Most Popular Baby Names of 1959
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Mary and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1959 in the US: 54,502 girls were named Mary and 85,294 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 37 girls and 1 in 25 boys born that year. It was Mary's 7th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1953), and it was Michael's 6th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1954).
Social Security records list 2,023,462 girls and 2,134,518 boys born in 1959, with 7,200 different girl names and 4,571 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1958
- Lisa joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1958.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Kelly (#108 to #74), Dawn (#84 to #54) and Wendy (#107 to #83).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Chris (#93 to #72), Jim (#87 to #70) and Todd (#116 to #99).
- 5 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Phyllis (#94 to #103) and Eddie (#100 to #101).
- 382 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1959
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1958, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1959
| # | Name | Babies | In 1958 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | 54,502 | #1 |
| 2 | Susan | 41,617 | #2 |
| 3 | Linda | 40,410 | #3 |
| 4 | Karen | 36,784 | #4 |
| 5 | Donna | 36,468 | #10 |
| 6 | Patricia | 35,223 | #5 |
| 7 | Debra | 31,388 | #6 |
| 8 | Cynthia | 30,186 | #8 |
| 9 | Deborah | 29,546 | #7 |
| 10 | Lisa | 25,699 | #19 |
| 11 | Barbara | 25,359 | #9 |
| 12 | Pamela | 24,714 | #11 |
| 13 | Sandra | 23,359 | #15 |
| 14 | Nancy | 23,079 | #12 |
| 15 | Kathy | 21,814 | #14 |
| 16 | Brenda | 21,424 | #16 |
| 17 | Sharon | 21,292 | #17 |
| 18 | Cheryl | 20,947 | #13 |
| 19 | Diane | 19,972 | #18 |
| 20 | Debbie | 19,540 | #24 |
| 21 | Elizabeth | 18,421 | #22 |
| 22 | Carol | 18,140 | #20 |
| 23 | Kathleen | 17,629 | #21 |
| 24 | Teresa | 17,400 | #26 |
| 25 | Cindy | 16,973 | #25 |
| 26 | Julie | 16,211 | #23 |
| 27 | Lori | 15,032 | #30 |
| 28 | Janet | 14,964 | #28 |
| 29 | Denise | 14,662 | #27 |
| 30 | Laura | 14,528 | #29 |
| 31 | Tammy | 13,707 | #44 |
| 32 | Robin | 12,854 | #32 |
| 33 | Kimberly | 12,790 | #39 |
| 34 | Theresa | 11,656 | #33 |
| 35 | Kim | 11,594 | #40 |
| 36 | Margaret | 11,577 | #31 |
| 37 | Janice | 10,489 | #35 |
| 38 | Rebecca | 10,475 | #41 |
| 39 | Cathy | 10,408 | #34 |
| 40 | Catherine | 10,025 | #38 |
| 41 | Judy | 9,884 | #36 |
| 42 | Carolyn | 9,727 | #37 |
| 43 | Christine | 9,471 | #43 |
| 44 | Ann | 8,918 | #47 |
| 45 | Rhonda | 8,861 | #48 |
| 46 | Terri | 8,783 | #51 |
| 47 | Michelle | 8,776 | #56 |
| 48 | Connie | 8,655 | #50 |
| 49 | Diana | 8,637 | #45 |
| 50 | Joyce | 8,520 | #46 |
| 51 | Paula | 8,059 | #53 |
| 52 | Sheila | 7,984 | #59 |
| 53 | Tina | 7,919 | #71 |
| 54 | Dawn | 7,898 | #84 |
| 55 | Beverly | 7,796 | #55 |
| 56 | Laurie | 7,535 | #70 |
| 57 | Peggy | 7,416 | #42 |
| 58 | Sherry | 7,341 | #67 |
| 59 | Betty | 7,313 | #54 |
| 60 | Valerie | 7,302 | #64 |
| 61 | Shirley | 7,284 | #52 |
| 62 | Maria | 7,249 | #65 |
| 63 | Lynn | 7,058 | #60 |
| 64 | Annette | 6,919 | #76 |
| 65 | Wanda | 6,907 | #66 |
| 66 | Darlene | 6,876 | #49 |
| 67 | Jane | 6,864 | #61 |
| 68 | Angela | 6,772 | #83 |
| 69 | Kathryn | 6,746 | #58 |
| 70 | Judith | 6,566 | #62 |
| 71 | Bonnie | 6,456 | #63 |
| 72 | Martha | 6,439 | #69 |
| 73 | Vicki | 6,430 | #57 |
| 74 | Kelly | 6,380 | #108 |
| 75 | Gail | 6,344 | #72 |
| 76 | Joan | 6,337 | #68 |
| 77 | Jean | 6,233 | #73 |
| 77 | Jennifer | 6,233 | #81 |
| 79 | Katherine | 6,139 | #74 |
| 80 | Beth | 6,069 | #95 |
| 81 | Gloria | 5,924 | #77 |
| 82 | Anne | 5,745 | #87 |
| 83 | Wendy | 5,712 | #107 |
| 84 | Leslie | 5,652 | #79 |
