RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Can you guess what the most popular name for girls was in the 1960s in Virginia?
The 1960s are commonly associated with tie-dye-clad hippies, psychedelic experimentation, and rock ‘n’ roll icons like The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. But underneath the flower power, free love exterior, the ‘60s were a period of radical social and political change—not only in the United States but around the world.
Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for girls in the ‘60s in Virginia using data from the Social Security Administration.
Names are ranked by the number of babies born. The names in this list represent the distinct intersection of Baby Boomer and Gen X and a reflection of some of the most well-known celebrities, musicians, and trends of the time. Scroll down to see if your name was among the most popular in the ‘60s in your home state!
#25. Laura
Laura is a name of Latin origin meaning “bay laurel plant”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,145
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 267 (#315 most common name, -91.5% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #16
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 174,184
#24. Cheryl
Cheryl is a name of Greek origin meaning “cherry fruit”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,148
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 267 (#315 most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #28
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 135,650
#23. Michelle
Michelle is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “who is like God?”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,503
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 414 (#197 most common name, -88.2% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #9
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 208,285
#22. Melissa
Melissa is a name of Greek origin meaning “honey bee”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,552
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 272 (#310 most common name, -92.3% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #33
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 119,212
#21. Barbara
Barbara is a name of Greek origin meaning “foreign”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,652
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 43 (#1141 most common name, -98.8% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #21
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 159,750
#20. Jennifer
Jennifer is a name of English origin meaning “white shadow, white wave”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,690
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 370 (#221 (tie) most common name, -90.0% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #20
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 164,429
#19. Robin
Robin is a name of German origin meaning “fame-bright”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 3,998
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 57 (#1001 most common name, -98.6% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #34
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 118,322
#18. Brenda
Brenda is a name of Norse origin meaning “sword”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,231
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 91 (#744 most common name, -97.8% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #19
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 164,483
#17. Elizabeth
Elizabeth is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “god is my oath”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,583
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,855 (#10 most common name, -37.7% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #17
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 168,897
#16. Linda
Linda is a name of Italian origin meaning “beautiful”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,642
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 95 (#728 most common name, -98.0% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #7
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 225,412
#15. Sandra
Sandra is a name of Greek origin meaning “defender of man”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,766
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 78 (#845 (tie) most common name, -98.4% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #11
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 183,812
#14. Sharon
Sharon is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “a fertile plain”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,229
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 87 (#769 (tie) most common name, -98.3% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #23
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 154,883
#13. Angela
Angela is a name of Latin origin meaning “messenger of God”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,262
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 343 (#240 most common name, -93.5% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #22
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 159,248
#12. Deborah
Deborah is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “bee”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,333
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 82 (#822 (tie) most common name, -98.5% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #12
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 183,434
#11. Tammy
Tammy is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “palm tree”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,526
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 82 (#822 (tie) most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #13
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 182,218
#10. Patricia
Patricia is a name of Latin origin meaning “noble”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,673
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 83 (#812 most common name, -98.5% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #6
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 231,137
#9. Pamela
Pamela is a name of Greek origin meaning “all sweetness”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,681
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 21 (#1493 most common name, -99.6% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #14
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 181,948
#8. Cynthia
Cynthia is a name of Greek origin meaning “moon goddess”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,751
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 119 (#612 most common name, -97.9% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #10
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 196,606
#7. Teresa
Teresa is a name of Greek origin meaning “huntress”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,791
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 111 (#638 (tie) most common name, -98.1% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #25
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 151,770
#6. Susan
Susan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “lily”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,059
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 86 (#780 most common name, -98.6% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #3
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 287,661
#5. Donna
Donna is a name of Italian origin meaning “lady of the home”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,288
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 13 (#1735 (tie) most common name, -99.8% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #8
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 213,457
#4. Kimberly
Kimberly is a name of English origin meaning “from the wood of the royal forest”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,750
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 624 (#130 most common name, -90.8% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #5
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 259,092
#3. Karen
Karen is a name of Danish origin meaning “pure”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 7,049
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 167 (#469 (tie) most common name, -97.6% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #4
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 286,044
#2. Mary
Mary is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “drop of the sea”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,110
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 873 (#89 most common name, -89.2% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #2
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 355,223
#1. Lisa
Lisa is a name of English origin meaning “God’s promise”.
Virginia
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 11,036
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 57 (#1001 most common name, -99.5% compared to the 60s)
National
- Rank: #1
- Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 496,980
