The 1949 Baby Name Report

3,484,776 babies, 9,240 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1949

👑 #1 girls: Linda (3 years running) 👑 #1 boys: James (10 years running) 277 debuts

Top girls

  1. Linda91,016
  2. Mary66,869
  3. Patricia46,325
  4. Barbara42,599
  5. Susan37,709
  6. Sandra30,643
  7. Nancy29,248
  8. Carol26,781
  9. Kathleen26,357
  10. Sharon25,713

Top boys

  1. James86,859
  2. Robert83,876
  3. John81,180
  4. William61,504
  5. Michael60,046
  6. David59,610
  7. Richard50,947
  8. Thomas45,195
  9. Charles40,047
  10. Larry31,817

Full top-50 rankings for 1949 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Althea #761 → #545 (+216)
  2. Belinda #381 → #185 (+196)
  3. Donn #530 → #366 (+164)
  4. Shelley #391 → #233 (+158)
  5. Randell #610 → #465 (+145)
  6. Shari #496 → #358 (+138)
  7. Lynnette #606 → #476 (+130)
  8. Kirk #369 → #241 (+128)
  9. Unknown #520 → #402 (+118)
  10. Christy #495 → #384 (+111)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Arleen #569 → #743 (−174)
  2. Aleta #551 → #702 (−151)
  3. Stan #458 → #578 (−120)
  4. Judi #413 → #531 (−118)
  5. Sharyn #315 → #431 (−116)
  6. Dottie #587 → #693 (−106)
  7. Pam #327 → #428 (−101)
  8. Chris #436 → #532 (−96)
  9. Pat #207 → #299 (−92)
  10. Dick #286 → #368 (−82)

✨ Never recorded before 1949

Rainelle (46) Rainell (24) Randye (24) Clovia (22) Ezzard (21) Keary (16) Belynda (11) Darrylin (11) Lexa (11) Brendalee (10)

277 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1949.

Expecting in 2027?
From shortlist to first steps — track your baby's growth and milestones with MyBadak. Free to start.
Start with MyBadak →
What were the most popular baby names in 1949?
Linda was the #1 girl name and James the #1 boy name in 1949, out of 3,484,776 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1949?
Althea made the biggest jump in 1949, climbing 216 spots to #545.
How many new baby names appeared in 1949?
277 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1949.