Names From the 1970s

Real names given to babies in the US from 1970 to 1979. The top names were Jennifer for girls and Michael for boys.

Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate 1970s names for more.

  1. Aaron Pitt#35 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 163 boys#4,046 surname in the 2020 US Census
  2. Ronald Bright#43 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 202 boys#1,072 surname in the 2020 US Census
  3. Bradley Rudd#57 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 281 boys#2,553 surname in the 2020 US Census
  4. Randal Phillips#439 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 4,907 boys#53 surname in the 2020 US Census
  5. Daniel Dolan#12 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 68 boys#1,309 surname in the 2020 US Census
  6. Michael Edwards#1 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 23 boys#59 surname in the 2020 US Census
  7. Marco Biggs#258 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 2,087 boys#1,585 surname in the 2020 US Census
  8. Heather Hinson#8 girls’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 76 girls#1,892 surname in the 2020 US Census
  9. Alicia King#82 girls’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 394 girls#36 surname in the 2020 US Census
  10. Philip Wolf#90 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 527 boys#466 surname in the 2020 US Census
  11. Curtis Ashton#96 boys’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 573 boys#2,975 surname in the 2020 US Census
  12. Michelle Thornton#4 girls’ name in the 1970s · 1 in 62 girls#410 surname in the 2020 US Census

The 1970s in numbers

31,969,000babies recorded
16.5%of girls got a top-10 name
25.5%of boys got a top-10 name

Counts include names given to at least five babies of the same sex in a year. Early decades undercount births, because many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security number.

Top 25 girls' names of the 1970s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Jennifer581,73337.65 per 1,000
#2Amy268,99517.41 per 1,000
#3Melissa253,26816.39 per 1,000
#4Michelle249,13616.12 per 1,000
#5Kimberly229,09814.83 per 1,000
#6Lisa228,68714.8 per 1,000
#7Angela225,26614.58 per 1,000
#8Heather203,90613.2 per 1,000
#9Stephanie160,46610.38 per 1,000
#10Nicole144,6709.36 per 1,000
#11Jessica143,4989.29 per 1,000
#12Elizabeth142,8559.24 per 1,000
#13Rebecca137,2918.88 per 1,000
#14Kelly133,5488.64 per 1,000
#15Mary126,2548.17 per 1,000
#16Christina125,7508.14 per 1,000
#17Amanda123,9258.02 per 1,000
#18Julie121,9267.89 per 1,000
#19Sarah118,8317.69 per 1,000
#20Laura118,2077.65 per 1,000
#21Shannon113,7987.36 per 1,000
#22Christine103,2376.68 per 1,000
#23Tammy98,8306.4 per 1,000
#24Tracy95,5376.18 per 1,000
#25Karen95,1736.16 per 1,000

Top 25 boys' names of the 1970s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Michael707,36842.83 per 1,000
#2Christopher475,44628.78 per 1,000
#3Jason462,74928.02 per 1,000
#4David445,74126.99 per 1,000
#5James444,74926.93 per 1,000
#6John402,63624.38 per 1,000
#7Robert397,24924.05 per 1,000
#8Brian322,69419.54 per 1,000
#9William283,41517.16 per 1,000
#10Matthew277,75216.82 per 1,000
#11Joseph244,83814.82 per 1,000
#12Daniel244,46314.8 per 1,000
#13Kevin212,24412.85 per 1,000
#14Eric211,49412.8 per 1,000
#15Jeffrey202,86112.28 per 1,000
#16Richard202,80812.28 per 1,000
#17Scott194,54311.78 per 1,000
#18Mark194,28811.76 per 1,000
#19Steven188,09611.39 per 1,000
#20Thomas186,76611.31 per 1,000
#21Timothy181,26810.97 per 1,000
#22Anthony174,88610.59 per 1,000
#23Charles163,0309.87 per 1,000
#24Joshua140,3258.5 per 1,000
#25Ryan139,6438.45 per 1,000

Names that rose fastest in the 1970s

Compared with the decade before, among names in the top 300 of the 1970s.

Girls

Boys

Unisex names of the 1970s

The 1970s in other countries

Top three names in each country's own records for the same decade.

CountryGirlsBoys
CanadaJennifer, Lisa, MichelleMichael, Jason, David
IrelandMary, Catherine, SineadJohn, Michael, Patrick
AustraliaMichelle, Nicole, KylieMichael, David, Jason
New ZealandLisa, Sarah, MichelleMichael, Jason, Andrew

Other decades

Frequently asked questions

What were the most popular names in the 1970s?

Jennifer, Amy and Melissa for girls; Michael, Christopher and Jason for boys.

Where does this data come from?

From the US Social Security Administration's national baby-name records, which go back to 1880.

Can I use these names?

Yes. Names are free to use for pets, stories, games, products and anything else. Real names come from public government records; fantasy names are generated, so you do not need permission to use them.