Names From the 1960s

Real names given to babies in the US from 1960 to 1969. The top names were Lisa for girls and Michael for boys.

Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate 1960s names for more.

  1. John Farris#3 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 27 boys#1,230 surname in the 2020 US Census
  2. Julianne Macdonald#475 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 4,474 girls#751 surname in the 2020 US Census
  3. Carl Tomlinson#57 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 317 boys#1,462 surname in the 2020 US Census
  4. Cynthia Marchese#10 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 93 girls#5,511 surname in the 2020 US Census
  5. Greg Hunt#100 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 529 boys#173 surname in the 2020 US Census
  6. Nancy Childers#26 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 128 girls#1,197 surname in the 2020 US Census
  7. Julie Whitmire#18 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 110 girls#5,010 surname in the 2020 US Census
  8. Steven Welker#11 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 66 boys#4,229 surname in the 2020 US Census
  9. Kerri Cooper#337 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 2,417 girls#72 surname in the 2020 US Census
  10. Barbara Iverson#21 girls’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 114 girls#2,384 surname in the 2020 US Census
  11. Ray Schultz#147 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 868 boys#311 surname in the 2020 US Census
  12. James Burrow#4 boys’ name in the 1960s · 1 in 28 boys#4,783 surname in the 2020 US Census

The 1960s in numbers

37,527,000babies recorded
15.1%of girls got a top-10 name
28.5%of boys got a top-10 name

Counts include names given to at least five babies of the same sex in a year. Early decades undercount births, because many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security number.

Top 25 girls' names of the 1960s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Lisa496,98327.21 per 1,000
#2Mary355,23819.45 per 1,000
#3Susan287,66115.75 per 1,000
#4Karen286,05415.66 per 1,000
#5Kimberly259,07214.18 per 1,000
#6Patricia231,16912.66 per 1,000
#7Linda225,44512.34 per 1,000
#8Donna213,46711.69 per 1,000
#9Michelle208,29611.4 per 1,000
#10Cynthia196,59610.76 per 1,000
#11Sandra183,84410.07 per 1,000
#12Deborah183,43210.04 per 1,000
#13Tammy182,2249.98 per 1,000
#14Pamela181,9389.96 per 1,000
#15Lori176,5619.67 per 1,000
#16Laura174,1819.54 per 1,000
#17Elizabeth168,9159.25 per 1,000
#18Julie166,1499.1 per 1,000
#19Brenda164,4969.01 per 1,000
#20Jennifer164,4149 per 1,000
#21Barbara159,7748.75 per 1,000
#22Angela159,2928.72 per 1,000
#23Sharon154,8978.48 per 1,000
#24Debra153,7718.42 per 1,000
#25Teresa151,7908.31 per 1,000

Top 25 boys' names of the 1960s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Michael833,07043.25 per 1,000
#2David733,93938.1 per 1,000
#3John713,37437.03 per 1,000
#4James684,72135.55 per 1,000
#5Robert650,76933.78 per 1,000
#6Mark441,38122.91 per 1,000
#7William421,41121.88 per 1,000
#8Richard373,89419.41 per 1,000
#9Thomas327,05916.98 per 1,000
#10Jeffrey302,01315.68 per 1,000
#11Steven290,59915.09 per 1,000
#12Joseph283,04614.69 per 1,000
#13Timothy276,81914.37 per 1,000
#14Kevin271,40114.09 per 1,000
#15Scott266,82313.85 per 1,000
#16Brian258,11913.4 per 1,000
#17Charles249,38812.95 per 1,000
#18Paul242,50312.59 per 1,000
#19Daniel242,01412.56 per 1,000
#20Christopher237,14412.31 per 1,000
#21Kenneth227,51411.81 per 1,000
#22Anthony203,14510.55 per 1,000
#23Gregory187,4909.73 per 1,000
#24Ronald182,1769.46 per 1,000
#25Donald172,6208.96 per 1,000

Names that rose fastest in the 1960s

Compared with the decade before, among names in the top 300 of the 1960s.

Girls

Boys

Unisex names of the 1960s

The 1960s in other countries

Top three names in each country's own records for the same decade.

CountryGirlsBoys
CanadaMarie, Mary, SusanDavid, Joseph, Robert
Ireland (1964–1969)Mary, Catherine, MargaretJohn, Patrick, Michael
AustraliaKaren, Jennifer, MichelleDavid, Michael, Peter
New ZealandKaren, Susan, MichelleDavid, Michael, Peter

Other decades

Frequently asked questions

What were the most popular names in the 1960s?

Lisa, Mary and Susan for girls; Michael, David and John for boys.

Where does this data come from?

From the US Social Security Administration's national baby-name records, which go back to 1880.

Can I use these names?

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.