Top 100 baby names in the United States in 1956
See the most popular baby names, how many were recorded, and how each rank changed from 1955.
Top 100
| Rank | Name | Recorded count | Change from 1955 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 90,929 | 0 |
| 2 | James | 85,145 | +1 |
| 3 | Robert | 84,138 | +1 |
| 4 | David | 81,809 | -2 |
| 5 | John | 81,028 | 0 |
| 6 | Mary | 61,886 | 0 |
| 7 | William | 59,145 | 0 |
| 8 | Richard | 53,043 | 0 |
| 9 | Mark | 48,912 | +6 |
| 10 | Debra | 48,414 | +1 |
| 11 | Linda | 48,191 | -1 |
| 12 | Deborah | 47,927 | -3 |
| 13 | Susan | 46,625 | -1 |
| 14 | Thomas | 44,940 | 0 |
| 15 | Patricia | 43,431 | -2 |
| 16 | Karen | 40,124 | +4 |
| 17 | Steven | 38,491 | -1 |
| 18 | Charles | 35,395 | -1 |
| 19 | Joseph | 32,832 | +2 |
| 20 | Cynthia | 32,400 | +5 |
| 21 | Barbara | 32,377 | -2 |
| 22 | Gary | 31,909 | -4 |
| 23 | Donna | 29,915 | 0 |
| 24 | Nancy | 28,833 | -2 |
| 25 | Donald | 28,308 | -1 |
| 26 | Ronald | 27,786 | +4 |
| 27 | Kenneth | 27,504 | -1 |
| 28 | Pamela | 26,969 | 0 |
| 29 | Paul | 26,966 | -2 |
| 30 | Sharon | 26,936 | +7 |
| 31 | Daniel | 26,711 | -2 |
| 32 | Sandra | 24,344 | -1 |
| 33 | Timothy | 23,336 | +7 |
| 34 | Jeffrey | 23,327 | 0 |
| 35 | Diane | 22,562 | -3 |
| 36 | Larry | 22,428 | -3 |
| 37 | Kevin | 21,828 | +11 |
| 38 | Carol | 21,500 | -2 |
| 39 | Kathleen | 21,417 | -1 |
| 40 | Cheryl | 21,303 | +5 |
| 41 | Stephen | 21,239 | -6 |
| 42 | Gregory | 21,144 | 0 |
| 43 | Terry | 20,336 | -4 |
| 44 | Edward | 19,506 | -1 |
| 45 | Brenda | 19,378 | -1 |
| 46 | Dennis | 18,414 | -5 |
| 47 | George | 17,319 | -1 |
| 48 | Kathy | 17,202 | +2 |
| 49 | Janet | 16,795 | -2 |
| 50 | Randy | 16,740 | +2 |
| 51 | Douglas | 16,421 | 0 |
| 52 | Elizabeth | 16,388 | -3 |
| 53 | Anthony | 15,632 | +2 |
| 54 | Bruce | 14,693 | +2 |
| 55 | Brian | 14,685 | +18 |
| 56 | Denise | 14,537 | -3 |
| 57 | Teresa | 14,498 | +2 |
| 58 | Margaret | 13,942 | -4 |
| 59 | Robin | 13,868 | +2 |
| 60 | Scott | 13,235 | +9 |
| 61 | Janice | 13,048 | -4 |
| 62 | Kim | 12,857 | +19 |
| 63 | Jerry | 12,839 | -5 |
| 64 | Rebecca | 12,187 | -4 |
| 65 | Catherine | 12,075 | -3 |
| 66 | Keith | 11,511 | +5 |
| 67 | Peter | 11,353 | 0 |
| 68 | Frank | 11,195 | -3 |
| 69 | Raymond | 11,140 | -3 |
| 70 | Joyce | 11,121 | -7 |
| 71 | Lisa | 11,031 | +24 |
| 72 | Theresa | 10,863 | +7 |
| 73 | Carolyn | 10,666 | -9 |
| 74 | Laura | 10,591 | +12 |
| 75 | Patrick | 10,354 | +2 |
| 76 | Judy | 10,219 | -4 |
| 77 | Roger | 10,179 | -9 |
| 78 | Cathy | 10,155 | +13 |
| 79 | Cindy | 9,996 | +71 |
| 80 | Debbie | 9,883 | +37 |
| 81 | Beverly | 9,490 | -6 |
| 82 | Shirley | 9,483 | -4 |
| 83 | Connie | 9,466 | -9 |
| 84 | Christine | 9,400 | 0 |
| 85 | Betty | 9,252 | -9 |
| 86 | Judith | 9,134 | -16 |
| 87 | Ann | 9,009 | 0 |
| 88 | Lynn | 8,989 | +2 |
| 89 | Paula | 8,947 | -9 |
| 90 | Lawrence | 8,927 | -8 |
| 91 | Ricky | 8,830 | +6 |
| 92 | Wayne | 8,750 | -4 |
| 93 | Alan | 8,746 | -8 |
| 94 | Danny | 8,594 | -5 |
| 94 | Julie | 8,594 | +27 |
| 96 | Dale | 8,554 | +4 |
| 97 | Gail | 8,547 | -14 |
| 98 | Christopher | 8,416 | +6 |
| 99 | Carl | 8,345 | 0 |
| 100 | Jane | 8,251 | -2 |
Data from US Social Security Administration · through 2025.