Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1970

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1970 — 3,606,302 recorded births in total that year.

19691971 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1970

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer46,1502.6%
  2. 2Lisa38,9672.2%
  3. 3Kimberly34,1302.0%
  4. 4Michelle34,0471.9%
  5. 5Amy25,2121.4%
  6. 6Angela24,9291.4%
  7. 7Melissa23,7351.4%
  8. 8Tammy19,5871.1%
  9. 9Mary19,2041.1%
  10. 10Tracy18,4641.1%
  11. 11Julie17,1581.0%
  12. 12Karen16,6991.0%
  13. 13Laura16,4900.9%
  14. 14Christine16,0610.9%
  15. 15Susan15,7380.9%
  16. 16Dawn15,6810.9%
  17. 17Stephanie15,3870.9%
  18. 18Elizabeth15,1080.9%
  19. 19Heather14,6690.8%
  20. 20Kelly14,6070.8%
  21. 21Tina13,8610.8%
  22. 22Shannon13,5470.8%
  23. 23Lori13,4480.8%
  24. 24Patricia13,4060.8%
  25. 25Cynthia12,9130.7%
  26. 26Pamela12,9070.7%
  27. 27Sandra11,2460.6%
  28. 28Wendy11,1000.6%
  29. 29Rebecca10,8540.6%
  30. 30Nicole10,6910.6%
  31. 31Michele10,0900.6%
  32. 32Donna9,9680.6%
  33. 33Deborah9,8450.6%
  34. 34Teresa9,6120.5%
  35. 35Christina9,5880.5%
  36. 36Denise9,3430.5%
  37. 37Sharon9,1770.5%
  38. 38Linda8,7310.5%
  39. 39Maria8,6860.5%
  40. 40Brenda8,3360.5%
  41. 41Barbara8,0260.5%
  42. 42Stacy7,7710.4%
  43. 43Andrea7,7080.4%
  44. 44Cheryl7,4400.4%
  45. 45Kathleen7,4100.4%
  46. 46Rhonda7,3790.4%
  47. 47Debra7,1980.4%
  48. 48Stacey7,1540.4%
  49. 49Tonya7,1400.4%
  50. 50Nancy7,0630.4%
  51. 51Robin7,0040.4%
  52. 52Jill6,8060.4%
  53. 53Theresa6,4110.4%
  54. 54Dana6,4060.4%
  55. 55Tracey6,2300.4%
  56. 56Monica6,1880.4%
  57. 57Paula6,0550.3%
  58. 58Rachel6,0290.3%
  59. 59Catherine6,0040.3%
  60. 60Sherry5,9170.3%
  61. 61Gina5,8740.3%
  62. 62Ann5,7400.3%
  63. 63Kristin5,6330.3%
  64. 64Leslie5,6220.3%
  65. 65Sarah5,6140.3%
  66. 66Jacqueline5,5760.3%
  67. 67Katherine5,4430.3%
  68. 68Renee5,3730.3%
  69. 69Tara5,3290.3%
  70. 70Diane5,1880.3%
  71. 71Carol5,0640.3%
  72. 72Cindy5,0490.3%
  73. 73Carrie4,9780.3%
  74. 74Holly4,9400.3%
  75. 75Sheila4,9370.3%
  76. 76Tanya4,8620.3%
  77. 77Kathy4,7970.3%
  78. 78Kim4,7290.3%
  79. 79Tamara4,7210.3%
  80. 80Margaret4,7040.3%
  81. 81Heidi4,6420.3%
  82. 82April4,6030.3%
  83. 83Kristen4,6000.3%
  84. 84Carolyn4,5180.3%
  85. 85Victoria4,4600.3%
  86. 86Regina4,4330.3%
  87. 87Suzanne4,4250.3%
  88. 88Laurie4,3920.3%
  89. 89Diana4,3730.3%
  90. 90Deanna4,3310.2%
  91. 91Melanie4,3300.2%
  92. 92Beth4,2470.2%
  93. 93Melinda4,2250.2%
  94. 94Carla4,2140.2%
  95. 95Jodi4,1860.2%
  96. 96Janet4,1580.2%
  97. 97Valerie4,1300.2%
  98. 98Jessica4,0210.2%
  99. 99Tiffany3,9990.2%
  100. 100Traci3,8540.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael85,2664.6%
