US first names, 1960–1969
Random names from the 1960s
First names on this page come from Social Security Administration records of U.S. births in the 1960s. That period holds 18,264,650 girls across 14,240 distinct names and 19,261,849 boys across 7,929 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Lisa, Mary, Susan; for boys: Michael, David, John. Names are picked in proportion to how often they were given, and last names come from the 2000 U.S. Census, so the mix looks like real American full names.
More options — middle names, no repeats, realism, seed
1 gives real frequencies. 0 makes every name equally likely.
What the data says
- About 1 in 7 girls born in the 1960s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 15.1% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 495 equally common names out of 14,240 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 5.8 letters.
- About 1 in 4 boys born in the 1960s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 28.5% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 222 equally common names out of 7,929 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 5.7 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Tiffany, from 119 births in 1950 to 1959 to 8,480 in 1960 to 1969.
- Biggest fall for girls: Lugene, from 329 births in 1950 to 1959 to 55 in 1960 to 1969.
- Fastest riser for boys: Darin, from 184 births in 1950 to 1959 to 13,745 in 1960 to 1969.
- Biggest fall for boys: Ezzard, from 319 births in 1950 to 1959 to 18 in 1960 to 1969.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisa | 496,987 | 2.72% |
| 2 | Mary | 355,240 | 1.94% |
| 3 | Susan | 287,666 | 1.57% |
| 4 | Karen | 286,053 | 1.57% |
| 5 | Kimberly | 259,072 | 1.42% |
| 6 | Patricia | 231,178 | 1.27% |
| 7 | Linda | 225,454 | 1.23% |
| 8 | Donna | 213,468 | 1.17% |
| 9 | Michelle | 208,293 | 1.14% |
| 10 | Cynthia | 196,597 | 1.08% |
| 11 | Sandra | 183,846 | 1.01% |
| 12 | Deborah | 183,439 | 1.00% |
| 13 | Tammy | 182,231 | 1.00% |
| 14 | Pamela | 181,939 | 1.00% |
| 15 | Lori | 176,560 | 0.97% |
| 16 | Laura | 174,185 | 0.95% |
| 17 | Elizabeth | 168,920 | 0.92% |
| 18 | Julie | 166,150 | 0.91% |
| 19 | Brenda | 164,502 | 0.90% |
| 20 | Jennifer | 164,413 | 0.90% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 833,092 | 4.33% |
| 2 | David | 733,953 | 3.81% |
| 3 | John | 713,394 | 3.70% |
| 4 | James | 684,722 | 3.55% |
| 5 | Robert | 650,786 | 3.38% |
| 6 | Mark | 441,390 | 2.29% |
| 7 | William | 421,433 | 2.19% |
| 8 | Richard | 373,907 | 1.94% |
| 9 | Thomas | 327,055 | 1.70% |
| 10 | Jeffrey | 302,029 | 1.57% |
| 11 | Steven | 290,607 | 1.51% |
| 12 | Joseph | 283,048 | 1.47% |
| 13 | Timothy | 276,837 | 1.44% |
| 14 | Kevin | 271,412 | 1.41% |
| 15 | Scott | 266,828 | 1.39% |
| 16 | Brian | 258,129 | 1.34% |
| 17 | Charles | 249,398 | 1.29% |
| 18 | Paul | 242,503 | 1.26% |
| 19 | Daniel | 242,020 | 1.26% |
| 20 | Christopher | 237,144 | 1.23% |
Girls: 1950 to 1959 → 1960 to 1969
Rising fastest
- Tiffany 119 → 8,480
- Lisha 33 → 1,157
- Marisol 73 → 2,039
- Misti 34 → 914
- Nichole 58 → 1,486
Falling fastest
- Lugene 329 → 55
- Bettye 2,803 → 527
- Marilynn 2,723 → 653
- Deborrah 697 → 171
- Bette 3,438 → 890
Boys: 1950 to 1959 → 1960 to 1969
Rising fastest
- Darin 184 → 13,745
- Darrin 206 → 13,609
- Heath 52 → 2,101
- Deron 36 → 1,334
- Darren 2,048 → 35,038
Falling fastest
- Ezzard 319 → 18
- Geary 1,152 → 268
- Christophe 2,354 → 626
- Kim 21,208 → 7,188
- Hermon 385 → 133
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1960s?
Lisa. 496,987 girls received it, 2.72% of all recorded girls born in the 1960s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1960s?
Michael. 833,092 boys received it, 4.33% of all recorded boys born in the 1960s.
How concentrated are names in the 1960s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 15.1% of births; among boys 28.5%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1950 to 1959?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1960 to 1969, the biggest gains were for girls, Tiffany (119 births in 1950 to 1959, 8,480 in 1960 to 1969); for boys, Darin (184 births in 1950 to 1959, 13,745 in 1960 to 1969).
How long is the average first name in the 1960s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 5.8 letters for girls, 5.7 letters for boys.