State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1953 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 15,445 South Dakota births in 1953 across 460 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.

#60Lyleoutside the national top 200
#82Lorenoutside the national top 200
#93Marlysoutside the national top 200
#93Terranceoutside the national top 200
#99Dixieoutside the national top 200
#99Jeraldoutside the national top 200
#100Kellyoutside the national top 200
#35Duane#132 nationally
#96Monica#193 nationally
#86Arnold#182 nationally
#77Lynn#170 nationally
#82Vicky#170 nationally

Girls

#1Mary314US #1
#2Linda275US #2
#3Debra251US #7
#4Susan213US #5
#5Patricia196US #4
#6Barbara170US #6
#7Deborah166US #3
#8Carol159US #16
#9Nancy159US #8
#10Karen144US #9
#11Pamela141US #10
#12Cynthia133US #12
#13Sandra120US #11
#14Kathleen114US #14
#15Cheryl111US #28
#16Diane101US #17
#17Sharon99US #15
#18Janet98US #19
#19Peggy83US #44
#20Donna81US #13
#21Julie81US #74
#22Jean69US #52
#23Marilyn67US #36
#24Janice65US #22
#25Rebecca64US #24
#26Jane62US #43
#27Kathy62US #23
#28Vicki61US #61
#29Beverly59US #34
#30Joan59US #37
#31Judy59US #27
#32Kathryn58US #48
#33Bonnie56US #45
#34Betty55US #33
#35Connie54US #47
#36Margaret53US #20
#37Joyce49US #26
#38Gail47US #39
#39Sheila47US #60
#40Paula44US #40
#41Colleen43US #115
#42Gloria43US #38
#43Rita43US #64
#44Catherine42US #35
#45Elizabeth40US #21
#46Marcia40US #84
#47Shirley39US #29
#48Katherine38US #63
#49Judith37US #30
#50Roberta36US #90
#51Ann35US #46
#52Cindy34US #99
#53Marlene34US #128
#54Ruth34US #62
#55Carla33US #129
#56Wanda32US #57
#57Dianne31US #109
#58Theresa31US #50
#59Darlene30US #75
#60Glenda30US #105
#61Vickie30US #79
#62Teresa29US #42
#63Brenda28US #18
#64Charlene28US #113
#65Virginia28US #53
#66Constance27US #95
#67Lois27US #91
#68Rose27US #59
#69Diana26US #55
#70Jacqueline26US #58
#71Laurie26US #103
#72Rhonda26US #85
#73Carolyn25US #25
#74Kay25US #146
#75Denise24US #31
#76Robin24US #66
#77Dawn23US #138
#78Elaine23US #77
#79Lynn23US #67
#80Sally23US #81
#81Sheryl23US #148
#82Vicky23US #170
#83Anne22US #80
#84Cathy22US #56
#85Jeanne22US #97
#86Joanne22US #71
#87Laura22US #51
#88Sherry22US #70
#89Victoria22US #82
#90Alice21US #73
#91Dorothy21US #49
#92Joann21US #121
#93Marlys21
#94Phyllis21US #69
#95Christine20US #32
#96Monica20US #193
#97Renee20US #134
#98Roxanne20US #179
#99Dixie19
#100Kim19US #182

Boys

#1David344US #5
#2Michael336US #3
#3James316US #2
#4Robert308US #1
#5Richard273US #7
#6Steven252US #11
#7John224US #4
#8Thomas206US #8
#9Gary197US #10
#10Douglas181US #27
#11William175US #6
#12Mark169US #12
#13Daniel145US #20
#14Ronald144US #15
#15Donald143US #14
#16Dennis135US #19
#17Charles134US #9
#18Roger133US #31
#19Larry125US #18
#20Gregory114US #24
#21Timothy109US #26
#22Dale101US #48
#23Terry99US #30
#24Randy98US #35
#25Kenneth86US #17
#26Rodney86US #58
#27Paul81US #16
#28Bruce79US #28
#29Jeffrey73US #25
#30Joseph72US #13
#31Craig66US #60
#32Stephen64US #21
#33Jerry63US #29
#34Patrick62US #39
#35Duane58US #132
#36Wayne58US #40
#37Kevin57US #36
#38Edward52US #23
#39Alan51US #43
#40Gerald51US #42
#41Allen49US #81
#42Randall47US #64
#43Keith46US #47
#44Dean45US #105
#45Scott44US #46
#46Curtis42US #86
#47Eugene38US #75
#48Micheal35US #88
#49George34US #22
#50Russell34US #71
#51Bradley33US #118
#52Gordon33US #116
#53Kim33US #127
#54Rick33US #101
#55Jack31US #57
#56Raymond30US #34
#57Danny29US #41
#58Brian27US #53
#59Lawrence27US #37
#60Lyle27
#61Gene26US #143
#62Lee26US #93
#63Ricky25US #51
#64Darrell24US #103
#65Jon24US #120
#66Francis23US #90
#67Jay23US #99
#68Marvin23US #94
#69Calvin22US #111
#70Jerome22US #107
#71Stanley22US #62
#72Clifford20US #102
#73Frank20US #33
#74Harold20US #56
#75Jeffery20US #109
#76Lonnie20US #147
#77Lynn20US #170
#78Mike20US #136
#79Ralph20US #59
#80Anthony19US #32
#81Joel19US #134
#82Loren19
#83Roy19US #55
#84Dwight18US #122
#85Kent18US #166
#86Arnold17US #182
#87Carl17US #44
#88Don17US #121
#89Glen17US #129
#90Leslie17US #135
#91Melvin17US #91
#92Peter17US #38
#93Terrance17
#94Albert16US #69
#95Allan16US #153
#96Arthur16US #50
#97Barry16US #73
#98Glenn16US #67
#99Jerald16
#100Kelly16

On the move since 1952

Rising

↑31Roberta#50
↑31Glenda#60
↑28Betty#34
↑28Carla#55
↑26Wanda#56
↑26Russell#50
↑26Lee#62
↑25Paula#40

Falling

↓39Dorothy#91
↓37Christine#95
↓31Elaine#78
↓28Joann#92
↓28Peter#92
↓27Brenda#63
↓26Anthony#80
↓22Carolyn#73

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1952 rankings.