Birth year roster

Top names in 1949

Name: Top baby names in 1949
Creator: Social Security Administration

The names most likely to appear on 1949 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.

Linda and James led the 1949 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — Linda, which rose to prominence in this era and James, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1949 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.

Girls

#1Linda91,015
#2Mary66,874
#3Patricia46,324
#4Barbara42,600
#5Susan37,709
#6Sandra30,643
#7Nancy29,249
#8Carol26,780
#9Kathleen26,357
#10Sharon25,713
#11Karen22,468
#12Donna22,056
#13Brenda20,543
#14Margaret19,452
#15Deborah19,209
#16Judith17,610
#17Carolyn17,404
#18Shirley17,281
#19Diane17,252
#20Judy15,979
#21Pamela15,132
#22Betty14,936
#23Janet14,860
#24Janice14,453
#25Elizabeth13,714

Boys

#1James86,858
#2Robert83,873
#3John81,178
#4William61,506
#5Michael60,047
#6David59,611
#7Richard50,946
#8Thomas45,192
#9Charles40,052
#10Larry31,819
#11Ronald31,502
#12Gary28,935
#13Donald27,121
#14Joseph26,408
#15Kenneth23,589
#16Dennis21,746
#17Paul21,589
#18George21,308
#19Stephen20,488
#20Steven19,923
#21Edward19,174
#22Daniel18,240
#23Jerry15,871
#24Mark13,725
#25Roger12,821