Welcome to our dedicated page featuring the top 500 boy and girl baby names of 1961. This year holds a special place in the annals of naming history, reflecting a blend of timeless classics and unique choices that captured the hearts of parents during this era. As you explore our comprehensive list, you’ll discover the names that defined a generation, from the traditional to the trendsetting. Whether you’re seeking inspiration for a new arrival, researching historical naming trends, or simply curious about the names that resonated with families in 1961, our curated selection offers a fascinating glimpse into the past. Join us on a nostalgic journey through the most popular names of the year, and see how trends in baby naming have evolved over time.
| Rank | Boy Name | Boy Births | Girl Name | Girl Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David | 75993 | Mary | 39209 |
| 2 | Michael | 75553 | Lisa | 37783 |
| 3 | John | 66293 | Susan | 32228 |
| 4 | James | 64805 | Linda | 30659 |
| 5 | Robert | 61290 | Karen | 30011 |
| 6 | Mark | 54017 | Patricia | 23298 |
| 7 | William | 39554 | Donna | 22245 |
| 8 | Richard | 35293 | Lori | 22124 |
| 9 | Thomas | 30344 | Cynthia | 22030 |
| 10 | Steven | 29543 | Sandra | 21794 |
| 11 | Jeffrey | 29345 | Brenda | 21447 |
| 12 | Timothy | 26209 | Deborah | 20404 |
| 13 | Kevin | 25492 | Debra | 20331 |
| 14 | Charles | 24280 | Pamela | 20007 |
| 15 | Scott | 23558 | Barbara | 19055 |
| 16 | Daniel | 23558 | Teresa | 18639 |
| 17 | Kenneth | 22668 | Julie | 18398 |
| 18 | Joseph | 21346 | Sharon | 17108 |
| 19 | Paul | 20559 | Cheryl | 16862 |
| 20 | Brian | 20430 | Kimberly | 16818 |
| 21 | Gregory | 19769 | Nancy | 16562 |
| 22 | Donald | 19694 | Laura | 15669 |
| 23 | Ronald | 19587 | Kathy | 15463 |
| 24 | Gary | 19560 | Elizabeth | 15001 |
| 25 | Anthony | 16322 | Tammy | 14987 |
| 26 | Douglas | 15150 | Carol | 14666 |
| 27 | Christopher | 14494 | Debbie | 13997 |
| 28 | Larry | 13820 | Diane | 13976 |
| 29 | Terry | 13046 | Denise | 13729 |
| 30 | Mike | 12678 | Cindy | 13637 |
| 31 | Stephen | 12513 | Robin | 12948 |
| 32 | Randy | 12482 | Janet | 12372 |
| 33 | Edward | 12123 | Michelle | 11965 |
| 34 | Dennis | 11668 | Kathleen | 11842 |
| 35 | Jerry | 10884 | Kim | 10232 |
| 36 | George | 10734 | Tina | 10150 |
| 37 | Keith | 10540 | Rebecca | 10050 |
| 38 | Steve | 10456 | Theresa | 9894 |
| 39 | Eric | 10338 | Angela | 9802 |
| 40 | Patrick | 10173 | Kelly | 9638 |
| 41 | Jeff | 10028 | Rhonda | 9417 |
| 42 | Bruce | 9616 | Laurie | 9218 |
| 43 | Craig | 9338 | Jennifer | 8953 |
| 44 | Roger | 9306 | Terri | 8741 |
| 45 | Jeffery | 9220 | Jacqueline | 8737 |
| 46 | Todd | 9047 | Christine | 8678 |
| 47 | Ricky | 9017 | Carolyn | 8555 |
| 48 | Frank | 8235 | Connie | 8488 |
| 49 | Raymond | 7880 | Margaret | 8399 |
| 50 | Alan | 7772 | Sherry | 7838 |
| 51 | Tony | 7699 | Janice | 7814 |
| 52 | Danny | 7655 | Cathy | 7691 |
| 53 | Chris | 7310 | Catherine | 7646 |
| 54 | Russell | 7002 | Dawn | 7240 |