| 85 | Amy | 5,580 | #97 |
| 86 | Jill | 5,554 | #98 |
| 87 | Anita | 5,474 | #82 |
| 88 | Rose | 5,446 | #78 |
| 89 | Michele | 5,445 | #92 |
| 90 | Vickie | 5,419 | #75 |
| 91 | Ellen | 5,396 | #93 |
| 92 | Joanne | 5,347 | #80 |
| 93 | Virginia | 5,256 | #85 |
| 94 | Dorothy | 5,231 | #86 |
| 95 | Terry | 5,215 | #89 |
| 96 | Suzanne | 5,161 | #104 |
| 97 | Ruth | 5,057 | #90 |
| 98 | Rita | 4,952 | #88 |
| 99 | Anna | 4,878 | #103 |
| 100 | Renee | 4,845 | #105 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1959
| # | Name | Babies | In 1958 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 85,294 | #1 |
| 2 | David | 83,977 | #2 |
| 3 | James | 78,648 | #3 |
| 4 | John | 76,446 | #5 |
| 5 | Robert | 74,542 | #4 |
| 6 | Mark | 56,945 | #7 |
| 7 | William | 51,386 | #6 |
| 8 | Richard | 47,202 | #8 |
| 9 | Thomas | 40,296 | #9 |
| 10 | Steven | 33,597 | #10 |
| 11 | Charles | 30,797 | #11 |
| 12 | Timothy | 30,783 | #13 |
| 13 | Joseph | 29,539 | #12 |
| 14 | Kevin | 26,790 | #20 |
| 15 | Kenneth | 26,640 | #14 |
| 16 | Jeffrey | 26,281 | #21 |
| 17 | Paul | 25,712 | #15 |
| 18 | Daniel | 25,155 | #16 |
| 19 | Donald | 23,876 | #18 |
| 20 | Gary | 23,303 | #17 |
| 21 | Ronald | 23,114 | #19 |
| 22 | Brian | 20,737 | #24 |
| 23 | Gregory | 19,889 | #23 |
| 24 | Scott | 19,765 | #25 |
| 25 | Larry | 18,434 | #22 |
| 26 | Anthony | 17,972 | #27 |
| 27 | Edward | 16,914 | #28 |
| 28 | Stephen | 16,504 | #26 |
| 29 | Dennis | 16,043 | #29 |
| 30 | Douglas | 15,290 | #30 |
| 31 | Randy | 15,042 | #32 |
| 32 | George | 15,012 | #31 |
| 33 | Terry | 14,545 | #33 |
| 34 | Ricky | 13,226 | #34 |
| 35 | Christopher | 12,915 | #39 |
| 36 | Jerry | 12,324 | #35 |
| 37 | Mike | 11,995 | #40 |
| 38 | Bruce | 11,914 | #36 |
| 39 | Keith | 11,758 | #37 |
| 40 | Peter | 11,289 | #41 |
| 41 | Steve | 11,068 | #44 |
| 42 | Frank | 10,942 | #38 |
| 43 | Patrick | 10,556 | #42 |
| 44 | Craig | 9,933 | #53 |
| 45 | Raymond | 9,796 | #43 |
| 46 | Eric | 9,726 | #50 |
| 47 | Roger | 8,794 | #47 |
| 48 | Danny | 8,727 | #45 |
| 49 | Dale | 8,343 | #46 |
| 50 | Alan | 8,151 | #49 |
| 51 | Wayne | 7,878 | #48 |
| 52 | Jeff | 7,730 | #68 |
| 53 | Tony | 7,564 | #57 |
| 54 | Carl | 7,501 | #51 |
| 55 | Jeffery | 7,487 | #59 |
| 56 | Russell | 7,480 | #54 |
| 57 | Joe | 7,389 | #56 |
| 58 | Andrew | 7,089 | #55 |
| 59 | Randall | 7,059 | #62 |
| 60 | Tim | 6,826 | #74 |
| 61 | Gerald | 6,636 | #58 |
| 62 | Lawrence | 6,601 | #52 |
| 63 | Matthew | 6,542 | #60 |
| 64 | Johnny | 6,311 | #61 |
| 65 | Billy | 6,308 | #64 |
| 66 | Walter | 6,128 | #63 |
| 67 | Rodney | 5,917 | #65 |
| 68 | Philip | 5,862 | #67 |
| 69 | Jimmy | 5,830 | #73 |
| 70 | Jim | 5,688 | #87 |
| 71 | Bobby | 5,677 | #69 |
| 72 | Chris | 5,676 | #93 |
| 73 | Barry | 5,601 | #79 |
| 74 | Phillip | 5,597 | #81 |
| 75 | Curtis | 5,536 | #82 |
| 76 | Arthur | 5,474 | #72 |
| 76 | Ronnie | 5,474 | #66 |
| 78 | Willie | 5,374 | #70 |
| 79 | Martin | 5,353 | #71 |
| 80 | Glenn | 5,352 | #76 |
| 81 | Roy | 5,183 | #75 |
| 82 | Tom | 5,068 | #96 |
| 83 | Henry | 5,061 | #83 |
| 84 | Ralph | 5,048 | #78 |
| 85 | Jack | 5,015 | #80 |
| 86 | Samuel | 4,953 | #85 |
| 87 | Harold | 4,943 | #84 |
| 88 | Jay | 4,940 | #86 |
| 89 | Rick | 4,936 | #77 |
| 90 | Darrell | 4,647 | #90 |
| 91 | Greg | 4,635 | #105 |
| 92 | Albert | 4,605 | #89 |
| 93 | Bill | 4,596 | #99 |
| 94 | Bryan | 4,488 | #101 |
| 95 | Dean | 4,425 | #97 |
| 96 | Micheal | 4,369 | #91 |
| 97 | Allen | 4,366 | #92 |
| 98 | Stanley | 4,343 | #88 |
| 99 | Todd | 4,332 | #116 |
| 100 | Louis | 4,311 | #94 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1958, or the year after, 1960, the top 100 of the whole 1950s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1950s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.