Birth year roster
Top names in 1950
The names most likely to appear on 1950 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Linda and James led the 1950 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — Linda, which rose to prominence in this era and James, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1950 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Linda80,433
- #2Mary65,481
- #3Patricia47,944
- #4Barbara41,556
- #5Susan38,017
- #6Nancy29,617
- #7Deborah29,063
- #8Sandra28,896
- #9Carol26,163
- #10Kathleen25,706
- #11Sharon24,612
- #12Karen24,132
- #13Donna21,629
- #14Brenda20,799
- #15Margaret18,110
- #16Diane17,636
- #17Pamela16,202
- #18Janet16,193
- #19Shirley15,891
- #20Carolyn15,588
- #21Judith15,352
- #22Janice15,012
- #23Cynthia14,447
- #24Elizabeth14,334
- #25Judy14,207
Boys
- #1James86,228
- #2Robert83,553
- #3John79,412
- #4Michael65,136
- #5David60,729
- #6William60,680
- #7Richard51,003
- #8Thomas45,596
- #9Charles39,095
- #10Gary33,737
- #11Larry31,480
- #12Ronald29,908
- #13Joseph27,022
- #14Donald26,999
- #15Kenneth23,813
- #16Steven23,250
- #17Dennis22,862
- #18Paul21,742
- #19Stephen20,511
- #20George20,183
- #21Daniel19,189
- #22Edward18,714
- #23Mark16,604
- #24Jerry15,261
- #25Gregory13,311