Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1971

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1971 — 3,432,187 recorded births in total that year.

19701972 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1971

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer56,7713.4%
  2. 2Michelle33,1602.0%
  3. 3Lisa32,9072.0%
  4. 4Kimberly30,7081.8%
  5. 5Amy26,2371.6%
  6. 6Angela25,9011.6%
  7. 7Melissa23,8751.4%
  8. 8Tammy17,6561.1%
  9. 9Mary16,7031.0%
  10. 10Julie15,3220.9%
  11. 11Stephanie15,1350.9%
  12. 12Heather15,0170.9%
  13. 13Tracy14,3300.9%
  14. 14Dawn14,2880.9%
  15. 15Karen14,2140.9%
  16. 16Laura13,8750.8%
  17. 17Susan13,7820.8%
  18. 18Christine13,6780.8%
  19. 19Elizabeth13,6060.8%
  20. 20Tina13,2660.8%
  21. 21Shannon12,6470.8%
  22. 22Kelly12,5990.8%
  23. 23Rebecca12,1920.7%
  24. 24Cynthia12,1430.7%
  25. 25Lori11,8290.7%
  26. 26Patricia11,4700.7%
  27. 27Nicole10,4230.6%
  28. 28Pamela10,1490.6%
  29. 29Wendy10,0630.6%
  30. 30Christina9,9150.6%
  31. 31Sandra9,7140.6%
  32. 32Stacy9,1170.5%
  33. 33Deborah8,6750.5%
  34. 34Teresa8,5630.5%
  35. 35Andrea8,4830.5%
  36. 36Denise8,2190.5%
  37. 37Maria8,1410.5%
  38. 38Donna8,0130.5%
  39. 39Michele7,9550.5%
  40. 40Sharon7,5230.5%
  41. 41Stacey7,4820.4%
  42. 42Linda7,3760.4%
  43. 43Brenda7,1600.4%
  44. 44Dana6,9340.4%
  45. 45Tonya6,8970.4%
  46. 46Rhonda6,6490.4%
  47. 47Barbara6,4530.4%
  48. 48Monica6,4260.4%
  49. 49Tara6,3360.4%
  50. 50Cheryl6,3270.4%
  51. 51Robin6,2130.4%
  52. 52Nancy6,2120.4%
  53. 53Kathleen6,1540.4%
  54. 54Rachel6,1150.4%
  55. 55Carrie5,9770.4%
  56. 56April5,9390.4%
  57. 57Debra5,9280.4%
  58. 58Sarah5,8430.4%
  59. 59Jill5,7240.3%
  60. 60Sherry5,5620.3%
  61. 61Theresa5,4460.3%
  62. 62Tiffany5,4140.3%
  63. 63Paula5,3790.3%
  64. 64Jessica5,3590.3%
  65. 65Catherine5,3370.3%
  66. 66Melanie5,1350.3%
  67. 67Katherine5,1200.3%
  68. 68Leslie5,1110.3%
  69. 69Gina4,9220.3%
  70. 70Cindy4,9040.3%
  71. 71Kristin4,8610.3%
  72. 72Tanya4,8550.3%
  73. 73Renee4,8300.3%
  74. 74Tracey4,7890.3%
  75. 75Jacqueline4,7840.3%
  76. 76Holly4,7470.3%
  77. 77Heidi4,7140.3%
  78. 78Ann4,5580.3%
  79. 79Crystal4,5300.3%
  80. 80Tamara4,4860.3%
  81. 81Sheila4,3330.3%
  82. 82Diana4,2110.3%
  83. 83Diane4,2080.3%
  84. 84Amanda4,1300.2%
  85. 85Melinda4,0570.2%
  86. 86Margaret4,0010.2%
  87. 87Kristen3,9670.2%
  88. 88Suzanne3,9320.2%
  89. 89Christy3,9300.2%
  90. 90Regina3,8740.2%
  91. 91Kathy3,8630.2%
  92. 92Carol3,8570.2%
  93. 93Erin3,8560.2%
  94. 94Jodi3,8260.2%
  95. 95Deanna3,7910.2%
  96. 96Laurie3,7490.2%
  97. 97Victoria3,7220.2%
