Most popular baby names of 1958

The top three baby names in America showed remarkable stability from 1957 to 1958. Michael maintained its reign as the most popular boys' name for the second consecutive year, while Mary continued its long-standing tradition as America's favorite girls' name. David climbed one position to become the second most popular boys' name in 1958, switching places with James which dropped to third place. For girls, the entire top three remained unchanged, with Susan and Linda holding firmly in second and third positions respectively.

Among the top 10 girls' names in 1958, Patricia made a notable climb from 8th position in 1957 to 5th position in 1958, showing renewed interest in this classic name. Karen dropped slightly from 5th to 4th, while Debra fell from 4th to 6th place. The continued popularity of names ending with the "a" sound (Mary, Linda, Patricia, Debra, Deborah, Cynthia) demonstrates Americans' preference for feminine-sounding names with soft endings. Interestingly, names with nicknames ending in the "ee" sound (like Debbie from Deborah, Cindy from Cynthia) continued to appeal to parents looking for both formal and informal options.

The boys' names landscape remained relatively stable in the top 10, with slight position changes but no newcomers breaking into this elite group. Steven maintained its 10th position, while Thomas held steady at 9th place. Richard dropped slightly from 8th to 7th, trading places with Mark which moved up to 7th. Classic, biblical names continued to dominate the boys' list, with Michael, David, James, Robert, John, William, and Thomas all having strong religious or royal connections. The continued popularity of these timeless choices suggests parents in the late 1950s valued tradition and familiarity when naming their sons.

Looking at broader naming patterns across both genders, short, concise names continued to dominate the top rankings. Names with five letters or fewer (Mary, John, Mark) remained particularly popular. Names beginning with "M" showed strong representation in both lists, with Mary leading the girls and Michael leading the boys. The continued popularity of traditional Anglo-Saxon and biblical names reflects the cultural values of late-1950s America, with few trendy or unusual names breaking into the top ranks. Notably, diminutive forms of names (like Debbie, Cindy) were gaining popularity for girls, while boys' names remained more formal, suggesting different naming approaches based on gender.

Top baby names of 1958