These were the most popular baby names the year you were born

John, which is the English form of the Hebrew name "Yochanan," means "God is gracious." It was the boy's name for six years in a row.

The meaning of the name Mary actually isn't known for certain, but Behind the Name alleges that "sea of bitterness," "rebelliousness," and "wished for child" are good contenders.

The names Helen, Dorothy, Betty, and Barbara all came in close second throughout the 29 years Mary was on top as a girl's name.

Robert comes from the Germanic name "Hrodebert," meaning "bright fame." It has been a common English boy's name ever since the Normans introduced this name to Britain.

A grand total of six US Presidents have been named James so far. The name came from "Iakobos," the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Ya'aqov," or Jacob.

For every year that the name Linda reigned supreme, Mary came in second place for girls.

Linda means "beautiful" in Spanish and Portuguese. 

Robert is a versatile boy's name, with nicknames as varied as Bert, Bertie, Bob, Bobby, Rob, Robb, Robbie, Robby, and Robin.

Is anyone really surprised that Mary topped the charts for so long? Mary is the name of Jesus' mother, after all.

Variations of the name Deborah and the name Susan were also popular between 1953 and 1961.

The name David actually nabbed first place for boys in 1960, but Michael quickly reclaimed its spot at the top for the next 37 years.

Lisa del Giocondo is actually the name of the woman featured in Leonardo da Vinci's world-famous portrait of the "Mona Lisa."

According to Behind the Name, Jennifer is a name that derives from the Cornish form of the Welsh name "Gwenhwyfar." After the name Jennifer was featured in George Bernard Shaw's 1906 play, "The Doctor's Dilemma," it grew in popularity.

The name Jessica is likely a derivative of the Hebrew name "Yiskah," which means "to behold."

The name Ashley, which was originally derived from place names that meant "ash tree clearing," was actually more commonly given to boys in the United States until the 1960s. However, between 1991 and 1992 it reigned supreme as a girl's name.

The English spelling of the name Jessica made its official debut in "The Merchant of Venice," a play written by Shakespeare.

The name Emily, which means "striving" or "eager," comes from the Latin name "Aemilia," which is the feminine form of the Roman family name "Aemilius." It is also believed to be a derivation of the Greek name "Amalia," which means "friendly" or "tender." 

In The Old Testament, the name Jacob is said to mean "holder of the heel" or "supplanter," perhaps because he was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel.

The name Emma was actually introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, and an 11th-century Austrian saint who was sometimes referred to as "Hemma."

The name Isabella is the Latin version of the name Elizabeth, which means "devoted to God" in Hebrew.

The name Sophia (or Sofia) translates to "wisdom" in Greek.

The name Noah comes from the Hebrew name "Noach," which means "rest" or "comfort."

Derived from the Germanic word "ermen," the name Emma means "whole" or "universal."

The name "Jack" is actually a medieval diminutive of the name John. During the Middle Ages, the name Jack even became a slang word meaning "man!"

William Shakespeare was the first person to spell Olivia this way. He named a character Olivia in one of his comedies called "Twelfth Night."

Sign up here to get INSIDER's favorite stories straight to your inbox.