| 55 | Randall | 6813 | Judy | 7049 |
| 56 | Dale | 6750 | Diana | 6821 |
| 57 | Peter | 6731 | Paula | 6495 |
| 58 | Andrew | 6686 | Tracy | 6310 |
| 59 | Tim | 6508 | Ann | 6294 |
| 60 | Carl | 6382 | Sheila | 6218 |
| 61 | Gerald | 6278 | Vicki | 6210 |
| 62 | Joe | 5904 | Valerie | 5863 |
| 63 | Matthew | 5798 | Wendy | 5810 |
| 64 | Rodney | 5713 | Annette | 5804 |
| 65 | Phillip | 5591 | Joyce | 5672 |
| 66 | Wayne | 5563 | Michele | 5278 |
| 67 | Greg | 5538 | Jill | 5168 |
| 68 | Jim | 5265 | Stephanie | 4987 |
| 69 | Curtis | 4699 | Lynn | 4985 |
| 70 | Bradley | 4681 | Suzanne | 4960 |
| 71 | Barry | 4624 | Beverly | 4744 |
| 72 | Glenn | 4558 | Bonnie | 4524 |
| 73 | Jay | 4516 | Anita | 4517 |
| 74 | Martin | 4411 | Katherine | 4406 |
| 75 | Lawrence | 4368 | Beth | 4392 |
| 76 | Bryan | 4342 | Kathryn | 4380 |
| 77 | Dean | 4326 | Leslie | 4256 |
| 78 | Johnny | 4307 | Peggy | 4176 |
| 79 | Tom | 4210 | Renee | 4105 |
| 80 | Jack | 4198 | Carla | 4061 |
| 81 | Jon | 4129 | Amy | 4033 |
| 82 | Jimmy | 4089 | Martha | 3954 |
| 83 | Darryl | 4067 | Jane | 3921 |
| 84 | Rick | 3823 | Maria | 3676 |
| 85 | Billy | 3816 | Anne | 3637 |
| 86 | Troy | 3767 | Wanda | 3597 |
| 87 | Roy | 3665 | Gloria | 3482 |
| 88 | Willie | 3510 | Darlene | 3311 |
| 89 | Bill | 3389 | Ruth | 3293 |
| 90 | Allen | 3268 | Colleen | 3167 |
| 91 | Walter | 3235 | Tamara | 3106 |
| 92 | Arthur | 3226 | Regina | 3078 |
| 93 | Dan | 3203 | Betty | 3038 |
| 94 | Harold | 3160 | Judith | 2994 |
| 95 | Philip | 3058 | Jean | 2818 |
| 96 | Henry | 2802 | Joan | 2803 |
| 97 | Bobby | 2802 | Penny | 2641 |
| 98 | Ronnie | 2596 | Shirley | 2560 |
| 99 | Micheal | 2543 | Vickie | 2422 |
| 100 | Dave | 2496 | Victoria | 2389 |
| 101 | Samuel | 2486 | Becky | 2344 |
| 102 | Ralph | 2348 | Melissa | 2291 |
| 103 | Stanley | 2337 | Gail | 2155 |
| 104 | Victor | 2296 | Anna | 2046 |
| 105 | Albert | 2283 | Rita | 2006 |
| 106 | Darrell | 2273 | Rose | 1930 |
| 107 | Eddie | 1960 | Andrea | 1919 |
| 108 | Tommy | 1870 | Christina | 1866 |
| 109 | Don | 1859 | Jackie | 1854 |
| 110 | Vincent | 1756 | Virginia | 1840 |
| 111 | Duane | 1697 | Terry | 1802 |
| 112 | Jose | 1609 | Sylvia | 1801 |
| 113 | Brad | 1565 | Dorothy | 1776 |
| 114 | Dwayne | 1493 | Dana | 1760 |
| 115 | Brent | 1491 | Carrie | 1705 |
| 116 | Ron | 1468 | Shelly | 1618 |
| 117 | Kurt | 1405 | Teri | 1567 |
| 118 | Kelly | 1377 | Julia | 1539 |
| 119 | Tracy | 1298 | Maureen | 1526 |
| 120 | Rickey | 1248 | Sarah | 1519 |
| 121 | Kent | 1236 | Melinda | 1484 |
| 122 | Marvin | 1182 | Phyllis | 1479 |
| 123 | Reginald | 1152 | Melanie | 1428 |
| 124 | Calvin | 1143 | Sue | 1389 |
| 125 | Frederick | 1081 | Sherri | 1389 |
| 126 | Marc | 1073 | Marilyn | 1386 |
| 127 | Manuel | 1047 | Gina | 1371 |
| 128 | Howard | 1036 | Joanne | 1275 |
| 129 | Joel | 1033 | Sheri | 1150 |
| 130 | Melvin | 999 | Belinda | 1141 |
| 131 | Louis | 947 | Yolanda | 1120 |
| 132 | Bob | 945 | Yvonne | 1103 |
| 133 | Kirk | 912 | Shelia | 1096 |
| 134 | Shawn | 845 | Sally | 1086 |
