 |
| 8 | Richard | 36,817 | #8 |
| 9 | Thomas | 31,595 | #9 |
| 10 | Jeffrey | 29,574 | #10 |
| 11 | Joseph | 28,630 | #11 |
| 12 | Timothy | 28,334 | #15 |
| 13 | Kevin | 28,177 | #13 |
| 14 | Steven | 27,977 | #12 |
| 15 | Scott | 25,437 | #14 |
| 16 | Paul | 24,919 | #16 |
| 17 | Daniel | 24,833 | #19 |
| 18 | Christopher | 24,640 | #23 |
| 19 | Brian | 24,552 | #20 |
| 20 | Charles | 23,494 | #17 |
| 21 | Kenneth | 22,677 | #18 |
| 22 | Anthony | 20,326 | #21 |
| 23 | Gregory | 18,205 | #22 |
| 24 | Ronald | 17,619 | #24 |
| 25 | Eric | 16,826 | #32 |
| 26 | Donald | 16,033 | #25 |
| 27 | Gary | 15,259 | #26 |
| 28 | Stephen | 14,648 | #29 |
| 29 | Edward | 14,404 | #27 |
| 30 | Todd | 13,934 | #28 |
| 31 | Patrick | 12,929 | #30 |
| 32 | Douglas | 12,787 | #31 |
| 33 | Rodney | 11,086 | #59 |
| 34 | George | 10,680 | #33 |
| 35 | Keith | 10,670 | #34 |
| 36 | Matthew | 9,982 | #43 |
| 37 | Andrew | 9,673 | #37 |
| 38 | Larry | 9,403 | #36 |
| 39 | Peter | 9,395 | #39 |
| 40 | Terry | 9,088 | #35 |
| 41 | Jerry | 9,015 | #40 |
| 42 | Randy | 8,861 | #38 |
| 43 | Frank | 8,319 | #41 |
| 44 | Dennis | 8,215 | #42 |
| 45 | Raymond | 8,051 | #44 |
| 46 | Craig | 7,877 | #48 |
| 47 | Jeffery | 7,734 | #45 |
| 48 | Tony | 6,815 | #50 |
| 49 | Roger | 6,429 | #49 |
| 50 | Bruce | 6,325 | #46 |
| 51 | Mike | 6,035 | #47 |
| 52 | Darren | 5,938 | #127 |
| 53 | Troy | 5,856 | #57 |
| 54 | Carl | 5,797 | #55 |
| 55 | Steve | 5,685 | #51 |
| 56 | Danny | 5,675 | #56 |
| 57 | Ricky | 5,659 | #54 |
| 58 | Russell | 5,645 | #58 |
| 59 | Alan | 5,612 | #53 |
| 60 | Chris | 5,479 | #65 |
| 61 | Vincent | 5,428 | #64 |
| 62 | Jeff | 5,406 | #52 |
| 63 | Bryan | 5,345 | #70 |
| 64 | Gerald | 5,252 | #60 |
| 65 | Wayne | 5,112 | #61 |
| 66 | Lawrence | 4,961 | #68 |
| 67 | Martin | 4,932 | #63 |
| 68 | Darryl | 4,925 | #87 |
| 69 | Shawn | 4,924 | #88 |
| 70 | Phillip | 4,891 | #67 |
| 71 | Joe | 4,833 | #62 |
| 72 | Bradley | 4,787 | #77 |
| 73 | Randall | 4,752 | #66 |
| 74 | Jonathan | 4,723 | #83 |
| 75 | Curtis | 4,687 | #75 |
| 75 | Johnny | 4,687 | #74 |
| 77 | Billy | 4,649 | #71 |
| 78 | Jon | 4,601 | #79 |
| 79 | Sean | 4,594 | #118 |
| 80 | Bobby | 4,588 | #73 |
| 81 | Jimmy | 4,529 | #78 |
| 82 | Walter | 4,483 | #80 |
| 83 | Dale | 4,397 | #72 |
| 84 | Samuel | 4,395 | #86 |
| 85 | Glenn | 4,355 | #81 |
| 86 | Barry | 4,324 | #69 |
| 87 | Philip | 4,278 | #76 |
| 88 | Dean | 4,096 | #85 |
| 89 | Jose | 3,966 | #94 |
| 90 | Jay | 3,944 | #84 |
| 91 | Darrell | 3,888 | #96 |
| 92 | Allen | 3,834 | #93 |
| 93 | Willie | 3,807 | #90 |
| 94 | Henry | 3,801 | #92 |
| 95 | Roy | 3,785 | #89 |
| 96 | Arthur | 3,779 | #91 |
| 97 | Tim | 3,718 | #82 |
| 98 | Victor | 3,682 | #97 |
| 99 | Harold | 3,539 | #98 |
| 100 | Albert | 3,419 | #100 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1964, or the year after, 1966, 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.