State name profile
Most Popular Baby Names in Indiana
The boys' and girls' names most often given in Indiana, ranked by total recorded births in Social Security Administration state data, 1910–2025.
- Robert
- #1 boy name
- Mary
- #1 girl name
- 3,229,633
- Births recorded
- 1910–2025
- Years covered
Indiana's all-time #1 names are Robert for boys and Mary for girls, based on 3,229,633 SSA birth registrations since 1910.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Indiana has recorded 3,229,633 births across its top 50 boy and top 50 girl names since 1910. Robert leads all boys with 129,104 births, while Mary tops the girls with 101,193. This profile covers decade-by-decade leaders and the full top-50 rankings for both sexes.
- Robert #1 boy name
- Mary #1 girl name
- 3,229,633 births recorded
Data updated Jun 2026
What the Data Says About Baby Names in Indiana
The Social Security Administration has registered 3,229,633 births across the top 50 boy and top 50 girl names in Indiana from 1910 through 2025, the portion of state-level naming data released publicly. Among boys, Robert leads with 129,104 cumulative births, while Mary tops the girl rankings with 101,193 births. The top 50 boy names collectively account for 2,023,353 births versus 1,206,280 for the top 50 girl names, reflecting the typical U.S. pattern in which boy-name distributions are more concentrated among fewer high-frequency entries. SSA state files include any name appearing five or more times in a given state-year, so lower-frequency names are suppressed for privacy and are not counted in these totals.
Decade-by-decade data for Indiana extends back to 1910, making it possible to track how Indiana parents' naming choices have shifted across more than a century of birth records. In the 1910s, the #1 boy name was Robert and the #1 girl name was Mary. By the 2020s, the top names had shifted to Oliver for boys and Charlotte for girls. Across 12 decades with complete data, the turnover in #1 rankings reflects broader cultural and generational forces, baby-boom naming conformity, the 1970s individualism shift, and the current resurgence of short, classic names.
Because Indiana reports under the same SSA framework as every other jurisdiction, these figures are directly comparable across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The cumulative totals reflect every recorded birth registration rather than a survey sample, though names with four or fewer annual occurrences are excluded per SSA privacy policy. This means the true naming distribution in Indiana is slightly broader than what appears here, particularly for rare and emerging names. The dataset does not distinguish between alternate spellings (for example, Sophia and Sofia are tracked as separate names) or middle names, and reflects first names as they appear on Social Security card applications only. This page is for informational and research purposes.
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Top 10 girls' names in Indiana
Cumulative births recorded in state SSA files (1910–2025)
- Mary
Mary
101,193 births
- Linda 40,165
Linda
40,165 births
- Jennifer 38,696
Jennifer
38,696 births
- Patricia 38,651
Patricia
38,651 births
- Barbara 36,830
Barbara
36,830 births
- Elizabeth 35,113
Elizabeth
35,113 births
- Betty 33,323
Betty
33,323 births
- Susan 28,173
Susan
28,173 births
- Karen 27,843
Karen
27,843 births
- Nancy 27,694
Nancy
27,694 births
What this shows Mary leads Indiana girls with 101,193 recorded births.
Top 10 boys' names in Indiana
Cumulative births recorded in state SSA files (1910–2025)
- Robert
Robert
129,104 births
- James
James
128,680 births
- John
John
114,709 births
- Michael
Michael
110,770 births
- David
David
100,144 births
- William
William
95,817 births
- Richard
Richard
68,331 births
- Charles
Charles
65,449 births
- Thomas
Thomas
54,928 births
- Joseph 50,454
Joseph
50,454 births
What this shows Robert leads Indiana boys with 129,104 recorded births.
Decade-by-Decade Leaders
The #1 boy and girl name in Indiana for each decade
How we calculated this
For each decade, we sum every year's SSA state-level birth count per name, then take the single name with the highest ten-year total for each sex. A name can lead a decade with a strong single peak year or with steady, moderate demand across all ten years, the total treats both the same way.
