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Top baby names of 1956

One birth year · Mary · Michael lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in 1956, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. See also the whole 1950s. Then see which names rose and fell after 1956 and what is climbing now.

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The 1956 lists

Girls100

  1. 1Mary61,741
  2. 2Debra48,324
  3. 3Linda48,084
  4. 4Deborah47,834
  5. 5Susan46,558
  6. 6Patricia43,329
  7. 7Karen40,052
  8. 8Cynthia32,339
  9. 9Barbara32,302
  10. 10Donna29,852
  11. 11Nancy28,784
  12. 12Pamela26,928
  13. 13Sharon26,881
  14. 14Sandra24,302
  15. 15Diane22,518
  16. 16Carol21,408
  17. 17Kathleen21,377
  18. 18Cheryl21,278
  19. 19Brenda19,341
  20. 20Kathy17,177
  21. 21Janet16,758
  22. 22Elizabeth16,355
  23. 23Denise14,509
  24. 24Teresa14,464
  25. 25Margaret13,913
  26. 26Janice13,017
  27. 27Rebecca12,168
  28. 28Catherine12,056
  29. 29Robin11,621
  30. 30Joyce11,091
  31. 31Lisa11,012
  32. 32Theresa10,841
  33. 33Carolyn10,634
  34. 34Laura10,570
  35. 35Judy10,197
  36. 36Cathy10,132
  37. 37Cindy9,978
  38. 38Kim9,897
  39. 39Debbie9,863
  40. 40Beverly9,449
  41. 41Shirley9,429
  42. 42Christine9,371
  43. 43Connie9,361
  44. 44Betty9,218
  45. 45Judith9,115
  46. 46Ann8,990
  47. 47Paula8,925
  48. 48Julie8,574
  49. 49Gail8,435
  50. 50Jane8,241
  51. 51Bonnie8,133
  52. 52Joan8,080
  53. 53Gloria7,927
  54. 54Sherry7,898
  55. 55Sheila7,872
  56. 56Diana7,851
  57. 57Vicki7,767
  58. 58Lynn7,736
  59. 59Martha7,711
  60. 60Kathryn7,594
  61. 61Wanda7,546
  62. 62Rhonda7,521
  63. 63Peggy7,494
  64. 64Rose7,337
  65. 65Jean7,175
  66. 66Lori7,145
  67. 67Katherine7,082
  68. 68Vickie6,957
  69. 69Jo6,953
  70. 70Marilyn6,926
  71. 71Darlene6,919
  72. 72Dorothy6,858
  73. 73Maria6,733
  74. 74Kimberly6,730
  75. 75Virginia6,392
  76. 76Laurie6,207
  77. 77Ruth6,075
  78. 78Jacqueline6,062
  79. 79Rita6,054
  80. 80Valerie5,909
  81. 81Terri5,744
  82. 82Phyllis5,642
  83. 83Anita5,505
  84. 84Ellen5,432
  85. 85Victoria5,388
  86. 86Anne5,356
  87. 87Tina5,330
  88. 88Michelle5,327
  89. 89Elaine5,310
  90. 90Helen5,278
  91. 91Terry5,272
  92. 92Dawn5,128
  93. 93Angela5,034
  94. 94Suzanne5,024
  95. 95Wendy4,861
  96. 96Marie4,794
  97. 97Jennifer4,711
  98. 98Alice4,680
  99. 99Joanne4,671
  100. 100Michele4,617

US babies given each name in 1956.

Boys100

  1. 1Michael90,691
  2. 2James84,897
  3. 3Robert83,924
  4. 4David81,652
  5. 5John80,804
  6. 6William58,991
  7. 7Richard52,915
  8. 8Mark48,828
  9. 9Thomas44,836
  10. 10Steven38,413
  11. 11Charles35,239
  12. 12Joseph32,749
  13. 13Gary31,842
  14. 14Donald28,223
  15. 15Ronald27,725
  16. 16Kenneth27,432
  17. 17Paul26,897
  18. 18Daniel26,655
  19. 19Timothy23,288
  20. 20Jeffrey23,285
  21. 21Larry22,322
  22. 22Kevin21,761
  23. 23Stephen21,204
  24. 24Gregory21,082
  25. 25Edward19,436
  26. 26Dennis18,359
  27. 27George17,232
  28. 28Randy16,547
  29. 29Douglas16,389
  30. 30Anthony15,565
  31. 31Terry15,064
  32. 32Brian14,666
  33. 33Bruce14,660
  34. 34Scott13,214
  35. 35Jerry12,623
  36. 36Keith11,480
  37. 37Peter11,334
  38. 38Frank11,151
  39. 39Raymond11,108
  40. 40Patrick10,326
  41. 41Roger10,153
  42. 42Lawrence8,898
  43. 43Ricky8,780
  44. 44Alan8,734
  45. 45Wayne8,717
  46. 46Danny8,565
  47. 47Christopher8,384
  48. 48Carl8,313
  49. 49Gerald7,991
  50. 50Dale7,720
  51. 51Craig7,422
  52. 52Russell7,402
  53. 53Walter7,019
  54. 54Randall6,913
  55. 55Johnny6,636
  56. 56Andrew6,603
  57. 57Jeffery6,569
  58. 58Willie6,525
  59. 59Steve6,472
  60. 60Arthur6,289
  61. 61Glenn6,196
  62. 62Roy6,133
  63. 63Joe6,124
  64. 64Philip6,105
  65. 65Rodney6,076
  66. 66Jack6,051
  67. 67Ralph6,041
  68. 68Billy6,013
  69. 69Barry5,988
  70. 70Stanley5,985
  71. 71Henry5,971
  72. 72Harold5,955
  73. 73Martin5,682
  74. 74Samuel5,585
  75. 75Ronnie5,491
  76. 76Phillip5,414
  77. 77Bobby5,358
  78. 78Jimmy5,345
  79. 79Eric5,252
  80. 80Curtis5,157
  81. 81Albert5,150
  82. 82Louis4,910
  83. 83Micheal4,732
  84. 84Howard4,707
  85. 85Tony4,669
  86. 86Eugene4,620
  87. 87Allen4,612
  88. 88Darrell4,468
  89. 89Leonard4,371
  90. 90Matthew4,366
  91. 91Frederick4,306
  92. 92Jay4,120
  93. 93Eddie3,994
  94. 94Ernest3,952
  95. 95Harry3,925
  96. 96Victor3,908
  97. 97Mike3,900
  98. 98Vincent3,756
  99. 99Dean3,712
  100. 100Rick3,655

US babies given each name in 1956.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in 1956?
Mary was the #1 girl name in the US in 1956, given to 61,741 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in 1956?
Michael was the #1 boy name in the US in 1956, given to 90,691 babies.

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