Girl Names Most Popular During the Baby Boomer Era

According to economic data released last month, boomers are the wealthiest generation on the planet. Not only did they not have to endure wars but they also benefitted from the post-war boom. Some of them even got to see The Beatles! Whilst it's true that not every American Boomer is loaded, as a group they make up just 20% of the U.S. population but own 52% of its net wealth, worth $76trn.

So, what names were bestowed on this lucky generation? Baby names go in and out of fashion and the trends can be cyclical. Names that were out of favor just a few decades ago can often become very popular again. There are always cultural influences and family names that are passed down through generations. However, these days in particular, sports stars and celebrities can also influence parent's choices. Here are the biggest name fads of the last 40 years

This is nothing new though, The name Donna – which was already the 10th most popular girls' name in the nation when teen rocker Ritchie Valens released his hit single "Donna" in 1958 – rose in popularity the next year to No. 5. Donna isn't the only name to become more fashionable after the release of a song. Here are the most popular music-inspired baby names.

24/7 Tempo reviewed name data from the U.S. Social Security Administration to determine baby boomers' most popular girls' names.Names were ranked based on the total number of girls that received the name from 1946 to 1964. Supplemental name data for 2022 is also from the SSA.

Baby boomers' most popular girl name, Mary, has hardly lost its appeal. It still ranks among the 150 most popular girls' names in the U.S., compared to some of the other top names of that generation that have plummeted in use – like Barbara, which ranked at 976 in 2022.

• Boomer baby girls named Carolyn: 246,527 (0.67% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Carolyn: 192 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Kathy: 254,613 (0.69% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Kathy: 75 (<0.00% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Margaret: 276,540 (0.75% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Margaret: 2,180 (0.12% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Janet: 286,080 (0.78% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Janet: 103 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Cheryl: 305,157 (0.83% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Cheryl: 44 (<0.00% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Elizabeth: 308,179 (0.84% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Elizabeth: 6,964 (0.39% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Lisa: 330,425 (0.90% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Lisa: 289 (0.02% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Diane: 353,077 (0.96% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Diane: 82 (<0.00% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Brenda: 381,724 (1.04% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Brenda: 187 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Kathleen: 387,244 (1.05% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Kathleen: 227 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Pamela: 394,035 (1.07% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Pamela: 93 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Carol: 419,506 (1.14% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Carol: 80 (<0.00% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Cynthia: 423,014 (1.15% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Cynthia: 312 (0.02% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Sharon: 435,758 (1.18% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Sharon: 199 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Debra: 448,095 (1.22% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Debra: 39 (<0.00% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Sandra: 491,778 (1.34% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Sandra: 230 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Donna: 495,453 (1.35% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Donna: 101 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Nancy: 497,862 (1.35% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Nancy: 262 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Deborah: 581,906 (1.58% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Deborah: 296 (0.02% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Karen: 587,276 (1.60% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Karen: 196 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Barbara: 631,924 (1.72% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Barbara: 271 (0.02% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Susan: 749,662 (2.04% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Susan: 206 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Patricia: 788,693 (2.14% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Patricia: 221 (0.01% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Linda: 1,059,700 (2.88% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Linda: 346 (0.02% of all girls)

• Boomer baby girls named Mary: 1,125,411 (3.06% of all girls)
• 2022 baby girls named Mary: 2,097 (0.12% of all girls)