Birth year roster
Top names in 1959
The names most likely to appear on 1959 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Mary and Michael led the 1959 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — a timeless classic that had dominated since the 1880s and Michael, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1959 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Mary54,502
- #2Susan41,617
- #3Linda40,410
- #4Karen36,784
- #5Donna36,468
- #6Patricia35,223
- #7Debra31,388
- #8Cynthia30,186
- #9Deborah29,546
- #10Lisa25,699
- #11Barbara25,359
- #12Pamela24,714
- #13Sandra23,359
- #14Nancy23,079
- #15Kathy21,814
- #16Brenda21,424
- #17Sharon21,292
- #18Cheryl20,947
- #19Diane19,972
- #20Debbie19,540
- #21Elizabeth18,421
- #22Carol18,140
- #23Kathleen17,629
- #24Teresa17,400
- #25Cindy16,973
Boys
- #1Michael85,294
- #2David83,977
- #3James78,648
- #4John76,446
- #5Robert74,542
- #6Mark56,945
- #7William51,386
- #8Richard47,202
- #9Thomas40,296
- #10Steven33,597
- #11Charles30,797
- #12Timothy30,783
- #13Joseph29,539
- #14Kevin26,790
- #15Kenneth26,640
- #16Jeffrey26,281
- #17Paul25,712
- #18Daniel25,155
- #19Donald23,876
- #20Gary23,303
- #21Ronald23,114
- #22Brian20,737
- #23Gregory19,889
- #24Scott19,765
- #25Larry18,434