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.

Explore the 1940s decade

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