Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1959

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1959 — 4,157,642 recorded births in total that year.

19581960 The 1950s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1959

Girls’ names

  1. 1Mary54,5022.7%
  2. 2Susan41,6172.1%
  3. 3Linda40,4102.0%
  4. 4Karen36,7841.8%
  5. 5Donna36,4681.8%
  6. 6Patricia35,2231.7%
  7. 7Debra31,3881.6%
  8. 8Cynthia30,1861.5%
  9. 9Deborah29,5461.5%
  10. 10Lisa25,6991.3%
  11. 11Barbara25,3591.3%
  12. 12Pamela24,7141.2%
  13. 13Sandra23,3591.2%
  14. 14Nancy23,0791.1%
  15. 15Kathy21,8141.1%
  16. 16Brenda21,4241.1%
  17. 17Sharon21,2921.1%
  18. 18Cheryl20,9471.0%
  19. 19Diane19,9721.0%
  20. 20Debbie19,5401.0%
  21. 21Elizabeth18,4210.9%
  22. 22Carol18,1400.9%
  23. 23Kathleen17,6290.9%
  24. 24Teresa17,4000.9%
  25. 25Cindy16,9730.8%
  26. 26Julie16,2110.8%
  27. 27Lori15,0320.7%
  28. 28Janet14,9640.7%
  29. 29Denise14,6620.7%
  30. 30Laura14,5280.7%
  31. 31Tammy13,7070.7%
  32. 32Robin12,8540.6%
  33. 33Kimberly12,7900.6%
  34. 34Theresa11,6560.6%
  35. 35Kim11,5940.6%
  36. 36Margaret11,5770.6%
  37. 37Janice10,4890.5%
  38. 38Rebecca10,4750.5%
  39. 39Cathy10,4080.5%
  40. 40Catherine10,0250.5%
  41. 41Judy9,8840.5%
  42. 42Carolyn9,7270.5%
  43. 43Christine9,4710.5%
  44. 44Ann8,9180.4%
  45. 45Rhonda8,8610.4%
  46. 46Terri8,7830.4%
  47. 47Michelle8,7760.4%
  48. 48Connie8,6550.4%
  49. 49Diana8,6370.4%
  50. 50Joyce8,5200.4%
  51. 51Paula8,0590.4%
  52. 52Sheila7,9840.4%
  53. 53Tina7,9190.4%
  54. 54Dawn7,8980.4%
  55. 55Beverly7,7960.4%
  56. 56Laurie7,5350.4%
  57. 57Peggy7,4160.4%
  58. 58Sherry7,3410.4%
  59. 59Betty7,3130.4%
  60. 60Valerie7,3020.4%
  61. 61Shirley7,2840.4%
  62. 62Maria7,2490.4%
  63. 63Lynn7,0580.3%
  64. 64Annette6,9190.3%
  65. 65Wanda6,9070.3%
  66. 66Darlene6,8760.3%
  67. 67Jane6,8640.3%
  68. 68Angela6,7720.3%
  69. 69Kathryn6,7460.3%
  70. 70Judith6,5660.3%
  71. 71Bonnie6,4560.3%
  72. 72Martha6,4390.3%
  73. 73Vicki6,4300.3%
  74. 74Kelly6,3800.3%
  75. 75Gail6,3440.3%
  76. 76Joan6,3370.3%
  77. 77Jean6,2330.3%
  78. 78Jennifer6,2330.3%
  79. 79Katherine6,1390.3%
  80. 80Beth6,0690.3%
  81. 81Gloria5,9240.3%
  82. 82Anne5,7450.3%
  83. 83Wendy5,7120.3%
  84. 84Leslie5,6520.3%
  85. 85Amy5,5800.3%
  86. 86Jill5,5540.3%
  87. 87Anita5,4740.3%
  88. 88Rose5,4460.3%
  89. 89Michele5,4450.3%
  90. 90Vickie5,4190.3%
  91. 91Ellen5,3960.3%
  92. 92Joanne5,3470.3%
  93. 93Virginia5,2560.3%
  94. 94Dorothy5,2310.3%
  95. 95Terry5,2150.3%
  96. 96Suzanne5,1610.3%
  97. 97Ruth5,0570.2%
  98. 98Rita4,9520.2%
  99. 99Anna4,8780.2%
  100. 100Renee4,8450.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael85,2944.0%
