The 1951 Baby Name Report

3,683,739 babies, 9,432 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1951

👑 #1 girls: Linda (5 years running) 👑 #1 boys: James (12 years running) 329 debuts

Top girls

  1. Linda73,982
  2. Mary65,722
  3. Patricia56,446
  4. Deborah42,053
  5. Barbara40,619
  6. Susan40,228
  7. Nancy30,346
  8. Karen27,998
  9. Sandra27,666
  10. Kathleen26,716

Top boys

  1. James87,257
  2. Robert86,355
  3. John81,570
  4. Michael72,805
  5. David64,789
  6. William62,783
  7. Richard54,539
  8. Thomas48,275
  9. Charles39,408
  10. Gary38,161

Full top-50 rankings for 1951 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Mindy #772 → #476 (+296)
  2. Kyle #879 → #594 (+285)
  3. Lori #617 → #347 (+270)
  4. Jocelyn #739 → #493 (+246)
  5. Kristie #800 → #557 (+243)
  6. Denice #712 → #531 (+181)
  7. Randi #609 → #436 (+173)
  8. Jacalyn #608 → #444 (+164)
  9. Kristi #660 → #497 (+163)
  10. Allison #681 → #525 (+156)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Roseanna #487 → #740 (−253)
  2. Jacque #539 → #668 (−129)
  3. Sharyn #534 → #662 (−128)
  4. Consuelo #544 → #658 (−114)
  5. Shari #335 → #445 (−110)
  6. Mavis #579 → #687 (−108)
  7. Chuck #466 → #566 (−100)
  8. Angelina #492 → #588 (−96)
  9. Karyn #586 → #666 (−80)
  10. Pat #386 → #465 (−79)

✨ Never recorded before 1951

Debralee (19) Deniese (16) Joshlyn (14) Ilze (13) Darcell (12) Mala (12) Shaye (12) Piper (11) Shae (11) Zelinda (11)

329 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1951.

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 1951?
Linda was the #1 girl name and James the #1 boy name in 1951, out of 3,683,739 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1951?
Mindy made the biggest jump in 1951, climbing 296 spots to #476.
How many new baby names appeared in 1951?
329 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1951.