State roster

Top names in California

The names most likely to appear on 1959 California birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 345,993 California births in 1959 across 2,641 distinct names.

Distinctively California

Names that rank far higher here than they do nationally — the ones that say California more than they say America.

#96Rubenoutside the national top 200
#79Manuel#183 nationally
#81Yolanda#169 nationally
#95Gilbert#177 nationally
#97Teri#178 nationally
#97Ron#166 nationally
#80Dana#143 nationally
#91Carrie#145 nationally
#60Jose#113 nationally
#61Victoria#113 nationally
#86Tracy#131 nationally
#76Sylvia#120 nationally

Girls

#1Mary3,198US #1
#2Karen3,136US #4
#3Susan3,123US #2
#4Linda3,103US #3
#5Lisa2,682US #10
#6Cynthia2,535US #8
#7Patricia2,529US #6
#8Debra2,291US #7
#9Deborah2,134US #9
#10Donna2,061US #5
#11Sandra1,906US #13
#12Julie1,867US #26
#13Lori1,857US #27
#14Pamela1,853US #12
#15Debbie1,775US #20
#16Laura1,665US #30
#17Nancy1,660US #14
#18Cheryl1,640US #18
#19Elizabeth1,604US #21
#20Kathleen1,595US #23
#21Kathy1,574US #15
#22Diane1,542US #19
#23Cindy1,527US #25
#24Denise1,499US #29
#25Carol1,480US #22
#26Barbara1,475US #11
#27Sharon1,418US #17
#28Teresa1,353US #24
#29Robin1,174US #32
#30Michelle1,163US #47
#31Janet1,151US #28
#32Kim1,085US #35
#33Diana1,081US #49
#34Brenda1,079US #16
#35Kimberly1,060US #33
#36Terri1,052US #46
#37Theresa1,011US #34
#38Maria996US #62
#39Tammy991US #31
#40Catherine915US #40
#41Rebecca882US #38
#42Kelly841US #74
#43Margaret820US #36
#44Laurie810US #56
#45Cathy806US #39
#46Christine777US #43
#47Leslie766US #84
#48Judy758US #41
#49Tina753US #53
#50Valerie742US #60
#51Rhonda711US #45
#52Jennifer706US #78
#53Janice698US #37
#54Kathryn693US #69
#55Carolyn678US #42
#56Annette674US #64
#57Katherine674US #79
#58Paula642US #51
#59Anna594US #99
#60Stephanie582US #101
#61Victoria580US #113
#62Dawn577US #54
#63Ann567US #44
#64Wendy566US #83
#65Martha562US #72
#66Renee557US #100
#67Gloria550US #81
#68Vicki539US #73
#69Jill534US #86
#70Suzanne531US #96
#71Lynn524US #63
#72Connie516US #48
#73Michele506US #89
#74Peggy502US #57
#75Sherry502US #58
#76Sylvia493US #120
#77Terry484US #95
#78Beverly477US #55
#79Anne468US #82
#80Dana463US #143
#81Yolanda455US #169
#82Joyce453US #50
#83Sheila450US #52
#84Bonnie448US #71
#85Tamara448US #121
#86Tracy444US #131
#87Anita441US #87
#88Shirley440US #61
#89Virginia439US #93
#90Darlene434US #66
#91Carrie433US #145
#92Colleen428US #110
#93Rose424US #88
#94Gail415US #75
#95Elaine413US #105
#96Yvonne400US #132
#97Teri391US #178
#98Becky387US #102
#99Judith386US #70
#100Roberta383US #142

Boys

#1David7,628US #2
#2Michael7,469US #1
#3Robert6,510US #5
#4John6,175US #4
#5Mark5,304US #6
#6James5,022US #3
#7Richard4,460US #8
#8Steven3,441US #10
#9William3,207US #7
#10Thomas2,492US #9
#11Daniel2,372US #18
#12Paul2,188US #17
#13Ronald2,147US #21
#14Kevin2,144US #14
#15Timothy2,023US #12
#16Jeffrey1,986US #16
#17Kenneth1,982US #15
#18Scott1,931US #24
#19Gary1,928US #20
#20Charles1,906US #11
#21Donald1,870US #19
#22Brian1,842US #22
#23Gregory1,780US #23
#24Mike1,734US #37
#25Joseph1,674US #13
#26Anthony1,485US #26
#27Steve1,471US #41
#28Edward1,344US #27
#29Dennis1,329US #29
#30Larry1,323US #25
#31Christopher1,311US #35
#32Eric1,229US #46
#33Stephen1,226US #28
#34Craig1,213US #44
#35Douglas1,211US #30
#36Frank1,200US #42
#37Randy1,171US #31
#38George1,106US #32
#39Patrick1,059US #43
#40Peter971US #40
#41Jeff943US #52
#42Raymond927US #45
#43Keith917US #39
#44Jim877US #70
#45Bruce865US #38
#46Jerry842US #36
#47Joe839US #57
#48Terry779US #33
#49Danny768US #48
#50Matthew726US #63
#51Dale711US #49
#52Rick706US #89
#53Chris700US #72
#54Tim698US #60
#55Ricky684US #34
#56Alan671US #50
#57Russell670US #56
#58Tony667US #53
#59Tom666US #82
#60Jose664US #113
#61Greg610US #91
#62Jon602US #105
#63Bill588US #93
#64Arthur587US #76
#65Martin584US #79
#66Roger580US #47
#67Andrew556US #58
#68Phillip544US #74
#69Jeffery541US #55
#70Victor535US #107
#71Lawrence518US #62
#72Wayne509US #51
#73Randall506US #59
#74Jack503US #85
#75Gerald490US #61
#76Dave480US #119
#77Vincent474US #102
#78Carl473US #54
#79Manuel471US #183
#80Dan465US #110
#81Rodney455US #67
#82Don454US #111
#83Ralph453US #84
#84Henry452US #83
#85Albert449US #92
#86Curtis449US #75
#87Philip449US #68
#88Dean438US #95
#89Johnny436US #64
#90Glenn414US #80
#91Bryan407US #94
#92Bob401US #128
#93Walter396US #66
#94Jay393US #88
#95Gilbert385US #177
#96Ruben376
#97Ron375US #166
#98Leonard368US #109
#99Bradley367US #103
#100Roy366US #81

On the move since 1958

Rising

↑32Dawn#62
↑21Sherry#75
↑17Kelly#42
↑15Dave#76
↑14Anna#59
↑14Stephanie#60
↑13Donna#10
↑13Dana#80

Falling

↓25Darlene#90
↓21Virginia#89
↓18Roy#100
↓17Peggy#74
↓14Ralph#83
↓13Judith#99
↓12Lawrence#71
↓11Yolanda#81

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1958 rankings.