  2. 2David83,9773.9%
  3. 3James78,6483.7%
  4. 4John76,4463.6%
  5. 5Robert74,5423.5%
  6. 6Mark56,9452.7%
  7. 7William51,3862.4%
  8. 8Richard47,2022.2%
  9. 9Thomas40,2961.9%
  10. 10Steven33,5971.6%
  11. 11Charles30,7971.4%
  12. 12Timothy30,7831.4%
  13. 13Joseph29,5391.4%
  14. 14Kevin26,7901.3%
  15. 15Kenneth26,6401.2%
  16. 16Jeffrey26,2811.2%
  17. 17Paul25,7121.2%
  18. 18Daniel25,1551.2%
  19. 19Donald23,8761.1%
  20. 20Gary23,3031.1%
  21. 21Ronald23,1141.1%
  22. 22Brian20,7371.0%
  23. 23Gregory19,8890.9%
  24. 24Scott19,7650.9%
  25. 25Larry18,4340.9%
  26. 26Anthony17,9720.8%
  27. 27Edward16,9140.8%
  28. 28Stephen16,5040.8%
  29. 29Dennis16,0430.8%
  30. 30Douglas15,2900.7%
  31. 31Randy15,0420.7%
  32. 32George15,0120.7%
  33. 33Terry14,5450.7%
  34. 34Ricky13,2260.6%
  35. 35Christopher12,9150.6%
  36. 36Jerry12,3240.6%
  37. 37Mike11,9950.6%
  38. 38Bruce11,9140.6%
  39. 39Keith11,7580.6%
  40. 40Peter11,2890.5%
  41. 41Steve11,0680.5%
  42. 42Frank10,9420.5%
  43. 43Patrick10,5560.5%
  44. 44Craig9,9330.5%
  45. 45Raymond9,7960.5%
  46. 46Eric9,7260.5%
  47. 47Roger8,7940.4%
  48. 48Danny8,7270.4%
  49. 49Dale8,3430.4%
  50. 50Alan8,1510.4%
  51. 51Wayne7,8780.4%
  52. 52Jeff7,7300.4%
  53. 53Tony7,5640.4%
  54. 54Carl7,5010.4%
  55. 55Jeffery7,4870.4%
  56. 56Russell7,4800.4%
  57. 57Joe7,3890.3%
  58. 58Andrew7,0890.3%
  59. 59Randall7,0590.3%
  60. 60Tim6,8260.3%
  61. 61Gerald6,6360.3%
  62. 62Lawrence6,6010.3%
  63. 63Matthew6,5420.3%
  64. 64Johnny6,3110.3%
  65. 65Billy6,3080.3%
  66. 66Walter6,1280.3%
  67. 67Rodney5,9170.3%
  68. 68Philip5,8620.3%
  69. 69Jimmy5,8300.3%
  70. 70Jim5,6880.3%
  71. 71Bobby5,6770.3%
  72. 72Chris5,6760.3%
  73. 73Barry5,6010.3%
  74. 74Phillip5,5970.3%
  75. 75Curtis5,5360.3%
  76. 76Arthur5,4740.3%
  77. 77Ronnie5,4740.3%
  78. 78Willie5,3740.3%
  79. 79Martin5,3530.3%
  80. 80Glenn5,3520.3%
  81. 81Roy5,1830.2%
  82. 82Tom5,0680.2%
  83. 83Henry5,0610.2%
  84. 84Ralph5,0480.2%
  85. 85Jack5,0150.2%
  86. 86Samuel4,9530.2%
  87. 87Harold4,9430.2%
  88. 88Jay4,9400.2%
  89. 89Rick4,9360.2%
  90. 90Darrell4,6470.2%
  91. 91Greg4,6350.2%
  92. 92Albert4,6050.2%
  93. 93Bill4,5960.2%
  94. 94Bryan4,4880.2%
  95. 95Dean4,4250.2%
  96. 96Micheal4,3690.2%
  97. 97Allen4,3660.2%
  98. 98Stanley4,3430.2%
  99. 99Todd4,3320.2%
  100. 100Louis4,3110.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1959 applications for that sex — a useful reminder of how much more concentrated naming used to be. In 1880 the top girls’ name alone accounted for several percent of all girls; today the #1 name is well under one percent.

Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.