Linda

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 2
SSA ranking today: 842
Meaning: "pretty"

The name Linda — as in actress Linda Cristal, who also starred in Westerns throughout the '50s — had a good run, enjoying the top spot from 1947 to 1952, until Mary came back to reclaim the crown. Today, the SSA reports that the name is actually decreasing in popularity, but that just means it might be ripe for a comeback.

Robert

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 3
SSA ranking today: 89
Meaning: "bright fame"

The name Robert means "bright fame," and in the 1950s it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, at least when it came to actors like Robert Mitchum, Robert Taylor or Robert Conrad. Today, Robert still sits safely in the top 100 baby boy names, although the SSA notes it decreased slightly in popularity (as did Roberto). But that just means it's in that not-too-trendy, not-too-obscure zone.

Patricia

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 3
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "noble"

In an episode of The Twilight Zone, actress Patricia Barry plays a woman who is tricked into falling for a man who used a love potion on her — only for him to find her affections stifling. Such is not the case with America's love affair with the name Patricia: In the 1950s it was flying high, and now it doesn't rank on the SSA's list of the top 1000 girl names at all. That means this is a great choice for parents looking for a name with a vintage, mid-century feel but who still want to be unique.

John

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 4
SSA ranking today: 26
Meaning: "God is gracious"

The name John, as in writer John Updike, may have had its peak long before the '50s. It was the No. 1 boy's name a few decades earlier than that, and kept the top spot between 1900 and 1923. Still, the name has hung in there, landing somewhere in the top-five names every year from 1924 to 1972, and it continues to rank in the top 30 baby names today.

Susan

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 4
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "gift from God"

Right now Susan, like Patricia, has fallen off the SSA list of most popular baby names in entirely. But in the 1950s, Susan was ascendant, hitting its peak in 1960. Perhaps those '50s families were inspired by actress Susan Hayward, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress three times throughout the decade (and finally brought home the statue in 1958).

David

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 5
SSA ranking today: 27
Meaning: "beloved"

David, as in businessman David Rockefeller, has a disruptor energy to it: It was the name David that took the No. 1 spot from Michael for one year only — 1960 — keeping Michael from having an interrupted 44-year streak as the most popular boy name in America. And while David has lost favor in the decades since, and now is more often in the top 30 than the top five, it's still a good choice for families who want to shake things up.

Deborah/Debra

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 5/7
SSA ranking today: 971/unranked
Meaning: "bee"

This is a two-for-one, because variants on Deborah actually hit the list twice in the 1950s: Deborah (as in The King and I and An Affair to Remember star Deborah Kerr) was the fifth most popular name, and Debra (as in The Ten Commandments' Debra Paget) was the seventh. Today, Deborah still has the edge over Debra — but only slightly, since Deborah has fallen to the bottom of the list and, according to the SSA, is still sinking, and Debra has fallen off of it entirely.

William

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 6
SSA ranking today: 10
Meaning: "resolute protector"

William was a good choice for literary parents of the 1950s, who saw bylines like William S. Burroughs, William Goldman and William F. Buckley Jr. on books and in magazines. And the name feels at once timeless and modern, since it's still in the top 10 of baby names today. It's also good for parents who love options, since families can make the name their own by going by nicknames like Will, Willy, Bill or Billy.

Richard

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 7
SSA ranking today: 221
Meaning: "strong ruler"

In the '50s, there were many big musical artists with the name Richard, from Broadway composer Richard Rogers to ivory-tickler Little Richard. The name had hit its peak by then — it was a top-five name in the '30s and '40s — but today Richard, Ricky and Ricardo have all still earned spots on the SSA list, so it's a versatile choice.

Thomas

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 8
SSA ranking today: 41
Meaning: "twin"

Be it Thomas, Tom or Tommy, as in Lassie co-star Tommy Rettig, the name is certainly a stalwart one, hanging around somewhere in the SSA's top 50ish or so names since 1900. The lowest it ever ranked was 63, in 2011 and 2012, and has been on a slow upswing ever since. Could we see it crack into the top 10 again?

Karen

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 8
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "pure"

Any name can stage a comeback, but Karen has an uphill climb. While Karen was number 505 on the SSA list 10 years ago, it fell off the list in 2021. But there are plenty of cool Karen role models in the '50s and beyond, including "Babette's Feast" writer Karen Blixen and musicians Karen Carpenter and Karen O, which means it could be time for a reclamation.

Nancy

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 9
SSA ranking today: 942
Meaning: "grace" or "pure"

Nancy — as in Nancy Berg, the actress and host of Count Sheep With Nancy Berg, which in 1955 aired every night at 1 am and lasted only 5 minutes — is a name you can never truly count out. Even though it hit its peak popularity in 1950, and even though it's dangling at the bottom of the list of top 1000 names, the SSA has put it on the list of the fastest-climbers, noting it jumped 51 places between last year and the year before.

Donna

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 10
SSA ranking today: unranked
Meaning: "lady"

In the 1950s, the name Donna was everywhere. It was on the radio, with Richie Valens's 1958 hit "Donna." It was on the small screen during The Donna Reed Show. And yet today, it's virtually unheard of, not making the SSA list at all since 2010. Whoever wants to stake their claim on the name and bring it back to its former glory, it's all theirs.

Cynthia

SSA ranking in the 1950s: 11
SSA ranking today: 873
Meaning: "moon" or "from Mount Kynthos"

The name Cynthia, as in actress/Jack Lemmon wife Cynthia Stone, is associated with the goddess Artemis and the moon. Today, in terms of celestial names, you're much more likely to find a Luna than a Cynthia. But that might not be true forever, since the SSA has named Cynthia one of its climbing names, albeit a slow-rising one, having jumped 14 places in rank last year.