51 Popular Baby Names of the 1960s
Fact checked by Karen CilliFact checked by Karen CilliThe most popular ‘60s names shouldn’t come as a big surprise. In fact, many of them are still widely used today. (John, much?) It’s highly probable that the name of at least one person in your life born in the 1960s—a family member, a teacher, a boss, etc.—will appear on this list. For a decade defined by so much cultural and technological change, the name trends remained mostly consistent in the United States. What has changed, however? Several of the most popular baby names of the 1960s are now trendy as gender-neutral options, like Robin and Perry. And because so many of these names are now associated with our parents and grandparents, they’ve started to fall out of favor in recent years—which means they’re due for a comeback soon.So whether you’re looking for a classic name or just a really big fan of Mad Men and mid-century furniture, consider one of these ‘60s names for your little one.
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Although many baby names are often separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in selecting names. It's important to choose a name you feel fits your child best.
Popular '60s Names for BoysParents who prefer more established names over quirky, unusual picks will find a lot of inspiration among the most popular ‘60s names for boys. But if you want something with a vintage feel that doesn’t feel too overdone, consider one of the many cute nicknames and variations you’ll find included on this list. MichaelOrigin: HebrewMeaning: Who is like God?Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mike, MickDavidOrigin: HebrewMeaning: BelovedAlternative Spellings & Variations: Dave, Davey, Davy JohnOrigin: HebrewMeaning: God is graciousAlternative Spellings & Variations: Jon, Johnny, Jonathan, JackRobertOrigin: English, German Meaning: Bright fameAlternative Spellings & Variations: Rob, Bob, Bobby, Robb, Robby, RobbieMarkOrigin: Latin Meaning: WarlikeAlternative Spellings & Variations: MarcWilliamOrigin: German Meaning: Resolute protectionAlternative Spellings & Variations: Will, Bill, Wilhelm, Billy, Liam, WillRichardOrigin: GermanMeaning: Dominant rulerAlternative Spellings & Variations: Rich, Dick, Rick, Richie, Dickie, RickyThomasOrigin: AramaicMeaning: TwinAlternative Spellings & Variations: Tommy, Tommie, Tom, TomasJeffreyOrigin: German, EnglishMeaning: Pledge of peaceAlternative Spellings & Variations: Jeff, GeoffreyStevenOrigin: GreekMeaning: Garland, crownAlternative Spellings & Variations: Stephen, Steve, Stevie, Stevan, StevonMore '60s Names for BoysJoseph: This classic boy name comes with a lot of options for nicknames and variations, including Joe, Joey, Jose, and Josef among them. For feminine options, you could consider Josephine, Josie, or Joanne.Timothy: Timothy reached its peak popularity in the United States in 1967, when 28,587 baby boys were given the first name.Kevin: Derived from the Irish name Caoimhín, Kevin means “handsome.” A perfect baby name for your little cutie, no? Scott: There are several famous namesakes who might inspire you to name your child Scott, including novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, composer Scott Joplin, or maybe even the graphic novel and movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.Brian: A native Irish name, it was outlawed in the country during centuries of British rule until after the war for Irish independence in 1916. Charles: While Charles is still most commonly used as a boy name, the derivative Charlie has become an extremely popular gender-neutral choice.Paul: If you’re looking for a pop-culture inspired 1960s name, why not go with the most famous Paul of the decade, Beatles singer and songwriter Paul McCartney?Popular '60s Names For GirlsThe top ‘60s girl names also happen to make great middle names. Simple and familiar, these names would pair well with a modern or more “out there” first name. LisaOrigin: Hebrew, EnglishMeaning: Pledged to GodAlternative Spellings & Variations: Leesa, Liza, Lysa MaryOrigin: Hebrew Meaning: Drop of the sea, bitter, or belovedAlternative Spellings & Variations: Mari, Maria, Mariam, Marie, MaryamSusanOrigin: English, HebrewMeaning: LilyAlternative Spellings & Variations: Susannah, Susanna, Sue, Susie, Suzy, SuzanneKarenOrigin: DanishMeaning: PureAlternative Spellings & Variations: Caren, Caryn, Karan, Karin, Karyn, Kerryn
Fun FactOnce the name Karen became a meme as shorthand for a white woman with bad behavior, the name drastically fell in popularity and is no longer found among the top 1,000 baby names in the US after spending a century on the list.
