Michael and Jennifer were among the most popular names for boys and girls born in the 1970s. The Social Security Administration (SSA), which began compiling baby name lists in 1997, has retroactively identified 200 of the most popular first names from that decade. According to SSA records, there were approximately 17.1 million male births and 16.5 million female births in the 1970s.
Over the past 50 years, baby name trends in America have shifted considerably.
The SSA reviewed millions of records to determine the most prevalent names for Gen X babies born between 1970 and 1979. Here are the top 10 names from that era:
Top 10 Baby Names for Boys in the 1970s:
1. Michael – A biblical name meaning “who is like God” in Hebrew. Michael was the most popular name for boys in the U.S. during the 1970s, given to 707,588 boys.
2. Christopher – Derived from Greek, meaning “Christ-bearer.” This name was given to 475,597 boys.
3. Jason – A name of Greek origin meaning “healer,” Jason was assigned to 462,916 boys.
4. David – A biblical name meaning “beloved” in Hebrew. David was given to 445,926 boys.
5. James – Meaning “supplanter” in Hebrew, James was given to 444,900 boys.
6. John – A biblical name meaning “God is gracious,” assigned to 402,813 boys.
7. Robert – An English name meaning “bright fame,” given to 397,376 boys.
8. Brian – Of Irish origin, possibly meaning “high” or “noble,” given to 322,803 boys.
9. William – An English name with Germanic roots meaning “will, protection, desire, and helmet,” given to 283,522 boys.
10. Matthew – A biblical name meaning “gift of God,” assigned to 277,918 boys.
Top 10 Baby Names for Girls in the 1970s:
1. Jennifer – An English name meaning “fair” or “soft,” given to 581,759 girls.
2. Amy – Meaning “beloved” in Latin, assigned to 269,000 girls.
3. Melissa – A Greek name meaning “bee,” given to 253,285 girls.
4. Michelle – Of French origin, meaning “who is like God,” assigned to 249,143 girls.
5. Kimberly – Meaning “from the meadow of the royal fortress,” given to 229,108 girls.
6. Lisa – An English name meaning “God is my oath,” given to 228,689 girls.
7. Angela – Meaning “messenger of God” in English, given to 225,261 girls.
8. Heather – Referring to the heather plant, given to 203,917 girls.
9. Stephanie – The feminine form of Stephen, meaning “crown,” assigned to 160,469 girls.
10. Nicole – A French name meaning “victory of the people,” given to 144,668 girls.
Names from the 1970s That Remain Popular Today:
James and William were the only two male names from the 1970s that remained in the top 10 into 2022. In 2022, James ranked fifth and William sixth.
For boys, the top names in 2022 were Liam, Noah, Oliver, James, and Elijah. The top 10 also included William, Henry, Lucas, Benjamin, and Theodore.
For girls, the top names in 2022 were Olivia, Emma, Charlotte, Amelia, Sophia, Isabella, Ava, Mia, Evelyn, and Luna.
The SSA has not yet released the top baby names for 2023 at the time of publication.
