State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1950 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 15,293 South Dakota births in 1950 across 463 distinct names.

Distinctively South Dakota

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

#48Lyleoutside the national top 200
#68Lorenoutside the national top 200
#78Jeraldoutside the national top 200
#84Darlaoutside the national top 200
#86Lelandoutside the national top 200
#91Daryloutside the national top 200
#29Duane#137 nationally
#96Karlaoutside the national top 200
#98Vickyoutside the national top 200
#74Candace#172 nationally
#63Lynn#154 nationally
#47Kay#123 nationally

Girls

#1Linda394US #1
#2Mary338US #2
#3Barbara236US #4
#4Patricia197US #3
#5Sandra196US #8
#6Nancy173US #6
#7Susan170US #5
#8Carol169US #9
#9Kathleen156US #10
#10Sharon123US #11
#11Diane122US #16
#12Donna121US #13
#13Karen114US #12
#14Janet93US #18
#15Cheryl87US #29
#16Judy87US #25
#17Pamela87US #17
#18Deborah86US #7
#19Judith82US #21
#20Cynthia80US #23
#21Marilyn76US #37
#22Peggy76US #41
#23Janice73US #22
#24Bonnie70US #33
#25Jean69US #48
#26Kathryn69US #46
#27Margaret68US #15
#28Joyce64US #27
#29Shirley64US #19
#30Beverly63US #31
#31Betty62US #26
#32Connie60US #44
#33Gloria57US #30
#34Vicki55US #61
#35Jane53US #39
#36Joan51US #40
#37Ruth48US #49
#38Elizabeth43US #24
#39Lois42US #83
#40Diana41US #47
#41Marcia41US #77
#42Carolyn40US #20
#43Debra39US #59
#44Rebecca39US #36
#45Darlene38US #79
#46Katherine38US #58
#47Kay38US #123
#48Rita38US #56
#49Catherine37US #34
#50Dianne37US #90
#51Elaine37US #60
#52Julie36US #111
#53Kathy36US #38
#54Sherry36US #62
#55Dorothy35US #35
#56Brenda33US #14
#57Constance33US #85
#58Jacqueline33US #55
#59Colleen29US #124
#60Gail29US #42
#61Helen29US #50
#62Marlene29US #112
#63Marsha29US #68
#64Joann28US #98
#65Roberta28US #96
#66Sheila28US #70
#67Glenda27US #87
#68Phyllis26US #53
#69Jo25US #64
#70Virginia25US #43
#71Wanda25US #52
#72Ann24US #45
#73Victoria24US #94
#74Candace23US #172
#75Paula23US #54
#76Teresa23US #81
#77Alice22US #57
#78Eileen22US #91
#79Jeanne22US #95
#80Laura22US #63
#81Rose22US #69
#82Vickie22US #108
#83Anita21US #99
#84Darla21
#85Lynn21US #76
#86Joanne20US #67
#87Charlotte19US #80
#88Frances19US #51
#89Theresa19US #65
#90Valerie19US #116
#91Ellen18US #66
#92Jill18US #142
#93Sheryl18US #145
#94Cathy17US #75
#95Geraldine17US #102
#96Karla17
#97Rhonda17US #125
#98Vicky17
#99Carla16US #160
#100Charlene16US #103

Boys

#1David403US #5
#2Robert353US #2
#3James337US #1
#4Michael316US #4
#5John293US #3
#6Gary252US #10
#7Richard244US #7
#8Thomas213US #8
#9Dennis200US #17
#10Ronald187US #12
#11William186US #6
#12Steven177US #16
#13Larry176US #11
#14Donald154US #14
#15Douglas151US #28
#16Daniel136US #21
#17Kenneth132US #15
#18Charles126US #9
#19Roger124US #27
#20Gregory119US #25
#21Paul108US #18
#22Terry105US #30
#23Jerry96US #24
#24Gerald83US #34
#25Dale81US #49
#26Mark81US #23
#27Wayne74US #35
#28Bruce72US #26
#29Duane60US #137
#30Stephen60US #19
#31Joseph58US #13
#32Alan56US #41
#33Randall56US #70
#34Rodney56US #88
#35George55US #20
#36Timothy55US #32
#37Jeffrey54US #43
#38Patrick54US #38
#39Keith46US #78
#40Randy46US #80
#41Craig44US #69
#42Eugene41US #58
#43Raymond41US #31
#44Lawrence40US #33
#45Dean39US #120
#46Edward38US #22
#47Jack38US #48
#48Lyle37
#49Danny36US #39
#50Russell34US #67
#51Scott32US #82
#52Kevin30US #73
#53Darrell29US #116
#54Gene29US #122
#55Curtis28US #97
#56Harold28US #45
#57Leonard28US #77
#58Jerome26US #103
#59Micheal26US #104
#60Philip26US #53
#61Allen25US #71
#62Brian25US #79
#63Lynn25US #154
#64Stanley24US #60
#65Warren24US #118
#66Lee23US #91
#67Leroy23US #102
#68Loren23
#69Melvin23US #87
#70Steve23US #83
#71Martin22US #85
#72Ralph22US #52
#73Mike21US #113
#74Vernon21US #134
#75Arthur20US #46
#76Barry20US #74
#77Glenn20US #59
#78Jerald20
#79Ricky20US #128
#80Gordon19US #108
#81Jon19US #138
#82Norman19US #90
#83Clifford18US #100
#84Francis18US #86
#85Jay18US #115
#86Leland18
#87Leslie18US #126
#88Allan17US #142
#89Anthony17US #36
#90Frank17US #29
#91Daryl16
#92Harry16US #61
#93Leon16US #119
#94Lloyd16US #127
#95Neil16US #156
#96Alvin15US #121
#97Andrew15US #68
#98Bradley15US #152
#99Fred15US #84
#100Frederick15US #75

On the move since 1949

Rising

↑50Debra#43
↑36Brian#62
↑35Kevin#52
↑28Philip#60
↑26Jacqueline#58
↑23Katherine#46
↑23Gail#60
↑22Rebecca#44

Falling

↓32Sheryl#93
↓31Leslie#87
↓28Jeanne#79
↓27Sheila#66
↓20Frank#90
↓18Allen#61
↓17Constance#57
↓17Arthur#75

Every state

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