Birth year roster
Top names in 1951
The names most likely to appear on 1951 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Linda and James led the 1951 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 1951 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Linda73,982
- #2Mary65,721
- #3Patricia56,446
- #4Deborah42,053
- #5Barbara40,617
- #6Susan40,228
- #7Nancy30,346
- #8Karen27,998
- #9Sandra27,665
- #10Kathleen26,716
- #11Carol24,781
- #12Donna24,074
- #13Sharon23,920
- #14Brenda21,717
- #15Diane19,840
- #16Pamela18,570
- #17Margaret17,692
- #18Debra17,064
- #19Janet16,947
- #20Cynthia16,295
- #21Janice15,958
- #22Carolyn15,206
- #23Elizabeth15,118
- #24Christine15,017
- #25Judith14,935
Boys
- #1James87,256
- #2Robert86,353
- #3John81,569
- #4Michael72,807
- #5David64,788
- #6William62,781
- #7Richard54,541
- #8Thomas48,275
- #9Charles39,406
- #10Gary38,160
- #11Larry30,558
- #12Ronald29,049
- #13Steven28,363
- #14Joseph28,147
- #15Donald27,916
- #16Kenneth25,841
- #17Dennis24,264
- #18Paul22,853
- #19Stephen22,474
- #20Mark21,201
- #21Daniel21,121
- #22George20,212
- #23Edward19,913
- #24Jerry15,164
- #25Gregory14,102