US baby names · 1948

Most popular baby names of 1948

In 1948, Social Security card applications recorded 1,697,908 girls and 1,754,618 boys born in the US under names given to at least five babies of the same sex. That covers 6,040 distinct girls’ names and 4,199 boys’ names.

The most common names were Linda (96,220 girls) and James (88,605 boys). The ten most common girls’ names together account for 25% of recorded girls, and the top ten boys’ names for 34% of boys. Compared with 1947, 149,839 fewer babies were recorded in total.

Against the top 100 of 1947, 3 girls’ names and 2 boys’ names in 1948 are newcomers (girls: Vicki, Teresa, Annie; boys: Randall, Randy). Of these names, 6 of the 100 girls’ names and 16 of the 100 boys’ names are still in the top 100 in 2025.

Ranks follow SSA’s order: most births first, with ties listed alphabetically. Each sparkline shows the name’s full history from 1880 to 2025, so you can see whether a 1948 favourite was rising, at its peak or already fading.

SSA names.zip · Social Security card applications · retrieved 2026-10-05

← 1947 1949 →

Top 100 girls’ names, 1948

Rank	Name	Girls
#1	Linda	96,220
#2	Mary	68,597
#3	Barbara	46,826
#4	Patricia	46,140
#5	Susan	35,988
#6	Sandra	31,063
#7	Nancy	29,411
#8	Carol	28,977
#9	Sharon	26,143
#10	Kathleen	23,257
#11	Donna	22,033
#12	Karen	21,996
#13	Margaret	18,873
#14	Carolyn	18,623
#15	Judith	17,787
#16	Judy	17,706
#17	Brenda	17,700
#18	Betty	16,625
#19	Diane	16,607
#20	Shirley	16,121
#21	Joyce	14,380
#22	Pamela	14,281
#23	Janice	14,162
#24	Janet	13,977
#25	Cheryl	13,220
#26	Elizabeth	13,215
#27	Cynthia	12,240
#28	Gloria	11,690
#29	Dorothy	11,324
#30	Deborah	11,244
#31	Beverly	10,795
#32	Martha	10,011
#33	Marilyn	9,937
#34	Bonnie	9,817
#35	Christine	9,677
#36	Virginia	9,296
#37	Joan	9,275
#38	Peggy	9,089
#39	Jane	8,781
#40	Helen	8,301
#41	Catherine	8,244
#42	Frances	8,179
#43	Connie	8,055
#44	Ann	8,025
#45	Ruth	7,903
#46	Phyllis	7,876
#47	Jean	7,774
#48	Diana	7,706
#49	Alice	6,981
#50	Rebecca	6,795
#51	Gail	6,603
#52	Paula	6,600
#53	Elaine	6,403
#54	Kathryn	6,177
#55	Kathy	6,148
#56	Jo	5,986
#57	Wanda	5,918
#58	Jacqueline	5,838
#59	Rita	5,835
#60	Marie	5,786
#61	Sherry	5,717
#62	Rose	5,556
#63	Theresa	5,556
#64	Doris	5,548
#65	Joanne	5,499
#66	Suzanne	5,448
#67	Ellen	5,289
#68	Katherine	5,169
#69	Charlotte	5,164
#70	Lois	5,077
#71	Sheila	5,022
#72	Sally	5,012
#73	Laura	4,901
#74	Evelyn	4,840
#75	Maria	4,817
#76	Marsha	4,725
#77	Darlene	4,692
#78	Sue	4,675
#79	Marcia	4,640
#80	Lynn	4,609
#81	Vicki	4,365
#82	Teresa	4,217
#83	Geraldine	4,208
#84	Lynda	4,167
#85	Sarah	4,159
#86	Dianne	4,138
#87	Anne	4,122
#88	Maureen	4,077
#89	Anna	4,037
#90	Rosemary	3,870
#91	Eileen	3,838
#92	Glenda	3,831
#93	Constance	3,811
#94	Joann	3,799
#95	Jeanne	3,789
#96	Lorraine	3,745
#97	Annie	3,721
#98	Patsy	3,714
#99	Louise	3,685
#100	Sylvia	3,671

Top 100 boys’ names, 1948

Rank	Name	Boys
#1	James	88,605
#2	Robert	85,478
#3	John	82,834
#4	William	61,972
#5	David	56,627
#6	Michael	52,566
#7	Richard	50,970
#8	Thomas	43,780
#9	Charles	38,676
#10	Ronald	33,527
#11	Larry	33,436
#12	Gary	28,397
#13	Joseph	26,801
#14	Donald	26,442
#15	Kenneth	23,550
#16	George	21,926
#17	Dennis	21,765
#18	Paul	21,252
#19	Edward	18,983
#20	Stephen	17,061
#21	Jerry	16,809
#22	Daniel	16,510
#23	Steven	15,979
#24	Roger	12,818
#25	Frank	12,698
#26	Terry	12,136
#27	Raymond	11,612
#28	Bruce	11,065
#29	Mark	10,267
#30	Gerald	9,842
#31	Lawrence	9,768
#32	Gregory	9,724
#33	Douglas	9,468
#34	Wayne	8,682
#35	Walter	8,627
#36	Harold	8,144
#37	Peter	8,048
#38	Timothy	8,043
#39	Danny	8,009
#40	Willie	7,971
#41	Anthony	7,878
#42	Carl	7,829
#43	Jack	7,612
#44	Arthur	7,576
#45	Henry	7,421
#46	Alan	7,394
#47	Joe	7,288
#48	Patrick	7,192
#49	Roy	7,067
#50	Jimmy	6,927
#51	Ralph	6,915
#52	Johnny	6,862
#53	Billy	6,220
#54	Philip	6,162
#55	Albert	6,156
#56	Dale	6,091
#57	Harry	5,945
#58	Jeffrey	5,929
#59	Ronnie	5,902
#60	Steve	5,742
#61	Eugene	5,608
#62	Bobby	5,581
#63	Howard	5,497
#64	Louis	5,386
#65	Stanley	5,383
#66	Fred	5,376
#67	Russell	5,109
#68	Mike	5,045
#69	Phillip	5,018
#70	Samuel	5,002
#71	Leonard	4,781
#72	Allen	4,755
#73	Glenn	4,740
#74	Barry	4,670
#75	Frederick	4,516
#76	Ernest	4,512
#77	Andrew	4,305
#78	Eddie	4,234
#79	Tommy	4,220
#80	Francis	4,214
#81	Melvin	4,057
#82	Craig	3,985
#83	Earl	3,977
#84	Bill	3,926
#85	Norman	3,894
#86	Jim	3,808
#87	Clarence	3,790
#88	Martin	3,698
#89	Keith	3,660
#90	Marvin	3,625
#91	Don	3,546
#92	Rodney	3,466
#93	Lee	3,445
#94	Tom	3,429
#95	Brian	3,358
#96	Alfred	3,245
#97	Leroy	3,234
#98	Randall	3,179
#99	Randy	3,141
#100	Ray	3,134