State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1956 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 15,684 South Dakota births in 1956 across 498 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.

#43Karlaoutside the national top 200
#59Darlaoutside the national top 200
#69Lyleoutside the national top 200
#70Lynnoutside the national top 200
#71Lorenoutside the national top 200
#81Kelly#190 nationally
#94Monteoutside the national top 200
#95Lynetteoutside the national top 200
#55Todd#156 nationally
#80Tim#174 nationally
#62Kay#154 nationally
#59Kent#149 nationally

Girls

#1Debra280US #2
#2Mary270US #1
#3Susan223US #5
#4Linda195US #3
#5Nancy165US #11
#6Cynthia144US #8
#7Patricia143US #6
#8Barbara141US #9
#9Karen141US #7
#10Sandra130US #14
#11Pamela127US #12
#12Donna108US #10
#13Deborah106US #4
#14Carol105US #16
#15Cheryl102US #18
#16Julie96US #48
#17Kathleen94US #17
#18Sharon92US #13
#19Diane88US #15
#20Connie80US #43
#21Cindy77US #37
#22Lori77US #66
#23Peggy77US #63
#24Teresa68US #24
#25Janet65US #21
#26Judy59US #35
#27Kathy57US #20
#28Brenda56US #19
#29Dawn55US #92
#30Janice55US #26
#31Jean55US #65
#32Kim55US #38
#33Elizabeth54US #22
#34Jane53US #50
#35Kathryn51US #60
#36Vickie51US #68
#37Rebecca50US #27
#38Vicki50US #57
#39Bonnie46US #51
#40Joan45US #52
#41Ann44US #46
#42Paula44US #47
#43Karla43
#44Margaret42US #25
#45Joyce41US #30
#46Marilyn41US #70
#47Rhonda41US #62
#48Catherine40US #28
#49Laurie40US #76
#50Colleen38US #113
#51Katherine38US #67
#52Robin37US #29
#53Theresa37US #32
#54Beverly36US #40
#55Debbie36US #39
#56Gail36US #49
#57Lois36US #135
#58Sheila36US #55
#59Darla35
#60Marcia34US #110
#61Shirley34US #41
#62Kay33US #154
#63Ruth33US #77
#64Betty32US #44
#65Carla31US #130
#66Denise31US #23
#67Wanda31US #61
#68Jeanne29US #112
#69Becky28US #144
#70Lisa28US #31
#71Rita28US #79
#72Sheryl28US #114
#73Valerie28US #80
#74Jo26US #69
#75Sherry26US #54
#76Wendy26US #95
#77Jacqueline25US #78
#78Lynn25US #58
#79Vicky25US #146
#80Judith24US #45
#81Kimberly24US #74
#82Laura24US #34
#83Renee24US #106
#84Carolyn23US #33
#85Charlene23US #132
#86Elaine23US #89
#87Glenda23US #134
#88Jill23US #101
#89Diana22US #56
#90Monica22US #169
#91Roberta22US #116
#92Anita21US #83
#93Darlene21US #71
#94Gloria21US #53
#95Lynette21
#96Roxanne21US #172
#97Sally21US #105
#98Suzanne21US #94
#99Terri21US #81
#100Michele20US #100

Boys

#1Michael347US #1
#2David323US #4
#3Steven286US #10
#4Robert282US #3
#5James279US #2
#6Mark266US #8
#7John216US #5
#8Richard186US #7
#9Thomas172US #9
#10Douglas159US #29
#11Kevin158US #22
#12Daniel155US #18
#13William154US #6
#14Timothy140US #19
#15Randy131US #28
#16Gary126US #13
#17Terry122US #31
#18Donald119US #14
#19Ronald115US #15
#20Gregory114US #24
#21Jeffrey113US #20
#22Paul106US #17
#23Larry104US #21
#24Kenneth98US #16
#25Bruce94US #33
#26Scott91US #34
#27Charles89US #11
#28Dale88US #50
#29Craig86US #51
#30Roger86US #41
#31Rodney82US #65
#32Joseph80US #12
#33Dennis79US #26
#34Brian64US #32
#35Keith63US #36
#36Patrick61US #40
#37Randall60US #54
#38Bradley59US #103
#39Alan55US #44
#40Wayne55US #45
#41Jerry54US #35
#42Kim53US #118
#43Gerald47US #49
#44Steve47US #59
#45Duane46US #127
#46Russell44US #52
#47Dean43US #99
#48Curtis39US #80
#49Edward39US #25
#50Stephen35US #23
#51Allen31US #87
#52Ricky31US #43
#53Rick30US #100
#54Jon29US #116
#55Todd29US #156
#56Anthony28US #30
#57Darrell28US #88
#58Joel28US #106
#59Kent28US #149
#60Peter28US #37
#61Raymond28US #39
#62Jay27US #92
#63Brad26US #142
#64George26US #27
#65Micheal26US #83
#66Stanley26US #70
#67Frank25US #38
#68Jim25US #148
#69Lyle25
#70Lynn25
#71Loren24
#72Martin24US #73
#73Calvin23US #109
#74Dwight23US #139
#75Gordon23US #130
#76Jack23US #66
#77Glenn22US #61
#78Jeffery22US #57
#79Lawrence22US #42
#80Tim22US #174
#81Kelly21US #190
#82Matthew21US #90
#83Barry20US #69
#84Dan20US #133
#85Eugene20US #86
#86Marvin20US #105
#87Norman20US #107
#88Glen19US #125
#89Jerome19US #117
#90Kurt19US #138
#91Tom19US #161
#92Danny18US #46
#93Leonard18US #89
#94Monte18
#95Harold17US #72
#96Leslie17US #152
#97Lonnie17US #155
#98Philip17US #64
#99Chris16US #128
#100Mike16US #97

On the move since 1955

Rising

↑46Karla#43
↑36Kim#32
↑34Anthony#56
↑30Todd#55
↑27Sheryl#72
↑26Carla#65
↑26Frank#67
↑25Jay#62

Falling

↓46Mike#100
↓35Danny#92
↓33Laura#82
↓32Sally#97
↓31Leslie#96
↓25Marvin#86
↓24Rita#71
↓24Elaine#86

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1955 rankings.