State roster

Top names in California

The names most likely to appear on 1951 California birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 250,471 California births in 1951 across 2,007 distinct names.

Distinctively California

Names that rank far higher here than they do nationally — the ones that say California more than they say America.

#96Ruben#200 nationally
#79Yolanda#179 nationally
#67Manuel#158 nationally
#99Carlos#189 nationally
#80Christina#158 nationally
#63Laurie#139 nationally
#55Robin#122 nationally
#75Gilbert#142 nationally
#76Mike#128 nationally
#82Leslie#133 nationally
#95Rick#143 nationally
#59Irene#105 nationally

Girls

#1Linda4,884US #1
#2Patricia3,546US #3
#3Susan3,346US #6
#4Mary3,186US #2
#5Deborah2,736US #4
#6Kathleen2,417US #10
#7Karen2,155US #8
#8Barbara2,137US #5
#9Nancy2,044US #7
#10Sandra1,816US #9
#11Sharon1,754US #13
#12Christine1,737US #24
#13Carol1,734US #11
#14Debra1,510US #18
#15Pamela1,505US #16
#16Donna1,448US #12
#17Diane1,357US #15
#18Cynthia1,240US #20
#19Janet1,234US #19
#20Margaret1,028US #17
#21Janice1,021US #21
#22Cheryl993US #30
#23Elizabeth951US #23
#24Catherine874US #34
#25Judith870US #25
#26Judy808US #26
#27Gloria799US #31
#28Denise749US #48
#29Gail746US #36
#30Rebecca728US #32
#31Carolyn722US #22
#32Shirley702US #27
#33Kathryn699US #45
#34Brenda681US #14
#35Katherine667US #55
#36Diana651US #50
#37Victoria648US #81
#38Marilyn646US #41
#39Maria623US #75
#40Teresa619US #63
#41Laura614US #60
#42Virginia595US #47
#43Kathy583US #35
#44Beverly576US #33
#45Joyce565US #28
#46Joan550US #39
#47Peggy548US #40
#48Martha544US #38
#49Bonnie541US #37
#50Paula510US #51
#51Lynn490US #72
#52Betty475US #29
#53Ann474US #46
#54Theresa470US #64
#55Robin464US #122
#56Vicki456US #58
#57Sally431US #77
#58Jacqueline429US #56
#59Irene426US #105
#60Suzanne418US #83
#61Helen415US #54
#62Alice409US #62
#63Laurie407US #139
#64Rose398US #65
#65Jane394US #43
#66Julie394US #99
#67Rita393US #61
#68Frances392US #59
#69Valerie386US #100
#70Jean385US #49
#71Sylvia384US #97
#72Connie379US #44
#73Ruth378US #53
#74Marsha373US #76
#75Cathy371US #71
#76Terry366US #115
#77Dorothy358US #42
#78Joanne356US #73
#79Yolanda356US #179
#80Christina352US #158
#81Elaine350US #66
#82Leslie347US #133
#83Darlene342US #79
#84Sheila341US #69
#85Sherry340US #70
#86Anita334US #96
#87Ellen330US #68
#88Wendy330US #110
#89Marie325US #78
#90Yvonne323US #101
#91Anne322US #82
#92Jo318US #67
#93Phyllis317US #57
#94Claudia309US #123
#95Marcia309US #74
#96Michele306US #125
#97Lorraine305US #102
#98Stephanie298US #129
#99Gayle295US #124
#100Jeanne290US #98

Boys

#1Michael6,192US #4
#2Robert6,167US #2
#3John5,581US #3
#4David4,943US #5
#5James4,758US #1
#6Richard4,510US #7
#7William3,712US #6
#8Steven3,323US #13
#9Gary2,957US #10
#10Thomas2,751US #8
#11Mark2,038US #20
#12Ronald2,025US #12
#13Charles2,005US #9
#14Stephen1,892US #19
#15Daniel1,818US #21
#16Donald1,810US #15
#17Dennis1,712US #17
#18Kenneth1,703US #16
#19Larry1,652US #11
#20Paul1,624US #18
#21Gregory1,367US #25
#22Joseph1,301US #14
#23Edward1,216US #23
#24Timothy1,169US #28
#25George1,161US #22
#26Bruce1,159US #26
#27Douglas1,034US #27
#28Frank966US #31
#29Jeffrey920US #35
#30Patrick827US #39
#31Christopher812US #61
#32Anthony791US #34
#33Raymond768US #32
#34Lawrence765US #33
#35Jerry740US #24
#36Craig703US #63
#37Peter695US #38
#38Alan658US #40
#39Terry654US #30
#40Roger644US #29
#41Jack586US #48
#42Scott570US #68
#43Arthur569US #44
#44Gerald555US #36
#45Brian530US #75
#46Randy519US #56
#47Wayne519US #37
#48Danny500US #41
#49Joe497US #57
#50Dale496US #49
#51Stanley483US #54
#52Randall473US #66
#53Steve469US #86
#54Ralph449US #51
#55Henry444US #47
#56Philip436US #55
#57Glenn435US #58
#58Phillip420US #79
#59Eric411US #93
#60Keith410US #59
#61Albert404US #60
#62Martin401US #81
#63Kevin390US #53
#64Russell387US #73
#65Rodney384US #84
#66Walter378US #42
#67Manuel377US #158
#68Jose374US #113
#69Carl360US #43
#70Roy356US #52
#71Leonard352US #80
#72Andrew347US #69
#73Fred339US #87
#74Harold339US #46
#75Gilbert328US #142
#76Mike326US #128
#77Barry317US #71
#78Allen316US #72
#79Ernest314US #83
#80Victor312US #110
#81Louis311US #76
#82Eugene299US #65
#83Howard294US #74
#84Frederick291US #78
#85Norman282US #90
#86Johnny277US #50
#87Alfred267US #100
#88Lee260US #92
#89Samuel255US #67
#90Don251US #117
#91Harry251US #70
#92Clifford247US #101
#93Dean245US #105
#94Gordon243US #108
#95Rick240US #143
#96Ruben239US #200
#97Jesse238US #115
#98Micheal236US #97
#99Carlos229US #189
#100Dan226US #136

On the move since 1950

Rising

↑27Valerie#69
↑22Denise#28
↑21Debra#14
↑17Robin#55
↑16Randy#46
↑16Kevin#63
↑15Rose#64
↑14Eric#59

Falling

↓28Stephanie#98
↓22Sherry#85
↓18Marsha#74
↓15Cathy#75
↓14Frances#68
↓13Elaine#81
↓13Carl#69
↓13Harold#74

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1950 rankings.