  2. 2James61,7353.3%
  3. 3David61,7283.3%
  4. 4John58,4913.1%
  5. 5Robert57,1773.1%
  6. 6Christopher41,7472.2%
  7. 7William38,8872.1%
  8. 8Brian31,9171.7%
  9. 9Mark31,4611.7%
  10. 10Richard30,4421.6%
  11. 11Jeffrey30,1391.6%
  12. 12Scott28,5651.5%
  13. 13Jason27,2721.5%
  14. 14Kevin26,9681.5%
  15. 15Steven26,7931.4%
  16. 16Joseph26,7141.4%
  17. 17Thomas26,6691.4%
  18. 18Eric23,5711.3%
  19. 19Daniel23,5211.3%
  20. 20Timothy22,4221.2%
  21. 21Charles22,4111.2%
  22. 22Anthony21,1761.1%
  23. 23Paul20,1961.1%
  24. 24Matthew20,1851.1%
  25. 25Kenneth16,8000.9%
  26. 26Gregory16,2860.9%
  27. 27Stephen14,7580.8%
  28. 28Todd14,4260.8%
  29. 29Ronald13,6180.7%
  30. 30Donald12,3970.7%
  31. 31Edward12,2750.7%
  32. 32Andrew11,9890.6%
  33. 33Patrick11,7300.6%
  34. 34Shawn10,9450.6%
  35. 35Gary10,7160.6%
  36. 36Douglas10,4090.6%
  37. 37Sean10,3410.6%
  38. 38Keith9,6150.5%
  39. 39Craig9,3640.5%
  40. 40George8,9110.5%
  41. 41Troy8,4480.5%
  42. 42Jonathan8,1940.4%
  43. 43Larry8,1040.4%
  44. 44Peter8,0560.4%
  45. 45Jerry7,4220.4%
  46. 46Dennis7,3120.4%
  47. 47Bradley6,8180.4%
  48. 48Frank6,8050.4%
  49. 49Raymond6,7880.4%
  50. 50Jeffery6,7010.4%
  51. 51Chad6,6280.4%
  52. 52Aaron6,5840.4%
  53. 53Bryan6,4520.3%
  54. 54Terry6,1860.3%
  55. 55Rodney5,8560.3%
  56. 56Jose5,6910.3%
  57. 57Tony5,4800.3%
  58. 58Russell5,1060.3%
  59. 59Randy5,0360.3%
  60. 60Marc5,0090.3%
  61. 61Roger4,5830.2%
  62. 62Samuel4,5580.2%
  63. 63Chris4,4600.2%
  64. 64Shane4,4510.2%
  65. 65Johnny4,4380.2%
  66. 66Carl4,4020.2%
  67. 67Gerald4,3990.2%
  68. 68Jon4,3710.2%
  69. 69Travis4,3210.2%
  70. 70Jeremy4,3180.2%
  71. 71Marcus4,3150.2%
  72. 72Adam4,3130.2%
  73. 73Phillip4,2750.2%
  74. 74Brent4,2690.2%
  75. 75Darren4,1970.2%
  76. 76Lance4,1600.2%
  77. 77Derek4,1470.2%
  78. 78Billy4,1210.2%
  79. 79Vincent4,0210.2%
  80. 80Wayne4,0060.2%
  81. 81Benjamin3,9260.2%
  82. 82Joel3,8390.2%
  83. 83Lawrence3,8240.2%
  84. 84Corey3,8140.2%
  85. 85Danny3,7680.2%
  86. 86Jimmy3,6600.2%
  87. 87Bobby3,6360.2%
  88. 88Curtis3,6150.2%
  89. 89Walter3,5840.2%
  90. 90Joe3,5700.2%
  91. 91Alan3,5530.2%
  92. 92Philip3,5200.2%
  93. 93Martin3,5000.2%
  94. 94Bruce3,4820.2%
  95. 95Juan3,4760.2%
  96. 96Derrick3,4460.2%
  97. 97Jay3,4150.2%
  98. 98Carlos3,3800.2%
  99. 99Brett3,3700.2%
  100. 100Randall3,2710.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1970 applications for that sex — a useful reminder of how much more concentrated naming used to be. In 1880 the top girls’ name alone accounted for several percent of all girls; today the #1 name is well under one percent.

Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.