Most popular baby names of 1948

Looking at the baby name trends from 1947 to 1948, we see remarkable consistency in the top naming preferences across the United States. The top three names for both boys and girls remained completely stable during this period. James, Robert, and John continued their dominance as the most popular boys' names, while Linda, Mary, and Patricia held their ground as the top three girls' names, though Barbara climbed to third place, pushing Patricia to fourth.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1948, Susan made a notable climb from eighth place to fifth place, demonstrating growing popularity. Sandra, Nancy, and Carol maintained consistent appeal, with slight adjustments in their rankings. Kathleen entered the top 10 in 1948, reflecting parents' increasing interest in this classic Irish name. Interestingly, the popularity of Donna decreased slightly as it moved from tenth to eleventh place, just missing the top 10 cutoff.

The boys' top 10 showed similar stability with some minor adjustments. Michael continued its upward trajectory, moving from seventh to sixth place, hinting at the massive popularity this name would achieve in later decades. Ronald fell slightly from eleventh to tenth place but maintained its position in the top 10. Names like Richard, Thomas, and Charles held steady positions in the top 10, demonstrating their enduring appeal to American parents in the post-war era.

Looking at broader patterns, traditional masculine names dominated the boys' list, with shorter, classic names like James, John, and David showing particular staying power. The letter "J" remained especially popular for boys' names, with James, John, and Joseph all ranking highly. For girls' names, we see a prevalence of names ending with the "a" sound (Linda, Barbara, Sandra) or the "ee" sound (Mary, Nancy). Many popular girls' names were also two syllables, creating a rhythmic, melodic quality that appealed to parents of this generation. The stability between 1947 and 1948 reflects the consistent cultural values of the post-war period, with parents favoring traditional, established names over novelty.

Top baby names of 1948