Yearly Name Rankings
Top 100 Baby Names 1960
Official birth-registry rankings โ Mary and David take the top spots. Every name links to its full meaning, origin, and popularity history.
Mary#1 Girl Name
David#1 Boy Name
1960Data Year
Top 100 Girl Names
| # | Name | Trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | — | The name Mary derives from the Latin Mรกria, which came from the Hebrew Miriam, likely meaning "of the sea" orโฆ |
| 2 | Susan | — | Susan derives from the Hebrew name Shoshannah, meaning "lily" or "graceful lily," with linguistic roots in thโฆ |
| 3 | Linda | — | The given name 'Linda' is derived from the Latin word 'lindus,' meaning 'beautiful' or 'tender,' and is relatโฆ |
| 4 | Karen | — | The name Karen derives from the Greek name Aikaterine, which is believed to come from the Greek word "katharoโฆ |
| 5 | Donna | — | Donna is an Italian feminine given name meaning "woman" or "lady," derived from the Latin word "domina" (mistโฆ |
| 6 | Lisa | ▲ 4 | The name "Lisa" is derived from the Germanic word "lisa," meaning "God is my oath" or "God's promise," and isโฆ |
| 7 | Patricia | ▼ 1 | Patricia derives from the Latin name Patricius, which means "of noble birth" or "patrician," referring to theโฆ |
| 8 | Debra | ▼ 1 | The name Debra means "bee" in Hebrew, derived from the Hebrew word *d'vorah*. |
| 9 | Cynthia | ▼ 1 | Cynthia derives from the Greek epithet "Kynthia" (ฮฯ ฮฝฮธฮฏฮฑ), meaning "of Mount Cynthus," and was used to descriโฆ |
| 10 | Deborah | ▼ 1 | Deborah derives from the Hebrew name Devorah (ืึฐืืึนืจึธื), meaning "bee," symbolizing industriousness and wisdoโฆ |
| 11 | Sandra | ▲ 2 | The given name 'Sandra' is derived from the Latin word 'Sanctus,' meaning 'blessed' or 'holy,' and is a feminโฆ |
| 12 | Barbara | ▼ 1 | Barbara derives from the Greek word "barbaros" (ฮฒฮฌฯฮฒฮฑฯฮฟฯ), meaning "foreign" or "strange," originally used byโฆ |
| 13 | Brenda | ▲ 3 | The given name 'Brenda' is derived from the Old Norse name 'Brenhild', meaning 'sword battle' or 'armored warโฆ |
| 14 | Pamela | ▼ 2 | Pamela is a literary invention created by Sir Philip Sidney in his 1590 work "Arcadia," derived from the Greeโฆ |
| 15 | Nancy | ▼ 1 | Nancy originated as a diminutive of the French name Agnรจs, which derives from the Latin "Agnes" meaning "pureโฆ |
| 16 | Sharon | ▲ 1 | Sharon is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew word "sharon" (ืฉึธืืจืึนื), meaning "a plain" or "a fertโฆ |
| 17 | Cheryl | ▲ 1 | The name 'Cheryl' is a modern feminine given name, likely a blend of 'Cherie' (French for "dear" or "beloved"โฆ |
| 18 | Elizabeth | ▲ 3 | Elizabeth derives from the Hebrew name Elisheva (ืืืืฉืืข), meaning "God is my oath" or "God is abundance," comโฆ |
| 19 | Teresa | ▲ 5 | The name Teresa derives from the Greek name Theresia, likely connected to the Greek word "theros" (summer) orโฆ |
| 20 | Lori | ▲ 7 | Lori is a diminutive form of Lorraine, derived from the Latin "Lotharingus," which referred to the kingdom ofโฆ |
| 21 | Kathy | ▼ 6 | |
| 22 | Diane | ▼ 3 | |
| 23 | Carol | ▼ 1 | |
| 24 | Debbie | ▼ 4 | |
| 25 | Laura | ▲ 5 | |
| 26 | Kimberly | ▲ 7 | |
| 27 | Kathleen | ▼ 4 | |
| 28 | Julie | ▼ 2 | |
| 29 | Denise | — | |
| 30 | Cindy | ▼ 5 | |
| 31 | Tammy | — | |
| 32 | Janet | ▼ 4 | |
| 33 | Robin | ▼ 1 | |
| 34 | Kim | ▲ 1 | |
| 35 | Theresa | ▼ 1 | |
| 36 | Margaret | — | |
| 37 | Laurie | ▲ 19 | |
| 38 | Rebecca | — | |
| 39 | Michelle | ▲ 8 | |
| 40 | Christine | ▲ 3 | |