| 135 | Eugene | 722 | Glenda | 1086 |
| 136 | Jerome | 656 | Gwendolyn | 1079 |
| 137 | Ernest | 649 | Monica | 1058 |
| 138 | Harry | 641 | Ellen | 1058 |
| 139 | Clarence | 592 | Marie | 1027 |
| 140 | Alvin | 575 | Vanessa | 1027 |
| 141 | Mitchell | 556 | Deanna | 1011 |
| 142 | Dana | 548 | Elaine | 971 |
| 143 | Leonard | 547 | Charlotte | 825 |
| 144 | Francis | 535 | Sheryl | 757 |
| 145 | Jonathan | 521 | Annie | 747 |
| 146 | Ray | 497 | Frances | 722 |
| 147 | Lee | 497 | Doris | 706 |
| 148 | Karl | 405 | Pam | 702 |
| 149 | Kerry | 384 | Heidi | 686 |
| 150 | Fred | 348 | Sandy | 669 |
| 151 | Benjamin | 331 | Shari | 663 |
| 152 | Norman | 300 | Tami | 645 |
| 153 | Doug | 297 | Marcia | 628 |
| 154 | Roderick | 288 | Jeanne | 568 |
| 155 | Bernard | 257 | Helen | 491 |
| 156 | Gordon | 253 | Loretta | 477 |
| 157 | Ted | 251 | Veronica | 452 |
| 158 | Jackie | 246 | Eileen | 438 |
| 159 | Donnie | 245 | Cassandra | 406 |
| 160 | Nicholas | 243 | Joann | 391 |
| 161 | Glen | 235 | Holly | 365 |
| 162 | Earl | 223 | Jodi | 363 |
| 163 | Leroy | 220 | Kristi | 361 |
| 164 | Theodore | 214 | Alice | 357 |
| 165 | Timmy | 210 | Tonya | 319 |
| 166 | Ken | 201 | Toni | 313 |
| 167 | Darren | 197 | Jody | 312 |
| 168 | Marion | 176 | Shannon | 302 |
| 169 | Roland | 169 | Shelley | 293 |
| 170 | Herbert | 164 | Charlene | 273 |
| 171 | Nathaniel | 146 | Sonya | 261 |
| 172 | Charlie | 132 | Felicia | 258 |
| 173 | Stuart | 118 | Jo | 243 |
| 174 | Freddie | 110 | Jana | 229 |
| 175 | Brett | 109 | Rachel | 229 |
| 176 | Wesley | 104 | Tammie | 214 |
| 177 | Tyrone | 102 | Lynne | 203 |
| 178 | Lance | 91 | Louise | 192 |
| 179 | Perry | 77 | Kay | 173 |
| 180 | Gregg | 72 | Kristine | 160 |
| 181 | Jesse | 69 | Patti | 127 |
| 182 | Gilbert | 66 | Jamie | 125 |
| 183 | Ruben | 65 | Audrey | 120 |
| 184 | Clifford | 65 | Evelyn | 120 |
| 185 | Guy | 63 | Sara | 116 |
| 186 | Shane | 59 | Karla | 115 |
| 187 | Kyle | 59 | Marsha | 108 |
| 188 | Kim | 58 | Lorraine | 91 |
| 189 | Robin | 57 | Darla | 84 |
| 190 | Derek | 57 | Roberta | 79 |
| 191 | Carlos | 47 | Patty | 74 |
| 192 | Jesus | 47 | Jan | 69 |
| 193 | Cory | 45 | Shauna | 66 |
| 194 | Luis | 43 | Ladonna | 54 |
| 195 | Alfred | 42 | Natalie | 49 |
| 196 | Juan | 41 | Robyn | 47 |
| 197 | Arnold | 40 | Norma | 45 |
| 198 | Lynn | 40 | Irene | 45 |
| 199 | Warren | 40 | Roxanne | 41 |
| 200 | Chad | 39 | Claire | 41 |
| 201 | Edwin | 37 | Doreen | 40 |
| 202 | Clayton | 37 | Tracey | 34 |
| 203 | Clark | 34 | Lynette | 33 |
| 204 | Sean | 32 | Sherrie | 32 |
| 205 | Bart | 30 | Joni | 30 |
| 206 | Aaron | 30 | Melody | 29 |
| 207 | Jason | 27 | Iris | 29 |
| 208 | Clyde | 26 | Joy | 28 |
| 209 | Wendell | 26 | Leilani | 26 |
| 210 | Wade | 25 | Nadine | 23 |
| 211 | Ross | 23 | Bernadette | 21 |
| 212 | Franklin | 20 | Kelli | 21 |
| 213 | Allan | 17 | Dianne | 21 |
| 214 | Leo | 17 | Cheri | 21 |
| 215 | Lloyd | 15 | Maryann | 20 |
| 216 | Gerard | 15 | Gayle | 20 |
| 217 | Bradford | 11 | Carole | 20 |