State roster

Top names in North Carolina

The names most likely to appear on 1950 North Carolina birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 98,506 North Carolina births in 1950 across 1,194 distinct names.

Distinctively North Carolina

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

#93Cliftonoutside the national top 200
#43Donnie#150 nationally
#95Hazeloutside the national top 200
#97Linwoodoutside the national top 200
#99Lillieoutside the national top 200
#57Charlie#151 nationally
#96Rachel#189 nationally
#67Edna#157 nationally
#93Gladys#182 nationally
#98Thelma#187 nationally
#73Johnnie#157 nationally
#73Rosa#155 nationally

Girls

#1Linda2,343US #1
#2Mary2,034US #2
#3Brenda1,604US #14
#4Patricia1,354US #3
#5Barbara1,179US #4
#6Carolyn913US #20
#7Sandra868US #8
#8Betty841US #26
#9Judy810US #25
#10Shirley770US #19
#11Deborah742US #7
#12Nancy715US #6
#13Susan592US #5
#14Joyce590US #27
#15Martha565US #32
#16Wanda565US #52
#17Margaret536US #15
#18Janice519US #22
#19Donna503US #13
#20Elizabeth501US #24
#21Gloria439US #30
#22Dorothy431US #35
#23Peggy424US #41
#24Rebecca406US #36
#25Sharon404US #11
#26Phyllis387US #53
#27Annie386US #106
#28Cynthia376US #23
#29Kathy365US #38
#30Carol361US #9
#31Doris354US #74
#32Pamela353US #17
#33Alice333US #57
#34Frances319US #51
#35Helen315US #50
#36Janet306US #18
#37Karen302US #12
#38Sarah300US #88
#39Sylvia267US #97
#40Glenda263US #87
#41Beverly251US #31
#42Vickie251US #108
#43Virginia241US #43
#44Catherine240US #34
#45Jane236US #39
#46Evelyn218US #86
#47Bonnie217US #33
#48Jo217US #64
#49Joan217US #40
#50Patsy213US #117
#51Teresa205US #81
#52Ann204US #45
#53Ruth204US #49
#54Jacqueline199US #55
#55Cathy197US #75
#56Connie195US #44
#57Diane194US #16
#58Gwendolyn194US #113
#59Sherry188US #62
#60Ruby186US #130
#61Judith184US #21
#62Gail181US #42
#63Rita178US #56
#64Sheila175US #70
#65Julia165US #119
#66Laura158US #63
#67Edna157US #157
#68Jean154US #48
#69Lois154US #83
#70Marilyn151US #37
#71Geraldine147US #102
#72Mildred147US #135
#73Rosa145US #155
#74Katherine143US #58
#75Kathryn141US #46
#76Dianne139US #90
#77Christine134US #28
#78Edith134US #150
#79Emma134US #154
#80Delores132US #129
#81Debra131US #59
#82Vivian131US #138
#83Paula126US #54
#84Vicki126US #61
#85Marsha122US #68
#86Norma119US #104
#87Cheryl118US #29
#88Ellen114US #66
#89Marie114US #72
#90Rhonda113US #125
#91Theresa113US #65
#92Kay112US #123
#93Gladys111US #182
#94Rose106US #69
#95Hazel105
#96Rachel103US #189
#97Sue102US #100
#98Thelma102US #187
#99Lillie101
#100Ethel100US #176

Boys

#1James3,323US #1
#2William2,311US #6
#3Robert1,832US #2
#4John1,705US #3
#5Larry1,601US #11
#6Charles1,494US #9
#7David1,364US #5
#8Michael1,132US #4
#9Thomas928US #8
#10Jerry916US #24
#11Ronald816US #12
#12Donald780US #14
#13Richard777US #7
#14George722US #20
#15Kenneth686US #15
#16Gary614US #10
#17Joseph577US #13
#18Willie546US #42
#19Roger509US #27
#20Bobby470US #65
#21Johnny470US #50
#22Edward465US #22
#23Danny452US #39
#24Jimmy419US #55
#25Stephen400US #19
#26Billy373US #57
#27Dennis367US #17
#28Terry366US #30
#29Ronnie358US #76
#30Henry351US #47
#31Paul341US #18
#32Walter331US #40
#33Steven321US #16
#34Harold310US #45
#35Roy296US #51
#36Samuel291US #62
#37Daniel259US #21
#38Douglas249US #28
#39Wayne247US #35
#40Carl244US #44
#41Phillip241US #64
#42Tommy230US #94
#43Donnie219US #150
#44Eddie217US #89
#45Harry215US #61
#46Clarence208US #95
#47Ralph205US #52
#48Frank201US #29
#49Melvin201US #87
#50Raymond201US #31
#51Steve200US #83
#52Timothy199US #32
#53Gerald198US #34
#54Ernest194US #81
#55Joe191US #54
#56Bruce190US #26
#57Charlie184US #151
#58Howard182US #63
#59Eugene176US #58
#60Jack176US #48
#61Albert175US #56
#62Randy170US #80
#63Calvin169US #105
#64Fred168US #84
#65Marvin167US #93
#66Allen162US #71
#67Earl162US #92
#68Tony162US #149
#69Arthur161US #46
#70Jesse161US #114
#71Glenn158US #59
#72Curtis156US #97
#73Johnnie155US #157
#74Lawrence140US #33
#75Gregory139US #25
#76Barry136US #74
#77Clyde135US #136
#78Lee130US #91
#79Anthony126US #36
#80Herbert125US #112
#81Milton122US #161
#82Alvin120US #121
#83Leroy119US #102
#84Mark119US #23
#85Benjamin118US #123
#86Ray118US #111
#87Alfred114US #96
#88Andrew111US #68
#89Lonnie111US #135
#90Jackie110US #140
#91Norman110US #90
#92Ricky110US #128
#93Clifton108
#94Leonard108US #77
#95Jimmie106US #141
#96Leon104US #119
#97Linwood101
#98Russell99US #67
#99Stanley98US #60
#100Christopher96US #72

On the move since 1949

Rising

↑22Randy#62
↑21Donnie#43
↑19Timothy#52
↑17Cathy#55
↑17Paula#83
↑14Allen#66
↑14Gregory#75
↑13Milton#81

Falling

↓23Mildred#72
↓23Jimmie#95
↓20Curtis#72
↓14Judith#61
↓14Jackie#90
↓13Joe#55
↓12Jean#68
↓12Ray#86

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1949 rankings.