Names
Character names by decade
A character's name says when they were born. Here are the names that were popular in each birth period in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, with 19 more countries a click away.
Born before 1950
American
Girls: Mary, Barbara, Patricia, Betty, Shirley, Dorothy, Joan, Carol
Boys: James, Robert, John, William, Richard, Charles, Donald, George
British
Girls: Margaret, Patricia, Jean, Joan, Sheila, Barbara, Doreen, Brenda
Boys: John, David, Peter, Michael, Alan, Brian, Robert, Anthony
Australian
Girls: Margaret, Patricia, Joan, Dorothy, Betty, Shirley, Barbara, Jean
Boys: John, Robert, Peter, William, Kevin, Brian, Ronald, Kenneth
Born 1950–64
American
Girls: Mary, Linda, Susan, Deborah, Karen, Lisa, Patricia, Donna
Boys: Michael, David, James, Robert, John, Mark, Steven, Thomas
British
Girls: Susan, Linda, Christine, Margaret, Janet, Carol, Elaine, Julie
Boys: David, John, Paul, Stephen, Michael, Peter, Ian, Andrew
Australian
Girls: Susan, Christine, Jennifer, Lynette, Kerry, Sandra, Julie, Deborah
Boys: David, Peter, Stephen, Michael, John, Graham, Gregory, Gary
Born 1965–79
American
Girls: Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Michelle, Heather, Angela, Kimberly, Stephanie
Boys: Michael, Christopher, Jason, David, James, Brian, Jeffrey, Matthew
British
Girls: Sarah, Claire, Nicola, Emma, Lisa, Joanne, Michelle, Helen
Boys: Paul, Mark, David, Andrew, Richard, Christopher, Darren, Lee
Australian
Girls: Michelle, Lisa, Nicole, Kylie, Rebecca, Melissa, Sharon, Natalie
Boys: Andrew, Matthew, Craig, Darren, Jason, Shane, Scott, Brett
Born 1980–94
American
Girls: Jessica, Ashley, Amanda, Sarah, Brittany, Samantha, Lauren, Megan
Boys: Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Joshua, Andrew, Tyler, Justin, Brandon
British
Girls: Sarah, Laura, Gemma, Emma, Rebecca, Claire, Victoria, Samantha
Boys: Christopher, James, David, Daniel, Michael, Matthew, Thomas, Adam
Australian
Girls: Jessica, Sarah, Emma, Rebecca, Kate, Amy, Laura, Stephanie
Boys: Matthew, Daniel, Joshua, Benjamin, Luke, James, Nathan, Thomas
Born 1995–2009
American
Girls: Emily, Madison, Hannah, Abigail, Olivia, Alexis, Taylor, Brianna
Boys: Jacob, Michael, Ethan, Joshua, Tyler, Austin, Logan, Hunter
British
Girls: Chloe, Emily, Jessica, Sophie, Megan, Charlotte, Lauren, Hannah
Boys: Jack, Thomas, Joshua, James, Daniel, Harry, Samuel, Joseph
Australian
Girls: Chloe, Emily, Jessica, Olivia, Ella, Isabella, Sophie, Georgia
Boys: Jack, Joshua, Thomas, Lachlan, Cooper, Riley, Liam, Ethan
Born 2010 onward
American
Girls: Emma, Olivia, Sophia, Ava, Isabella, Harper, Evelyn, Charlotte
Boys: Liam, Noah, Mason, Elijah, Oliver, Lucas, Jackson, Grayson
British
Girls: Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Ava, Lily, Freya, Sophia, Florence
Boys: Oliver, Noah, George, Arthur, Muhammad, Leo, Harry, Oscar
Australian
Girls: Charlotte, Olivia, Amelia, Isla, Mia, Ava, Grace, Willow
Boys: Oliver, Noah, William, Jack, Leo, Henry, Lucas, Hudson
Names by decade in 22 countries
Each country page has first names for every birth period, common and regional surnames, pronunciation and naming rules.
Questions
Why pick a name by birth decade?
Names go in and out of fashion. A character born in 1958 is far more likely to be a Susan or a Gary than a Mia or a Liam, whatever year your story is set in. Choose from the decade they were born.
Where do these names come from?
InkBorn's lists reflect the first names most often given in each country during each birth period. Records before the 1930s are patchy, so treat the earliest band as approximate.
Does InkBorn have names for other countries?
Yes, 22 countries, each with first names by decade, common and regional surnames, pronunciation and naming rules. See the country links below.