Most popular baby names of 1955

The landscape of American baby names showed some interesting shifts between 1954 and 1955. Among the top three names for boys, Michael maintained its dominance at number one, while David jumped from fifth place to second, displacing Robert who fell to fourth. James held steady at the third position across both years, showing its enduring popularity. On the girls' side, Mary remained firmly planted at the top spot, continuing its long historical reign. The most notable shift occurred with Linda dropping from second to third place, while Deborah rose from third to second, indicating a growing preference for this biblical name.

Examining the top 10 girls' names of 1955 reveals some fascinating trends. Mary, Deborah, Linda, Debra, Susan, Patricia, Barbara, Karen, Nancy, and Donna composed this elite group. Debra made a significant leap from sixth to fourth place, while Donna climbed one position to enter the top 10. The presence of both Deborah and Debra in the top five highlights parents' affinity for this name sound, regardless of spelling variation. Notably, Cynthia slipped out of the top 10, falling from tenth to eleventh place. Names ending with the "a" sound (Debra, Barbara, Patricia) or "y" sound (Mary, Nancy) dominated the upper rankings, reflecting the continued preference for traditionally feminine endings.

For boys, the top 10 names in 1955 included Michael, David, James, Robert, John, William, Richard, Thomas, Mark, and Steven. The most dramatic riser was Mark, which climbed three positions to ninth place. Steven held relatively steady at tenth, compared to eleventh the previous year. Traditional biblical names continued to dominate the top boys' rankings, with Michael, David, James, John, and Thomas all having strong biblical connections. Short, strong-sounding names with one or two syllables were clearly favored by American parents for their sons. The staying power of classic names like William and Richard demonstrates their timeless appeal across generations.

Looking at broader naming patterns across both genders, there was a clear preference for traditional names with historical or biblical roots. Names beginning with 'M' appeared frequently in top rankings for both genders, with Mary leading the girls and Michael leading the boys. The data shows that parents in the mid-1950s generally preferred established, conventional names over innovative choices. Interestingly, while many of the most popular girls' names ended with vowel sounds, popular boys' names typically ended with consonant sounds, reinforcing traditional gender distinctions in naming patterns. This conservative approach to naming reflects the broader social values of the post-war 1950s era when tradition and conformity were highly valued in American society.

Top baby names of 1955