State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1959 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 59,637 Iowa births in 1959 across 860 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#70Karlaoutside the national top 200
#90Jonioutside the national top 200
#94Randaloutside the national top 200
#96Doug#179 nationally
#66Kirk#145 nationally
#63Kent#141 nationally
#93Bret#170 nationally
#79Tami#154 nationally
#68Marcia#141 nationally
#83Brent#151 nationally
#99Ron#166 nationally
#77Kelly#143 nationally

Girls

#1Mary833US #1
#2Julie743US #26
#3Susan665US #2
#4Linda601US #3
#5Debra583US #7
#6Lori544US #27
#7Karen491US #4
#8Cynthia441US #8
#9Cindy414US #25
#10Diane412US #19
#11Kathy411US #15
#12Nancy408US #14
#13Barbara403US #11
#14Pamela400US #12
#15Lisa376US #10
#16Brenda368US #16
#17Kimberly350US #33
#18Patricia344US #6
#19Teresa342US #24
#20Carol332US #22
#21Debbie321US #20
#22Sandra304US #13
#23Deborah290US #9
#24Donna289US #5
#25Janet272US #28
#26Kim264US #35
#27Denise261US #29
#28Cheryl250US #18
#29Rebecca250US #38
#30Kathleen248US #23
#31Connie239US #48
#32Tammy226US #31
#33Jane225US #67
#34Ann224US #44
#35Laura223US #30
#36Sharon217US #17
#37Rhonda209US #45
#38Dawn199US #54
#39Kelly196US #74
#40Peggy187US #57
#41Becky184US #102
#42Michelle184US #47
#43Elizabeth182US #21
#44Jean178US #77
#45Laurie173US #56
#46Christine169US #43
#47Beth156US #80
#48Cathy155US #39
#49Robin153US #32
#50Judy150US #41
#51Theresa146US #34
#52Jill142US #86
#53Lynn142US #63
#54Paula142US #51
#55Joan139US #76
#56Vicki135US #73
#57Diana133US #49
#58Terri133US #46
#59Janice131US #37
#60Sheila120US #52
#61Catherine119US #40
#62Kathryn119US #69
#63Sue119US #107
#64Joyce116US #50
#65Tamara111US #121
#66Carla107US #118
#67Jennifer101US #78
#68Marcia101US #141
#69Margaret99US #36
#70Karla97
#71Annette96US #64
#72Sherry96US #58
#73Pam93US #125
#74Vickie93US #90
#75Sheryl90US #128
#76Renee88US #100
#77Ruth88US #97
#78Colleen86US #110
#79Tami86US #154
#80Wendy86US #83
#81Carolyn84US #42
#82Ellen84US #91
#83Judith84US #70
#84Bonnie83US #71
#85Penny83US #122
#86Sally83US #114
#87Valerie83US #60
#88Amy82US #85
#89Sherri82US #147
#90Joni79
#91Sandy78US #133
#92Tina78US #53
#93Beverly77US #55
#94Katherine77US #79
#95Julia76US #116
#96Anne74US #82
#97Suzanne74US #96
#98Betty70US #59
#99Shirley70US #61
#100Jan69US #161

Boys

#1David1,425US #2
#2Michael1,192US #1
#3Mark1,184US #6
#4James888US #3
#5John885US #4
#6Kevin885US #14
#7Steven848US #10
#8Robert752US #5
#9Jeffrey683US #16
#10Timothy632US #12
#11Richard618US #8
#12Thomas595US #9
#13Scott592US #24
#14Randy533US #31
#15Daniel532US #18
#16William501US #7
#17Douglas491US #30
#18Brian484US #22
#19Dennis437US #29
#20Gary414US #20
#21Ronald348US #21
#22Larry345US #25
#23Craig338US #44
#24Donald321US #19
#25Terry318US #33
#26Paul315US #17
#27Gregory295US #23
#28Joseph288US #13
#29Bruce281US #38
#30Charles270US #11
#31Jeff270US #52
#32Kenneth263US #15
#33Mike239US #37
#34Ricky220US #34
#35Steve218US #41
#36Jerry216US #36
#37Patrick216US #43
#38Tim216US #60
#39Roger213US #47
#40Dale206US #49
#41Randall202US #59
#42Rodney200US #67
#43Alan190US #50
#44Bradley185US #103
#45Russell170US #56
#46Danny161US #48
#47Rick157US #89
#48Jeffery156US #55
#49Keith154US #39
#50Tom152US #82
#51Todd145US #99
#52Dean139US #95
#53Stephen137US #28
#54Jay134US #88
#55Joel128US #116
#56Jon124US #105
#57Curtis123US #75
#58Dan121US #110
#59Jim121US #70
#60Edward120US #27
#61Eric119US #46
#62Martin118US #79
#63Kent116US #141
#64Christopher113US #35
#65Gerald109US #61
#66Kirk109US #145
#67Matthew109US #63
#68Bill106US #93
#69Bryan106US #94
#70Duane104US #126
#71Chris99US #72
#72Greg99US #91
#73Wayne93US #51
#74Peter92US #40
#75Tony88US #53
#76Joe87US #57
#77Kelly87US #143
#78Raymond86US #45
#79Anthony85US #26
#80Kurt85US #129
#81Philip81US #68
#82George78US #32
#83Brent72US #151
#84Brad68US #149
#85Allen67US #97
#86Jack67US #85
#87Darrell66US #90
#88Brett65US #154
#89Dave64US #119
#90Frank64US #42
#91Bob63US #128
#92Micheal63US #96
#93Bret62US #170
#94Randal62
#95Don61US #111
#96Doug60US #179
#97Lawrence60US #62
#98Phillip59US #74
#99Ron58US #166
#100Barry57US #73

On the move since 1958

Rising

↑31Todd#51
↑23Jennifer#67
↑22Kelly#39
↑19Carla#66
↑18Tom#50
↑16Karla#70
↑16Greg#72
↑16Peter#74

Falling

↓20Betty#98
↓19Katherine#94
↓18Sheryl#75
↓17Valerie#87
↓17Anne#96
↓16Kathryn#62
↓16Wayne#73
↓16Micheal#92

Every state

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