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Popular 1950s Girl Names

1950s girl names

Do you have a little girl on the way and are looking for a baby name dripping with vintage charm? The Fabulous Fifties might prove to be a great, unexpected source of inspiration. Of course, many of the most popular names of the 1950s sound a bit too time-stamped for a baby born today (sorry, Debra and Donna), but there are also plenty of mid-century favorites as well as more unusual 1950s' girl names that wouldn't raise any eyebrows on today's playgrounds.

To get your gears turning, let's first have a look at the top 10 girl names of the decade, as ranked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. Note: Names marked with an asterisk (*) reached the height of their popularity in the 50s, so they might give off a particularly strong mid-century vibe, if that's what you're after.

Top 10 Girl's Names of the 1950s

  1. Mary. This biblical classic was the most popular girl's name in the 1950s, with more than 600,000 girls getting the name during the fifties' baby boom.
  2. Linda*. The fifties' runner-up, Linda, means 'beautiful' in Spanish.
  3. Patricia*. From the same roots as the word 'patrician', meaning 'noble', this fifties' favorite comes with a lot of possible nicknames ranging from Pat and Patti to Tris and Tricia.
  4. Susan*. Susan may have been one of the most popular girl names in mid-century America, but like so many of her contemporaries, it's struggling to find favor with the current crop of moms and dads.
  5. Deborah*. If we had to pick one baby name that defines the fifties, it would have to be Deborah. Not only did this old biblical name shoot up the charts like a bullet during the decade, but it also gave rise to Debra, another top 10 name.
  6. Barbara. Today, baby Barbaras are few and far between, but back in the 1950s, Barbara was the sixth most popular choice for baby girls.
  7. Debra*. This pared-down version of Deborah seemed to emerge out of nowhere in the mid-twentieth century and immediately experienced a meteoric rise in popularity.
  8. Karen*. Karen may have been a perfectly on-trend name for a daughter in the 1950s, but today, baby Karen*s are a rare breed—for obvious reasons.
  9. Nancy*. This succinct girls' name was all the rage during the mid-20th century baby boom; not so much today. Good news if you're looking a name that will make your baby girl stand out among all the little Olivias and Emmas.
  10. Donna*. Seems locked in the 1950s.

See anything you like? If not, let's move on to the Top 100. The following list includes all the names that didn't make it to the Top 10 but that were among the 100 most popular girl names in the 1950s.