  98. 98Yolanda3,7210.2%
  99. 99Danielle3,7160.2%
  100. 100Beth3,6860.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael77,5774.4%
  2. 2James54,5973.1%
  3. 3David53,1133.0%
  4. 4John51,5122.9%
  5. 5Robert50,6342.9%
  6. 6Christopher48,2252.7%
  7. 7William35,4132.0%
  8. 8Jason34,1731.9%
  9. 9Brian32,6241.8%
  10. 10Scott30,9011.7%
  11. 11Richard26,1541.5%
  12. 12Jeffrey25,8341.5%
  13. 13Mark25,1321.4%
  14. 14Kevin24,8501.4%
  15. 15Joseph24,5171.4%
  16. 16Steven23,6861.3%
  17. 17Thomas23,1491.3%
  18. 18Eric22,9621.3%
  19. 19Matthew22,5431.3%
  20. 20Daniel21,7851.2%
  21. 21Timothy20,0891.1%
  22. 22Charles19,8511.1%
  23. 23Anthony19,2231.1%
  24. 24Paul17,4691.0%
  25. 25Kenneth14,7630.8%
  26. 26Gregory14,7600.8%
  27. 27Stephen13,1020.7%
  28. 28Shawn12,8250.7%
  29. 29Chad12,1370.7%
  30. 30Todd12,0550.7%
  31. 31Ronald11,6170.7%
  32. 32Edward11,0620.6%
  33. 33Andrew10,9110.6%
  34. 34Donald10,8720.6%
  35. 35Patrick10,8080.6%
  36. 36Sean10,5100.6%
  37. 37Keith9,8510.6%
  38. 38Gary9,1900.5%
  39. 39Douglas8,7370.5%
  40. 40Jonathan8,6280.5%
  41. 41Aaron8,4030.5%
  42. 42George8,2260.5%
  43. 43Craig7,9570.4%
  44. 44Larry7,7630.4%
  45. 45Jeremy7,4980.4%
  46. 46Troy7,3400.4%
  47. 47Peter7,0250.4%
  48. 48Bryan6,6110.4%
  49. 49Dennis6,5840.4%
  50. 50Jerry6,5720.4%
  51. 51Ryan6,1840.3%
  52. 52Raymond6,1040.3%
  53. 53Jeffery6,1000.3%
  54. 54Frank6,0890.3%
  55. 55Jose6,0040.3%
  56. 56Terry5,8580.3%
  57. 57Adam5,8460.3%
  58. 58Bradley5,7800.3%
  59. 59Rodney5,1950.3%
  60. 60Shane5,0930.3%
  61. 61Travis5,0160.3%
  62. 62Tony4,8890.3%
  63. 63Derek4,6670.3%
  64. 64Russell4,5450.3%
  65. 65Marcus4,4100.2%
  66. 66Samuel4,4070.2%
  67. 67Randy4,3450.2%
  68. 68Chris4,2930.2%
  69. 69Benjamin4,2510.2%
  70. 70Marc4,2120.2%
  71. 71Roger4,1290.2%
  72. 72Carl4,0550.2%
  73. 73Brent4,0530.2%
  74. 74Johnny3,9390.2%
  75. 75Billy3,9070.2%
  76. 76Phillip3,8500.2%
  77. 77Corey3,7660.2%
  78. 78Jon3,7170.2%
  79. 79Bobby3,6520.2%
  80. 80Joshua3,6500.2%
  81. 81Juan3,6480.2%
  82. 82Danny3,6110.2%
  83. 83Gerald3,5880.2%
  84. 84Derrick3,5820.2%
  85. 85Lawrence3,5230.2%
  86. 86Joel3,4990.2%
  87. 87Vincent3,4350.2%
  88. 88Carlos3,4260.2%
  89. 89Curtis3,4260.2%
  90. 90Brett3,3570.2%
  91. 91Walter3,3560.2%
  92. 92Wayne3,3310.2%
  93. 93Jimmy3,3150.2%
  94. 94Philip3,3020.2%
  95. 95Brandon3,2630.2%
  96. 96Jamie3,2310.2%
  97. 97Erik3,2120.2%
  98. 98Lance3,1750.2%
  99. 99Alan3,1680.2%
  100. 100Darren3,1560.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1971 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.