Pick the decade your character was born and get names that were really given to babies then, with how common each one was.
Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate names for more.
First names come from the US Social Security Administration's baby-name records, which list every name given to at least five babies of the same sex in a year, from 1880 to 2024 (372,009,000 births in total). Last names come from the 2020 US Census list of surnames. Each result shows how common the name really was, so you can tell a classic from a rarity at a glance.
A character's name should fit when they were born, not when the story happens. A woman in her seventies in 2025 was born in the 1950s, when the top girls' names were Mary, Linda and Patricia, not Olivia or Emma. Set Born in to the right decade and every name you get was really given to babies then.
| Rank | Name | Babies | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mary | 625,609 | 32.53 per 1,000 |
| #2 | Linda | 564,363 | 29.34 per 1,000 |
| #3 | Patricia | 459,686 | 23.9 per 1,000 |
| #4 | Susan | 437,773 | 22.76 per 1,000 |
| #5 | Deborah | 430,541 | 22.38 per 1,000 |
Top girls' names of the 1950s. See every decade below.
Start with when they were born, then decide how common or unusual their name should feel. This generator lets you set both.
Yes, every first name was really given to babies in the US in the decade you choose, and every last name is in the 2020 Census.
Yes. Names are free to use for pets, stories, games, products and anything else. Real names come from public government records; fantasy names are generated, so you do not need permission to use them.