| 41 | Janice | ▼ 4 | |
| 42 | Catherine | ▼ 2 | |
| 43 | Carolyn | ▼ 1 | |
| 44 | Rhonda | ▲ 1 | |
| 45 | Tina | ▲ 8 | |
| 46 | Cathy | ▼ 7 | |
| 47 | Connie | ▲ 1 | |
| 48 | Judy | ▼ 7 | |
| 49 | Terri | ▼ 3 | |
| 50 | Angela | ▲ 18 | |
| 51 | Ann | ▼ 7 | |
| 52 | Kelly | ▲ 22 | |
| 53 | Diana | ▼ 4 | |
| 54 | Sherry | ▲ 4 | |
| 55 | Paula | ▼ 4 | |
| 56 | Sheila | ▼ 4 | |
| 57 | Dawn | ▼ 3 | |
| 58 | Joyce | ▼ 8 | |
| 59 | Maria | ▲ 3 | |
| 60 | Beverly | ▼ 5 | |
| 61 | Jennifer | ▲ 17 | |
| 62 | Annette | ▲ 2 | |
| 63 | Wendy | ▲ 20 | |
| 64 | Lynn | ▼ 1 | |
| 65 | Valerie | ▼ 5 | |
| 66 | Wanda | ▼ 1 | |
| 67 | Jane | — | |
| 68 | Betty | ▼ 9 | |
| 69 | Peggy | ▼ 12 | |
| 70 | Shirley | ▼ 9 | |
| 71 | Bonnie | — | |
| 72 | Beth | ▲ 8 | |
| 73 | Vicki | — | |
| 74 | Judith | ▼ 4 | |
| 75 | Darlene | ▼ 9 | |
| 76 | Jill | ▲ 10 | |
| 77 | Amy | ▲ 8 | |
| 78 | Suzanne | ▲ 18 | |
| 79 | Gloria | ▲ 2 | |
| 80 | Joan | ▼ 4 | |
| 81 | Katherine | ▼ 2 | |
| 82 | Kathryn | ▼ 13 | |
| 83 | Martha | ▼ 11 | |
| 84 | Tracy | ▲ 47 | |
| 85 | Jacqueline | ▲ 26 | |
| 86 | Jean | ▼ 9 | |
| 87 | Anita | — | |
| 88 | Anne | ▼ 6 | |
| 89 | Michele | — | |
| 90 | Gail | ▼ 15 | |
| 91 | Stephanie | ▲ 10 | |
| 92 | Leslie | ▼ 8 | |
| 93 | Renee | ▲ 7 | |
| 94 | Ellen | ▼ 3 | |
| 95 | Dorothy | ▼ 1 | |
| 96 | Rita | ▲ 2 | |
| 97 | Ruth | — | |
| 98 | Rose | ▼ 10 | |
| 99 | Joanne | ▼ 7 | |
| 100 | Vickie | ▼ 10 |
Top 100 Boy Names
| # | Name | Trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David | ▲ 1 | The name David derives from the Hebrew name Dawid (ืืื), meaning "beloved" or "friend," from the root dwd. |
| 2 | Michael | ▼ 1 | Michael derives from the Hebrew name Mikha'el, composed of the elements "mi" (who), "ka" (like), and "el" (Goโฆ |
| 3 | James | — | James derives from the Hebrew name Yaakov (Jacob), meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," and entered Engโฆ |
| 4 | John | — | John derives from the Hebrew name Yochanan (ืืึนืึธื ึธื), meaning "God is gracious" or "the Lord is merciful," cโฆ |
| 5 | Robert | — | Robert derives from the Germanic elements "hrod" (fame) and "beraht" (bright), literally meaning "bright fameโฆ |
| 6 | Mark | — | Mark derives from the Latin name Marcus, which is believed to stem from Mars, the Roman god of war, meaning "โฆ |
| 7 | William | — | William derives from the Germanic elements "wil" (desire, will) and "helm" (helmet, protection), literally meโฆ |
| 8 | Richard | — | Richard comes from the Germanic elements "ric" (power, rule) and "hard" (brave, strong), meaning "brave rulerโฆ |
| 9 | Thomas | — | Thomas derives from the Aramaic name Toma (ืชืืื), meaning "twin," from the root word for duality or twoness. |
| 10 | Steven | — | Steven derives from the Greek name Stephanos (ฮฃฯฮญฯฮฑฮฝฮฟฯ), meaning "crown" or "wreath," from the root "stephanoโฆ |
| 11 | Timothy | ▲ 1 | Timothy derives from the Greek name Timotheos, composed of timฤ (honor) and theos (God), literally meaning "hโฆ |
| 12 | Joseph | ▲ 1 | The name Joseph derives from the Hebrew name Yosef (ืืึนืกึตืฃ), meaning "God will increase" or "God adds," combiโฆ |
| 13 | Charles | ▼ 2 | Charles derives from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "man" (from the root *karl meaning a cโฆ |
| 14 | Jeffrey | ▲ 2 | Jeffrey derives from the Germanic name Gottfried, composed of "gott" (God) and "frid" (peace), meaning "God'sโฆ |
