US baby names · 1962

Most popular baby names of 1962

In 1962, Social Security card applications recorded 1,966,603 girls and 2,068,772 boys born in the US under names given to at least five babies of the same sex. That covers 7,584 distinct girls’ names and 4,631 boys’ names.

The most common names were Lisa (46,069 girls) and Michael (85,059 boys). The ten most common girls’ names together account for 16% of recorded girls, and the top ten boys’ names for 29% of boys. Compared with 1961, 107,315 fewer babies were recorded in total.

Against the top 100 of 1961, 4 girls’ names and 1 boys’ names in 1962 are newcomers (girls: Sherri, Penny, Sarah; boys: Jonathan). Of these names, 3 of the 100 girls’ names and 19 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 1962 favourite was rising, at its peak or already fading.

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

← 1961 1963 →

Top 100 girls’ names, 1962

Rank	Name	Girls
#1	Lisa	46,069
#2	Mary	43,502
#3	Susan	35,752
#4	Karen	35,184
#5	Linda	31,461
#6	Patricia	26,532
#7	Donna	25,719
#8	Cynthia	24,025
#9	Deborah	22,889
#10	Sandra	22,420
#11	Lori	22,395
#12	Brenda	21,274
#13	Pamela	21,270
#14	Barbara	20,641
#15	Debra	20,593
#16	Kimberly	20,363
#17	Sharon	19,630
#18	Teresa	18,517
#19	Nancy	18,027
#20	Elizabeth	17,806
#21	Laura	17,490
#22	Julie	17,090
#23	Tammy	16,743
#24	Cheryl	16,587
#25	Robin	15,128
#26	Diane	14,823
#27	Kathy	14,757
#28	Carol	14,523
#29	Kathleen	14,188
#30	Denise	13,975
#31	Michelle	13,353
#32	Debbie	13,092
#33	Tina	12,781
#34	Cindy	12,297
#35	Janet	12,256
#36	Angela	11,664
#37	Kim	11,657
#38	Kelly	11,530
#39	Christine	11,196
#40	Theresa	11,061
#41	Jennifer	10,977
#42	Laurie	10,675
#43	Margaret	10,075
#44	Jacqueline	9,832
#45	Rhonda	9,803
#46	Carolyn	9,692
#47	Rebecca	9,403
#48	Sherry	9,223
#49	Maria	9,089
#50	Dawn	8,984
#51	Connie	8,882
#52	Sheila	8,778
#53	Catherine	8,697
#54	Terri	8,433
#55	Tracy	8,310
#56	Ann	8,123
#57	Diana	7,842
#58	Janice	7,822
#59	Michele	7,428
#60	Paula	7,193
#61	Amy	7,185
#62	Cathy	7,145
#63	Judy	7,061
#64	Wendy	6,977
#65	Suzanne	6,851
#66	Beth	6,419
#67	Valerie	6,335
#68	Melissa	6,306
#69	Beverly	6,266
#70	Stephanie	6,257
#71	Lynn	6,217
#72	Jill	6,170
#73	Jane	6,114
#74	Joyce	6,096
#75	Annette	6,076
#76	Renee	6,012
#77	Wanda	6,003
#78	Carla	5,820
#79	Bonnie	5,812
#80	Leslie	5,778
#81	Anita	5,521
#82	Sherri	5,363
#83	Anne	5,272
#84	Katherine	5,272
#85	Vicki	5,208
#86	Judith	5,183
#87	Martha	5,159
#88	Darlene	5,107
#89	Kathryn	5,107
#90	Gloria	5,102
#91	Regina	5,002
#92	Penny	5,001
#93	Peggy	4,900
#94	Joan	4,879
#95	Jean	4,877
#96	Shirley	4,869
#97	Betty	4,763
#98	Sarah	4,548
#99	Andrea	4,540
#100	Anna	4,430

Top 100 boys’ names, 1962

Rank	Name	Boys
#1	Michael	85,059
#2	David	81,337
#3	John	78,427
#4	James	72,555
#5	Robert	70,199
#6	Mark	53,520
#7	William	44,853
#8	Richard	39,422
#9	Thomas	36,529
#10	Jeffrey	33,537
#11	Scott	30,703
#12	Steven	30,688
#13	Joseph	30,090
#14	Kevin	28,325
#15	Charles	27,590
#16	Timothy	27,111
#17	Daniel	25,543
#18	Kenneth	25,241
#19	Paul	23,802
#20	Brian	23,221
#21	Gregory	21,976
#22	Gary	20,884
#23	Donald	20,425
#24	Anthony	20,103
#25	Ronald	19,963
#26	Christopher	17,535
#27	Douglas	15,928
#28	Stephen	15,616
#29	Edward	15,518
#30	Todd	12,752
#31	Larry	12,711
#32	George	12,544
#33	Eric	12,348
#34	Terry	12,301
#35	Randy	11,840
#36	Keith	11,626
#37	Dennis	10,633
#38	Jerry	10,576
#39	Mike	10,530
#40	Patrick	10,499
#41	Bruce	10,038
#42	Frank	9,761
#43	Peter	9,585
#44	Jeff	9,424
#45	Jeffery	9,282
#46	Steve	9,154
#47	Roger	9,079
#48	Raymond	9,070
#49	Andrew	8,697
#50	Ricky	8,694
#51	Craig	8,544
#52	Tony	8,197
#53	Alan	7,719
#54	Danny	7,644
#55	Glenn	7,356
#56	Matthew	7,279
#57	Russell	7,042
#58	Carl	6,854
#59	Joe	6,793
#60	Chris	6,791
#61	Barry	6,585
#62	Dale	6,365
#63	Wayne	6,324
#64	Randall	6,236
#65	Gerald	6,232
#66	Vincent	6,159
#67	Troy	6,048
#68	Phillip	5,881
#69	Johnny	5,777
#70	Lawrence	5,619
#71	Billy	5,588
#72	Tim	5,585
#73	Curtis	5,569
#74	Martin	5,538
#75	Jimmy	5,518
#76	Rodney	5,435
#77	Greg	5,365
#78	Bobby	5,323
#79	Walter	5,282
#80	Jay	5,158
#81	Philip	5,069
#82	Bryan	4,992
#83	Darryl	4,969
#84	Jon	4,785
#85	Jim	4,715
#86	Dean	4,655
#87	Bradley	4,637
#88	Samuel	4,552
#89	Willie	4,541
#90	Roy	4,476
#91	Arthur	4,441
#92	Henry	4,346
#93	Allen	4,272
#94	Jonathan	4,253
#95	Harold	4,233
#96	Victor	4,208
#97	Ralph	4,180
#98	Tom	4,171
#99	Jack	4,170
#100	Ronnie	4,113