KimberlyOrigin: EnglishMeaning: Cyneburga’s meadow Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kimberley, Kim, KimberleePatriciaOrigin: LatinMeaning: Noble, patricianAlternative Spellings & Variations: Patti, Pat, PatsyLindaOrigin: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian Meaning: PrettyAlternative Spellings & Variations: Lynda, LindeDonnaOrigin: ItalianMeaning: LadyAlternative Spellings & Variations: Dona, DawnaMichelleOrigin: French Meaning: Who is like GodAlternative Spellings & Variations: Michele, ShellyCynthiaOrigin: GreekMeaning: Moon goddessAlternative Spellings & Variations: Cindy, Cinthia, Cyndi, Cyndy, Cinny, TheaMore '60s Names for GirlsSandra: The widespread appeal of Gidget actor Sandra Dee caused this baby name to skyrocket in the ‘60s—and inspired that Grease hit you can’t get out of your head.Deborah: This name, which means bee, comes with a lot of variations and nicknames. Deb, Debra, and Debbie are the most obvious ones, but there are interesting and less common picks like Devorah and Debs as well.Tammy: Tammy, short for Tamara, hasn’t appeared in the top 1,000 baby names in the US since 1998. Perhaps it’s time for a comeback? Pamela: Pamela has, without a doubt, the sweetest meaning of any name on this list: The English name stands for “all honey.” Lori: Lori and Laurie—both derived from Laura—were popular as a baby name for Boomers, only to be surpassed by Lauren for baby Gen Xers and Millennials in the ‘80s and ‘90s.Laura: Of course, the OG name for Lori, Laura, was also steadily popular in the mid-century and remains so today.Elizabeth: One of the most popular girls’ names ever, this timeless choice also comes with lots of customizable nicknames like Eliza, Lizzie, Liz, Betsy, etc. Popular Gender-Neutral '60s NamesParents of the 1960s may not have been as considerate of gender-neutral names as they are today, but there is a lot of inspiration to be found among the trendiest baby names of the decade. JamesOrigin: English, HebrewMeaning: SupplanterAlternative Spellings & Variations: Jim, Jimmy, JamieTerryOrigin: English, LatinMeaning: A diminutive of Terence or Theresa Alternative Spellings & Variations: Terri, Teri, TerrieTonyOrigin: LatinMeaning: Priceless oneAlternative Spellings & Variations: Toni, Tonie, Toney, Tonnie, Tonny Danny Origin: HebrewMeaning: God is my judgeAlternative Spellings & Variations: Dani, Danni, Dannei, DanyShawnOrigin: IrishMeaning: God is graciousAlternative Spellings & Variations: SeanRobinOrigin: EnglishMeaning: Bright fameAlternative Spellings & Variations: Robyn, Robine JamieOrigin: Hebrew, Scottish Meaning: SupplanterAlternative Spellings & Variations: Jaime, Jayme, JameyFrancisOrigin: LatinMeaning: Free manAlternative Spellings & Variations: FrancesLeslieOrigin: Scottish Meaning: Garden of hollyAlternative Spellings & Variations: Lesly, LesleyPerryOrigin: EnglishMeaning: Dweller near a pear treeAlternative Spellings & Variations: Peri, Perrie, PerriMore Gender-Neutral '60s NamesJo: Jo is an easy way to honor family members with longer “Jo-” names, such as Joseph, Joanna or Joanne, Josephine, Joshua, and Josiah.Lonnie: If you’re not sold on the spelling of Lonnie, other options could be Lon, Lonny, Loni, or Lou. Kerry: This Irish name means “dark or dark haired,” so maybe keep it on the short list if you’re expecting your little one to have raven hair.Jesse: Traditionally, Jesse has been used as a boys’ name while the spelling Jessie was more common for girls. But who’s to say they can’t be interchangeable? Kelly: Kelly, an Irish name that means war, was mostly used as a boys’ name until the late 1950s, when it started to gain traction as both a unisex and girls’ name.Tracy: Some famous folks with the name Tracy or Tracey include comedian Tracy Morgan, singer Tracy Chapman, and actor Tracy Letts.Ronnie: A derivative of both Ronald and Veronica, Ronnie (or Rony/Roni, if you prefer other spellings) has a nice playful, youthful vibe to it. For more Parents news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Parents.
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