| 15 | Kevin | ▼ 1 | Kevin derives from the Irish name Caoimhรญn, composed of "caomh" (gentle, kind) and "รญn" (diminutive suffix), โฆ |
| 16 | Kenneth | ▼ 1 | Kenneth derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Coinneach, which means "handsome" or "fair," combining the elemโฆ |
| 17 | Daniel | ▲ 1 | Daniel derives from the Hebrew name Daniyyel, composed of "din" (judgment) and "el" (God), meaning "God is myโฆ |
| 18 | Paul | ▼ 1 | The name Paul derives from the Latin name Paulus, which means "small" or "humble," stemming from the Latin adโฆ |
| 19 | Donald | — | Donald derives from the Scottish Gaelic name Domhnall, composed of "dom" (world) and "val" (rule), meaning "wโฆ |
| 20 | Brian | ▲ 2 | The given name 'Brian' means 'strong, noble' or 'high, noble' and its linguistic root is in the Celtic languaโฆ |
| 21 | Ronald | — | |
| 22 | Gary | ▼ 2 | |
| 23 | Scott | ▲ 1 | |
| 24 | Gregory | ▼ 1 | |
| 25 | Anthony | ▲ 1 | |
| 26 | Edward | ▲ 1 | |
| 27 | Stephen | ▲ 1 | |
| 28 | Larry | ▼ 3 | |
| 29 | Christopher | ▲ 6 | |
| 30 | Douglas | — | |
| 31 | Dennis | ▼ 2 | |
| 32 | Randy | ▼ 1 | |
| 33 | George | ▼ 1 | |
| 34 | Terry | ▼ 1 | |
| 35 | Keith | ▲ 4 | |
| 36 | Mike | ▲ 1 | |
| 37 | Jerry | ▼ 1 | |
| 38 | Ricky | ▼ 4 | |
| 39 | Bruce | ▼ 1 | |
| 40 | Frank | ▲ 2 | |
| 41 | Craig | ▲ 3 | |
| 42 | Peter | ▼ 2 | |
| 43 | Steve | ▼ 2 | |
| 44 | Eric | ▲ 2 | |
| 45 | Patrick | ▼ 2 | |
| 46 | Raymond | ▼ 1 | |
| 47 | Roger | — | |
| 48 | Danny | — | |
| 49 | Jeff | ▲ 3 | |
| 50 | Alan | — | |
| 51 | Andrew | ▲ 7 | |
| 52 | Tony | ▲ 1 | |
| 53 | Carl | ▲ 1 | |
| 54 | Dale | ▼ 5 | |
| 55 | Jeffery | — | |
| 56 | Russell | — | |
| 57 | Joe | — | |
| 58 | Wayne | ▼ 7 | |
| 59 | Randall | — | |
| 60 | Tim | — | |
| 61 | Matthew | ▲ 2 | |
| 62 | Gerald | ▼ 1 | |
| 63 | Chris | ▲ 9 | |
| 64 | Lawrence | ▼ 2 | |
| 65 | Johnny | ▼ 1 | |
| 66 | Phillip | ▲ 8 | |
| 67 | Billy | ▼ 2 | |
| 68 | Rodney | ▼ 1 | |
| 69 | Jimmy | — | |
| 70 | Walter | ▼ 4 | |
| 71 | Todd | ▲ 28 | |
| 72 | Barry | ▲ 1 | |
| 73 | Bobby | ▼ 2 | |
| 74 | Glenn | ▲ 6 | |
| 75 | Jim | ▼ 5 | |
| 76 | Philip | ▼ 8 | |
| 77 | Martin | ▲ 2 | |
| 78 | Jay | ▲ 10 | |
| 79 | Curtis | ▼ 4 | |
| 80 | Roy | ▲ 1 | |
| 81 | Willie | ▼ 3 | |
| 82 | Arthur | ▼ 6 | |
| 83 | Greg | ▲ 8 | |
| 84 | Henry | ▼ 1 | |
| 85 | Jack | — | |
| 86 | Tom | ▼ 4 | |
| 87 | Ronnie | ▼ 10 | |
| 88 | Bryan | ▲ 6 | |
| 89 | Ralph | ▼ 5 | |
| 90 | Bradley | ▲ 13 | |
| 91 | Samuel | ▼ 5 | |
| 92 | Harold | ▼ 5 | |
| 93 | Albert | ▼ 1 | |
| 94 | Dean | ▲ 1 | |
| 95 | Bill | ▼ 2 | |
| 96 | Darryl | ▲ 34 | |
| 97 | Jon | ▲ 8 | |
| 98 | Vincent | ▲ 4 | |
| 99 | Allen | ▼ 2 | |
| 100 | Stanley | ▼ 2 |
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), 1960. Trend arrows compare each name’s rank with the previous available year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the most popular girl name in the United States in 1960?
The most popular girl name in the United States in 1960 was Mary, given to 51,472 newborn girls.
What was the most popular boy name in the United States in 1960?
The most popular boy name in the United States in 1960 was David, given to 85,929 newborn boys.
Which baby names are rising fastest in the United States?
Compared with the previous rankings, the fastest-rising names in the 1960 top 100 were Tracy (+47), Jacqueline (+26), Kelly (+22), Darryl (+34), Todd (+28), Bradley (+13).
Where does this data come from?
Rankings are from the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).