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Top 1950s Baby Names

Baby names from the 1950s epitomize the Baby Boom. Denise and Dennis, Donna and Donald — these are the names of today's grandmas and grandpas, not quite baby-ready for another generation.

Along with Dennis and Donald, other 1950s baby names that remain in the US Top 1000 include Barbara, Carolyn, George, Gloria, Joyce, Judith, Randy, and Terry. The names with the steepest decline in popularity since their peaks include Gail, Peggy, Cheryl, and Kathy.

Sourced from the 1950s' Top 100, here is a list of popular baby names from that decade which are relatively rare today. If you really want to buck current fashions, you might choose one of these 1950s baby names for your 21st century child.

Janice

Meaning: God's gracious gift

Origin:Variation of Jane
3041
Debra

Meaning: bee

Origin:Spelling variation of Deborah
3096
Dale

Meaning: valley

Origin:English
1570
Ann

Meaning: grace

Origin:English variation of Hebrew Hannah
644
Theresa

Meaning: to harvest

Origin:English form of the Spanish Teresa
468
Douglas

Meaning: black water

Origin:Scottish
755
Russell

Meaning: redhead, fox-colored

Origin:French
384
Raymond

Meaning: wise protector

Origin:German
398
Mark

Meaning: warlike

Origin:Latin
496
Scott

Meaning: from Scotland

Origin:English
501
Stephen

Meaning: garland, crown

Origin:Greek
534
Lawrence

Meaning: from Laurentium or bay laurel

Origin:Latin
164
Bruce

Meaning: from the brushwood thicket

Origin:Scottish and English from French
283
Gerald

Meaning: ruler with the spear

Origin:English and Irish from German
825
Walter

Meaning: army ruler

Origin:German
332
Carl

Meaning: free man

Origin:German variation of Charles
757
Steven

Meaning: garland, crown

Origin:English variation of Stephen
893
Donald

Meaning: proud chief

Origin:Scottish
1105
Ronald

Meaning: ruler's counselor

Origin:Norse
1187
Randy This is a common name used for both boys and...
Origin:Diminutive of Randall, Randolph
1879