Screenwriting guide
1960s Names: The Most Popular Names of the 1960s
The top 1960s names were Lisa, Mary, Susan, Karen and Kimberly for girls, and Michael, David, John, James and Robert for boys, from Social Security records. Lisa took #1 from Mary in 1962 and kept it through 1969. Michael was #1 every year except 1960, when David led.
Written and reviewed by ScriptLix Editorial
What the records show
Lisa
#1 for girls in 8 of the 10 years from 1960 to 1969. The rest: Mary 2.
Michael
#1 for boys in 9 of the 10 years from 1960 to 1969. The rest: David 1.
496,983
Babies named Lisa in the 1960s SSA records, the most of any girl’s name.
833,070
Babies named Michael in the 1960s SSA records, the most of any boy’s name.
41
Girls’ names that reached the top 100 in the 1960s and sit outside the top 1000 in both the 2010s and 2020s.
8
Boys’ names that reached the top 100 in the 1960s and sit outside the top 1000 in both the 2010s and 2020s.
The top 100 names of the 1960s
Women
| Lisa | #1 | 496,983 | 1960s | #966 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary | #2 | 355,238 | 1880s | #133 |
| Susan | #3 | 287,661 | 1960s | #1,097 |
| Karen | #4 | 286,054 | 1960s | #1,071 |
| Kimberly | #5 | 259,072 | 1960s | #211 |
| Patricia | #6 | 231,169 | 1950s | #1,170 |
| Linda | #7 | 225,445 | 1940s | #830 |
| Donna | #8 | 213,467 | 1960s | #1,847 |
| Michelle | #9 | 208,296 | 1970s | #381 |
| Cynthia | #10 | 196,596 | 1960s | #852 |
| Sandra | #11 | 183,844 | 1940s | #1,057 |
| Deborah | #12 | 183,432 | 1950s | #907 |
| Tammy | #13 | 182,224 | 1960s | #4,500 |
| Pamela | #14 | 181,938 | 1950s | #1,906 |
| Lori | #15 | 176,561 | 1960s | #1,496 |
| Laura | #16 | 174,181 | 1960s | #366 |
| Elizabeth | #17 | 168,915 | 1880s | #14 |
| Julie | #18 | 166,149 | 1960s | #690 |
| Brenda | #19 | 164,496 | 1950s | #1,233 |
| Jennifer | #20 | 164,414 | 1970s | #501 |
| Barbara | #21 | 159,774 | 1930s | #896 |
| Angela | #22 | 159,292 | 1970s | #248 |
| Sharon | #23 | 154,897 | 1940s | #1,230 |
| Debra | #24 | 153,771 | 1950s | #3,764 |
| Teresa | #25 | 151,790 | 1960s | #831 |
Men
| Michael | #1 | 833,070 | 1960s | #16 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David | #2 | 733,939 | 1960s | #29 |
| John | #3 | 713,374 | 1880s | #24 |
| James | #4 | 684,721 | 1940s | #5 |
| Robert | #5 | 650,769 | 1920s | #81 |
| Mark | #6 | 441,381 | 1960s | #240 |
| William | #7 | 421,411 | 1880s | #6 |
| Richard | #8 | 373,894 | 1930s | #219 |
| Thomas | #9 | 327,059 | 1940s | #46 |
| Jeffrey | #10 | 302,013 | 1960s | #451 |
| Steven | #11 | 290,599 | 1950s | #241 |
| Joseph | #12 | 283,046 | 1910s | #27 |
| Timothy | #13 | 276,819 | 1960s | #204 |
| Kevin | #14 | 271,401 | 1970s | #181 |
| Scott | #15 | 266,823 | 1960s | #589 |
| Brian | #16 | 258,119 | 1970s | #291 |
| Charles | #17 | 249,388 | 1880s | #50 |
| Paul | #18 | 242,503 | 1910s | #253 |
| Daniel | #19 | 242,014 | 2000s | #15 |
| Christopher | #20 | 237,144 | 1970s | #55 |
| Kenneth | #21 | 227,514 | 1930s | #260 |
| Anthony | #22 | 203,145 | 2000s | #45 |
| Gregory | #23 | 187,490 | 1960s | #499 |
| Ronald | #24 | 182,176 | 1940s | #580 |
| Donald | #25 | 172,620 | 1930s | #639 |
Generate a full name for a character born in the 1960s
Born in the 1960s, first names from that decade’s SSA top 200.
