Most popular names of the 1970s
The most popular names for babies born in the US in the 1970s were Jennifer for girls and Michael for boys. Jennifer was given to about 38 per 1,000 girls, and Michael to about 43 per 1,000 boys. New in the girls' top 10 compared with the 1960s: Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Angela, Heather, Stephanie and Nicole. New in the boys' top 10: Christopher, Jason, Brian and Matthew.
Girls
| # | Name | Share of girls | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer new | 38 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Amy new | 18 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Melissa new | 16 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | Michelle | 16 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | Kimberly | 15 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | Lisa | 15 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Angela new | 15 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Heather new | 13 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Stephanie new | 10 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Nicole new | 9.4 per 1,000 |
Boys
| # | Name | Share of boys | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 43 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Christopher new | 29 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Jason new | 28 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | David | 27 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | James | 27 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | John | 24 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Robert | 24 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Brian new | 20 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | William | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Matthew new | 17 per 1,000 |
"Share" is the average share of babies of that sex who got the name in each year of the decade. Each small curve runs from 1880 to 2025. Source: US Social Security Administration.