Humanverse

The 200 most popular girls’ names of 1956

6,891 different girls’ names were recorded in 1956, covering 2,007,703 births. These are the top 200.

#NameBirths
1Mary61,741
2Debra48,324
3Linda48,084
4Deborah47,834
5Susan46,558
6Patricia43,329
7Karen40,052
8Cynthia32,339
9Barbara32,302
10Donna29,852
11Nancy28,784
12Pamela26,928
13Sharon26,881
14Sandra24,302
15Diane22,518
16Carol21,408
17Kathleen21,377
18Cheryl21,278
19Brenda19,341
20Kathy17,177
21Janet16,758
22Elizabeth16,355
23Denise14,509
24Teresa14,464
25Margaret13,913
26Janice13,017
27Rebecca12,168
28Catherine12,056
29Robin11,621
30Joyce11,091
31Lisa11,012
32Theresa10,841
33Carolyn10,634
34Laura10,570
35Judy10,197
36Cathy10,132
37Cindy9,978
38Kim9,897
39Debbie9,863
40Beverly9,449
41Shirley9,429
42Christine9,371
43Connie9,361
44Betty9,218
45Judith9,115
46Ann8,990
47Paula8,925
48Julie8,574
49Gail8,435
50Jane8,241
51Bonnie8,133
52Joan8,080
53Gloria7,927
54Sherry7,898
55Sheila7,872
56Diana7,851
57Vicki7,767
58Lynn7,736
59Martha7,711
60Kathryn7,594
61Wanda7,546
62Rhonda7,521
63Peggy7,494
64Rose7,337
65Jean7,175
66Lori7,145
67Katherine7,082
68Vickie6,957
69Jo6,953
70Marilyn6,926
71Darlene6,919
72Dorothy6,858
73Maria6,733
74Kimberly6,730
75Virginia6,392
76Laurie6,207
77Ruth6,075
78Jacqueline6,062
79Rita6,054
80Valerie5,909
81Terri5,744
82Phyllis5,642
83Anita5,505
84Ellen5,432
85Victoria5,388
86Anne5,356
87Tina5,330
88Michelle5,327
89Elaine5,310
90Helen5,278
91Terry5,272
92Dawn5,128
93Angela5,034
94Suzanne5,024
95Wendy4,861
96Marie4,794
97Jennifer4,711
98Alice4,680
99Joanne4,671
100Michele4,617
101Jill4,576
102Maureen4,504
103Anna4,394
104Leslie4,382
105Sally4,346
106Renee4,329
107Frances4,324
108Sylvia4,145
109Doris4,099
110Marcia4,069
111Stephanie3,911
112Jeanne3,910
113Colleen3,897
114Sheryl3,891
115Sarah3,875
116Roberta3,866
117Beth3,799
118Sue3,755
119Annette3,750
120Evelyn3,748
121Yvonne3,584
122Amy3,546
123Eileen3,452
124Lorraine3,430
125Regina3,422
126Loretta3,407
127Andrea3,398
128Gwendolyn3,377
129Marsha3,328
130Carla3,320
131Julia3,319
132Charlene3,275
133Charlotte3,274
134Glenda3,245
135Lois3,225
136Jan3,201
137Dianne3,066
138Norma3,046
139Joann3,003
140Joy2,819
141Constance2,816
142Melinda2,713
143Melanie2,691
144Becky2,688
145Vanessa2,617
146Vicky2,611
147Doreen2,574
148Vivian2,560
149Audrey2,547
150Melissa2,527
151Toni2,504
152Juanita2,468
153Patti2,420
154Kay2,394
155Melody2,389
156Lynne2,369
157Janis2,364
158Penny2,348
159Irene2,341
160Jeanette2,338
161Debora2,330
162Holly2,325
163Gayle2,287
164Yolanda2,276
165Louise2,238
166Carmen2,207
167Belinda2,187
168Rosa2,172
169Monica2,162
170Marlene2,128
171Annie2,116
172Roxanne2,114
173Christina2,112
174Dana2,074
175Rosemary2,066
176Geraldine2,061
177Sherri2,033
178Sara2,004
179Ruby1,992
180Jackie1,982
181Gina1,961
182June1,954
183Shelia1,946
184Lee1,937
185Eva1,927
186Claudia1,915
187Marjorie1,882
188Delores1,845
189Grace1,838
190Veronica1,816
191Arlene1,807
192Patsy1,799
193Lynda1,759
194Jody1,749
195Sheri1,716
196Shelley1,681
197Rachel1,672
198Dolores1,660
199Ramona1,643
200Mildred1,636

Source: US Social Security Administration national baby-name files. A name given to fewer than five girls in 1956 is not published, so it is missing from both the count and the total above.

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