Most popular names of the 1950s
The most popular names for babies born in the US in the 1950s were Mary for girls and James for boys. Mary was given to about 33 per 1,000 girls, and James to about 42 per 1,000 boys. New in the girls' top 10 compared with the 1940s: Deborah, Debra, Karen and Donna. New in the boys' top 10: Mark.
Girls
| # | Name | Share of girls | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 33 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Linda | 30 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Patricia | 24 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | Susan | 23 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | Deborah new | 22 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | Barbara | 18 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Debra new | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Karen new | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Nancy | 15 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Donna new | 14 per 1,000 |
Boys
| # | Name | Share of boys | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James | 42 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Michael | 41 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Robert | 41 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | John | 40 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | David | 38 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | William | 29 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Richard | 27 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Thomas | 23 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Mark new | 19 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Charles | 18 per 1,000 |
"Share" is the average share of babies of that sex who got the name in each year of the decade. Each small curve runs from 1880 to 2025. Source: US Social Security Administration.