| Decade | Top Boy | Births | Top Girl | Births |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | Robert | 8,962 | Mary | 15,575 |
| 1920s | Robert | 22,371 | Mary | 22,519 |
| 1930s | Robert | 17,373 | Mary | 14,997 |
| 1940s | James | 21,219 | Linda | 16,419 |
| 1950s | Michael | 25,406 | Mary | 14,883 |
| 1960s | Michael | 21,729 | Lisa | 14,848 |
| 1970s | Michael | 18,492 | Jennifer | 17,103 |
| 1980s | Michael | 13,495 | Amanda | 11,144 |
| 1990s | Jacob | 10,201 | Ashley | 6,917 |
| 2000s | Jacob | 7,046 | Emma | 5,337 |
| 2010s | Liam | 4,236 | Emma | 4,314 |
| 2020s | Oliver | 2,505 | Charlotte | 2,038 |
Boy Top 50 Boy Names
| # | Name | Total Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert | 129,104 |
| 2 | James | 128,680 |
| 3 | John | 114,709 |
| 4 | Michael | 110,770 |
| 5 | David | 100,144 |
| 6 | William | 95,817 |
| 7 | Richard | 68,331 |
| 8 | Charles | 65,449 |
| 9 | Thomas | 54,928 |
| 10 | Joseph | 50,454 |
| 11 | Donald | 46,822 |
| 12 | Christopher | 44,626 |
| 13 | Mark | 42,060 |
| 14 | Daniel | 41,860 |
| 15 | Matthew | 40,117 |
| 16 | Steven | 37,919 |
| 17 | Paul | 37,619 |
| 18 | Kenneth | 33,907 |
| 19 | Larry | 33,418 |
| 20 | Timothy | 33,160 |
| 21 | Brian | 33,127 |
| 22 | Ronald | 32,897 |
| 23 | Joshua | 32,844 |
| 24 | Andrew | 32,574 |
| 25 | Jeffrey | 30,708 |
| 26 | Kevin | 29,368 |
| 27 | Jason | 28,250 |
| 28 | Anthony | 27,816 |
| 29 | George | 27,283 |
| 30 | Jacob | 26,909 |
| 31 | Gary | 25,243 |
| 32 | Ryan | 24,392 |
| 33 | Jerry | 24,108 |
| 34 | Stephen | 24,043 |
| 35 | Jack | 23,527 |
| 36 | Scott | 23,166 |
| 37 | Eric | 22,509 |
| 38 | Gregory | 21,684 |
| 39 | Edward | 21,538 |
| 40 | Nicholas | 21,227 |
| 41 | Brandon | 19,689 |
| 42 | Benjamin | 19,593 |
| 43 | Dennis | 19,554 |
| 44 | Samuel | 18,544 |
| 45 | Justin | 18,038 |
| 46 | Terry | 17,522 |
| 47 | Aaron | 17,241 |
| 48 | Tyler | 16,864 |
| 49 | Zachary | 16,639 |
| 50 | Harold | 16,562 |
Girl Top 50 Girl Names
| # | Name | Total Births |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 101,193 |
| 2 | Linda | 40,165 |
| 3 | Jennifer | 38,696 |
| 4 | Patricia | 38,651 |
| 5 | Barbara | 36,830 |
| 6 | Elizabeth | 35,113 |
| 7 | Betty | 33,323 |
| 8 | Susan | 28,173 |
| 9 | Karen | 27,843 |
| 10 | Nancy | 27,694 |
| 11 | Lisa | 27,201 |
| 12 | Sarah | 26,153 |
| 13 | Margaret | 25,505 |
| 14 | Dorothy | 23,631 |
| 15 | Kimberly | 23,566 |
| 16 | Sandra | 23,486 |
| 17 | Jessica | 23,393 |
| 18 | Sharon | 23,256 |
| 19 | Donna | 23,030 |
| 20 | Rebecca | 23,028 |
| 21 | Helen | 22,949 |
| 22 | Angela | 22,856 |
| 23 | Ruth | 22,327 |
| 24 | Carol | 22,200 |
| 25 | Amanda | 22,095 |
| 26 | Amy | 21,861 |
| 27 | Michelle | 20,748 |
| 28 | Emily | 20,717 |
| 29 | Ashley | 20,445 |
| 30 | Pamela | 19,949 |
| 31 | Deborah | 19,897 |
| 32 | Melissa | 19,881 |
| 33 | Janet | 18,927 |
| 34 | Laura | 18,920 |
| 35 | Carolyn | 18,311 |
| 36 | Anna | 18,286 |
| 37 | Cynthia | 18,110 |
| 38 | Debra | 17,849 |
| 39 | Martha | 17,377 |
| 40 | Brenda | 17,109 |
| 41 | Stephanie | 16,905 |
| 42 | Emma | 16,405 |
| 43 | Virginia | 16,288 |
| 44 | Judith | 16,207 |
| 45 | Julie | 16,145 |
| 46 | Heather | 15,887 |
| 47 | Shirley | 15,638 |
| 48 | Rachel | 14,341 |
| 49 | Kathleen | 13,940 |
| 50 | Teresa | 13,780 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular baby name in Indiana? ▼
How have baby names changed in Indiana over the decades? ▼
How many babies are named in Indiana? ▼
What to do with Indiana's data
- Robert (129,104 births) and Mary (101,193 births) are Indiana's all-time #1s -- see each name's national profile for how it compares outside Indiana. Robert's profile
- In the 1910s, Indiana's top names were Robert and Mary; by the 2020s the leaders had shifted to Oliver and Charlotte -- the decade breakdown above shows every step between.
- Curious how Indiana compares to another state? Browse the full state directory. All states
Rankings reflect SSA state-level files (1910-2025); names with fewer than 5 occurrences per state per year are suppressed for privacy and excluded from these totals.
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Nearby State Rankings
Compare baby names in Indiana with other state-level SSA rankings
Compare Indiana's #1 names side by side → or pick any two names →
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files, 1910–2025 (ssa.gov).
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
According to the Social Security Administration, as of June 2026 this profile draws directly on the agency's state-level public-use files, which document 6,696,687 state-level records across all 51 reporting jurisdictions spanning 1910-2025.
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Most Popular Baby Names in Indiana - #1 Robert & Mary | SSA Data." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/state/IN. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This Indiana profile draws directly on SSA state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.