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2025 data, released 8 May 2026

Popular baby names of 1966

In 1966, the most popular baby names in the United States were Lisa for girls (56,918 babies) and Michael for boys (79,985). Social Security records show 3,475,638 babies with a name given to at least five children of the same sex that year, sharing 7,624 girls' names and 4,540 boys' names.

1966 at a glance

  • The top 10 girls' names went to 16.0% of girls recorded.
  • The top 10 boys' names went to 28.2% of boys recorded.
  • New in the girls' top 100: Heidi, Stacy, Tonya, Tamara.
  • New in the boys' top 100: Jason, Tracy.

Top 100 girls' and boys' names, 1966

Girls
RankNameBabiesvs 1965
1Lisa56,918–
2Kimberly32,232↑2
3Mary28,890↓1
4Michelle27,159↑14
5Karen25,450↓2
6Susan23,776↓1
7Patricia20,112↓1
8Tammy18,621↑3
9Angela18,532↑1
10Jennifer18,215↑10
11Cynthia17,418↓2
12Donna17,037↓5
13Julie16,331↑1
14Deborah16,250↓1
15Pamela16,249↓3
16Elizabeth15,887–
17Sandra15,851↓2
18Linda15,566↓10
19Laura15,553↓2
20Christine15,546↑1
21Lori14,671↓2
22Melissa14,254↑16
23Tina13,892↑6
24Dawn13,603↑2
25Brenda13,294↓2
26Kelly13,242↑4
27Barbara13,123↓2
28Sharon13,063↓6
29Teresa13,024↓5
30Amy12,998↑5
31Tracy12,504↑5
32Denise11,797↓4
33Nancy11,729↓1
34Cheryl11,713↓3
35Debra11,261↓8
36Michele10,689↑12
37Kathleen10,491↓3
38Stephanie10,160↑6
39Rhonda9,805↓2
40Rebecca9,777↑1
41Wendy9,516↓2
42Robin9,440↓9
43Kim9,194–
44Maria9,132↑2
45Diane8,750↓5
46Theresa8,699↓1
47Jacqueline8,360–
48Carol8,259↓6
49Jill7,871↑2
50Paula7,856↓1
51Sheila7,208↓1
52Andrea7,144↑11
53Sherry6,983↑3
54Catherine6,962↑3
55Margaret6,960↓3
56Cindy6,794↓3
57Janet6,434↓2
58Gina6,356↑12
59Kathy6,319↓5
60Carolyn6,121↓2
61Ann5,993↓2
62Suzanne5,684↑3
63Laurie5,667↓3
64Diana5,504–
65Beth5,444↑1
66Renee5,354↑2
67Christina5,341↑7
68Dana5,278↑10
69Tracey5,127↑16
70Connie5,102↓9
71Leslie4,999↑4
72Terri4,921↓3
73Debbie4,846↓11
74Valerie4,816↓7
75Monica4,722↓3
76Stacey4,586↑8
77Carla4,508↓1
78Katherine4,492↑1
79Annette4,428↓8
80Janice4,345↓7
81Lynn4,306↓1
82Regina4,295–
83Anne4,151↓6
84Wanda4,093↓3
85Sarah4,034↑7
86Kathryn4,008↑1
87Heidi3,966new
88Anita3,872↑6
89Shelly3,856↑9
90Bonnie3,842↓1
91Stacy3,779new
92Sherri3,747↓1
93Colleen3,746–
94Darlene3,728↓11
95Anna3,682↑1
96Tonya3,630new
97Judy3,510↓11
98Tamara3,482new
99Cathy3,421↓11
100Joyce3,399↓10
Boys
RankNameBabiesvs 1965
1Michael79,985–
2David66,408↑1
3James65,163↑1
4John65,016↓2
5Robert59,317–
6William38,237–
7Mark34,801–
8Richard34,457–
9Jeffrey30,200↑1
10Thomas29,003↓1
11Timothy28,923↑1
12Christopher27,866↑6
13Steven27,698↑1
14Brian27,253↑5
15Joseph26,981↓4
16Scott26,036↓1
17Kevin25,592↓4
18Paul23,578↓2
19Daniel23,269↓2
20Charles22,252–
21Kenneth20,834–
22Anthony20,624–
23Gregory17,009–
24Ronald16,952–
25Eric16,475–
26Stephen14,742↑2
27Donald14,713↓1
28Gary14,155↓1
29Todd13,557↑1
30Edward13,279↓1
31Patrick12,405–
32Keith11,614↑3
33Douglas11,401↓1
34Matthew10,803↑2
35Rodney10,268↓2
36Andrew10,235↑1
37George9,941↓3
38Larry8,709–
39Peter8,584–
40Terry8,455–
41Jerry8,429–
42Jeffery7,904↑5
43Frank7,787–
44Dennis7,786–
45Randy7,758↓3
46Craig7,729–
47Raymond7,376↓2
48Troy6,905↑5
49Tony6,571↓1
50Sean6,490↑29
51Roger6,296↓2
52Bryan5,890↑11
53Bruce5,843↓3
54Shawn5,725↑15
55Chris5,257↑5
56Carl5,227↓2
57Alan4,943↑2
58Vincent4,941↑3
59Wayne4,891↑6
60Gerald4,863↑4
61Russell4,857↓3
62Danny4,721↓6
63Darren4,718↓11
64Ricky4,680↓7
65Jonathan4,662↑9
66Lawrence4,644–
67Steve4,617↓12
68Bradley4,555↑4
69Mike4,526↓18
70Randall4,448↑3
71Phillip4,402↓1
72Jeff4,387↓10
73Johnny4,363↑3
74Joe4,334↓3
75Curtis4,242–
76Jon4,239↑2
77Jimmy4,238↑4
78Martin4,210↓11
79Jose4,194↑10
80Billy4,182↓3
81Samuel4,155↑3
82Bobby4,068↓2
83Walter4,057↓1
84Dean4,041↑4
85Dale3,985↓2
86Philip3,954↑1
87Barry3,916↓1
88Darryl3,817↓20
89Jason3,770new
90Glenn3,668↓5
91Jay3,598↓1
92Henry3,575↑2
93Willie3,546–
94Roy3,522↑1
95Darrell3,497↓4
96Arthur3,482–
97Allen3,420↓5
98Tracy3,380new
99Harold3,323–
100Albert3,297–

Every name given in 1966

All 12,164 names Social Security recorded for 1966, with their rank and count. Type to filter.

← 1965 All years and states 1967 →