Surnames are common US Census surnames. Tap a name to keep it, then reroll the other half.
- peak 1970s
- peak 1970s
- peak 1990s
- peak 1930s
- peak 1970s
- peak 1920s
- peak 1960s
- peak 1950s
- peak 1960s
- peak 1970s
For writers: names that date a character
Time markers reached the top 100 in the 1960s, had their best decade ever there, and rank below #300 today. Traps are today’s top 100 names that were outside the top 1000, or missing from the records, throughout the 1960s.
Women
Names that place a character in time
- Lisa
- Susan
- Karen
- Donna
- Cynthia
- Tammy
- Lori
- Laura
- Julie
- Teresa
- Robin
- Kim
Anachronism traps
- Isabella #7 nowbest #1,784 then
- Harper #10 nownot recorded then
- Luna #11 nowbest #7,639 then
- Camila #12 nowbest #4,022 then
- Sofia #13 nowbest #1,173 then
- Gianna #16 nowbest #2,089 then
- Scarlett #17 nowbest #1,093 then
- Chloe #21 nowbest #2,821 then
- Avery #22 nowbest #3,157 then
- Aria #23 nowbest #7,503 then
- Mila #24 nowbest #2,436 then
- Layla #30 nowbest #8,137 then
Men
Names that place a character in time
- Jeffrey
- Scott
- Gregory
- Todd
- Keith
- Craig
- Jeffery
- Rodney
- Mike
- Tony
- Steve
- Jeff
Anachronism traps
- Liam #1 nowbest #1,229 then
- Mateo #11 nowbest #2,674 then
- Asher #23 nowbest #2,412 then
- Logan #30 nowbest #1,024 then
- Hudson #31 nowbest #2,164 then
- Aiden #32 nownot recorded then
- Luca #37 nowbest #3,836 then
- Grayson #38 nowbest #1,499 then
- Maverick #43 nowbest #2,054 then
- Jayden #47 nownot recorded then
- Josiah #51 nowbest #1,950 then
- Caleb #53 nowbest #1,058 then
How to use it
- 1
Scan the ranked table for the 1960s and sort it by rank, births or where a name sits today. Copy the list if you want it.
- 2
Use the generator to pair real first names from that decade with common US surnames. Tap a half to keep it and reroll the rest.
- 3
Check the anachronism traps before you commit, so a modern name does not give your period character away.
Which names say 1960s?
Lisa, Susan, Karen, Donna and Cynthia all peaked in the 1960s. Tammy is the sharpest marker: #13 in the 1960s, #4,500 in the 2020s. For boys, Jeffrey, Scott, Gregory, Todd, Keith and Craig had their best decade then and sit below #300 now.
Short, friendly forms show up as given names in this decade too. Kim, Mike, Steve, Jeff and Tony were all top 100 names of the 1960s in their own right.
Why did Mary finally lose #1?
The data shows the change, not the reason. Mary had been the top girls’ name in all but six years since 1880 (Linda took 1947 to 1952). Lisa passed it in 1962, and Mary has not been #1 since. A writer can use that shift: a mother named Mary and a daughter named Lisa is a believable 1960s family.
Which modern names would be wrong in the 1960s?
Liam ranked #1,229 in the 1960s. Harper and Aiden still do not appear at all. Isabella was #1,784 and Scarlett #1,093. The traps list checks every 2020s top 100 name against the 1960s records.
Names by era
Questions writers ask
What were popular girl names in the 1960s?
Lisa, Mary, Susan, Karen, Kimberly, Patricia, Linda, Donna, Michelle and Cynthia were the top ten in US Social Security records for 1960 to 1969.
What were popular boy names in the 1960s?
Michael, David, John, James, Robert, Mark, William, Richard, Thomas and Jeffrey were the top ten.
When did Lisa become the most popular name?
In 1962. Lisa was the #1 girls’ name every year from 1962 to 1969.
What names did people born in the 1960s have that are rare now?
Tammy, Rhonda, Kim, Lori and Cindy for women and Todd, Craig and Jeff for men were top 100 in the 1960s and rank below #1,000 today.
Is this the US or worldwide?
The US only. Every number comes from US Social Security Administration records.