The 10 Most Popular Baby Names From The 1970s
Growing up, did you ever look around your school classrooms and notice a lot of the same names cropping up among your classmates? If so, that trend has likely followed you through adulthood, whether it be through your friend group or amongst your coworkers and colleagues. That’s because certain names tend to be particularly popular in a given year, and the 1970s are no exception. Below are the ten names that were the most popular in the U.S. in that decade, in descending order, according to the Social Security Administration. How many of these names do you know well?
Related: Popular Names from the 1960s
Matthew and Nicole
Who doesn’t know several Matts and Nicoles? It’s no surprise these rounded out the top 10, with 277,828 and 144,670 babies given these names, respectively, in the 1970s.
William and Stephanie
These names aren’t quite as popular anymore in today’s day and age, but surely you've met a few Williams (Don't forget Bills and Wills) or Stephanies if you were born in the 1970s—or work with people who were. There were 283,456 and 160,464 babies given these respective names during this decade.
Brian and Heather
If you remember quite a few Brians and Heathers from your school days, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there were 322,747 and 203,912 babies, respectively, given these names during that time.
Robert and Angela
It should come as no surprise to anyone with Bobs in their life that Robert was one of the most popular names of the 1970s. The seventh-most popular female name only went to 225,264 babies in comparison to Robert’s 397,295.
John and Lisa
These names might not seem as popular today, but there were quite a few who were running around as kids in the '70s. Specifically, there were 402,715 Johns and 228,690 Lisas born in the U.S. during this decade.
James and Kimberly
Know of a Jim or Kim, or even several? No surprise there. In the 1970s, there were 444,823 and 229,106 babies given the names James and Kimberly.
David and Michelle
Davids and Michelles were undeniably everywhere, especially if you were a child of the 1970s. During this period, a total of 445,842 and 249,138 babies received these names, respectively.
Jason and Melissa
If you know a lot of Gen Xers named Jason or Melissa, it’s no coincidence. There were 462,821 and 253,274 babies given those respective names in the 1970s.
Christopher and Amy
Who doesn’t know of at least a dozen Christophers and at least a few Amys from their lifetime? In the 1970s, there were 475,526 and 268,996 babies named Christopher and Amy respectively.
Michael and Jennifer
These two names aren’t quite as popular among today’s newborns, but there sure are a lot of them among the ranks of millennials and Generation X. That is reflected in the numbers where, in the 1970s, there were 707,458 individuals born named Michael and 581,753 named Jennifer.
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