Top Baby Names of the 1960s
Across the 1960s, US parents gave these names most often. The lists below rank the top 25 girls’ and boys’ names by the number of babies who received each name over the decade, from US Social Security Administration data (about 18.3 million girls and 19.3 million boys recorded).
The most popular names of the 1960s were Lisa for girls and Michael for boys.
Top 25 girls’ names of the 1960s
- #1 Lisa 496,987
- #2 Mary 355,240
- #3 Susan 287,666
- #4 Karen 286,053
- #5 Kimberly 259,072
- #6 Patricia 231,178
- #7 Linda 225,454
- #8 Donna 213,468
- #9 Michelle 208,293
- #10 Cynthia 196,597
- #11 Sandra 183,846
- #12 Deborah 183,439
- #13 Tammy 182,231
- #14 Pamela 181,939
- #15 Lori 176,560
- #16 Laura 174,185
- #17 Elizabeth 168,920
- #18 Julie 166,150
- #19 Brenda 164,502
- #20 Jennifer 164,413
- #21 Barbara 159,773
- #22 Angela 159,294
- #23 Sharon 154,905
- #24 Debra 153,771
- #25 Teresa 151,793
Top 25 boys’ names of the 1960s
- #1 Michael 833,092
- #2 David 733,953
- #3 John 713,394
- #4 James 684,722
- #5 Robert 650,786
- #6 Mark 441,390
- #7 William 421,433
- #8 Richard 373,907
- #9 Thomas 327,055
- #10 Jeffrey 302,029
- #11 Steven 290,607
- #12 Joseph 283,048
- #13 Timothy 276,837
- #14 Kevin 271,412
- #15 Scott 266,828
- #16 Brian 258,129
- #17 Charles 249,398
- #18 Paul 242,503
- #19 Daniel 242,020
- #20 Christopher 237,144
- #21 Kenneth 227,531
- #22 Anthony 203,159
- #23 Gregory 187,495
- #24 Ronald 182,190
- #25 Donald 172,628
Counts are US births recorded by the Social Security Administration. Numbers show babies given each name across the whole decade.
Frequently asked questions
What was the most popular girls’ name in the 1960s?
Lisa was the most popular girls’ name in the 1960s, according to US Social Security Administration data.
What was the most popular boys’ name in the 1960s?
Michael was the most popular boys’ name in the 1960s.
Where does this ranking come from?
These rankings are compiled from US Social Security Administration records of names given to babies born in the United States, counted separately for girls and boys.