Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1972

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1972 — 3,142,796 recorded births in total that year.

19711973 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1972

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer63,6004.2%
  2. 2Michelle29,2851.9%
  3. 3Lisa27,5431.8%
  4. 4Kimberly26,2821.7%
  5. 5Amy25,8731.7%
  6. 6Angela23,5611.5%
  7. 7Melissa22,4941.5%
  8. 8Stephanie16,8901.1%
  9. 9Heather16,3201.1%
  10. 10Nicole15,7551.0%
  11. 11Tammy14,2110.9%
  12. 12Julie14,0620.9%
  13. 13Mary13,7570.9%
  14. 14Rebecca13,2520.9%
  15. 15Elizabeth12,1820.8%
  16. 16Christine11,9860.8%
  17. 17Laura11,7780.8%
  18. 18Tina11,5230.8%
  19. 19Tracy11,4360.8%
  20. 20Dawn11,3400.7%
  21. 21Karen11,1810.7%
  22. 22Shannon10,9650.7%
  23. 23Kelly10,9440.7%
  24. 24Susan10,5740.7%
  25. 25Cynthia10,1730.7%
  26. 26Christina10,1720.7%
  27. 27Patricia9,6020.6%
  28. 28Lori9,4340.6%
  29. 29Wendy8,5290.6%
  30. 30Andrea8,0220.5%
  31. 31Sandra7,9170.5%
  32. 32Maria7,7210.5%
  33. 33Stacy7,6040.5%
  34. 34Pamela7,4720.5%
  35. 35Denise7,3820.5%
  36. 36Michele7,3800.5%
  37. 37Tonya7,2440.5%
  38. 38Tara7,2340.5%
  39. 39Teresa7,1760.5%
  40. 40Rachel6,4170.4%
  41. 41Stacey6,3800.4%
  42. 42Melanie6,2960.4%
  43. 43Deborah6,2710.4%
  44. 44Brenda6,2700.4%
  45. 45Donna6,2570.4%
  46. 46Jessica6,2060.4%
  47. 47Monica6,1330.4%
  48. 48April6,1200.4%
  49. 49Sarah6,1140.4%
  50. 50Sharon6,1110.4%
  51. 51Linda5,7420.4%
  52. 52Dana5,6100.4%
  53. 53Carrie5,4210.4%
  54. 54Tanya5,4020.4%
  55. 55Robin5,3690.4%
  56. 56Cheryl5,1360.3%
  57. 57Kathleen5,0970.3%
  58. 58Barbara5,0800.3%
  59. 59Crystal5,0440.3%
  60. 60Rhonda5,0010.3%
  61. 61Tiffany4,8440.3%
  62. 62Jill4,8240.3%
  63. 63Nancy4,8180.3%
  64. 64Heidi4,7230.3%
  65. 65Catherine4,6860.3%
  66. 66Debra4,6660.3%
  67. 67Kristin4,5860.3%
  68. 68Theresa4,5690.3%
  69. 69Katherine4,5140.3%
  70. 70Sherry4,4470.3%
  71. 71Holly4,3760.3%
  72. 72Paula4,2600.3%
  73. 73Danielle4,2010.3%
  74. 74Christy4,1900.3%
  75. 75Leslie4,1840.3%
  76. 76Amanda4,1800.3%
  77. 77Renee4,0880.3%
  78. 78Gina4,0570.3%
  79. 79Jacqueline3,8030.2%
  80. 80Cindy3,7370.2%
  81. 81Melinda3,6710.2%
  82. 82Veronica3,5630.2%
  83. 83Diana3,5480.2%
  84. 84Tamara3,5310.2%
  85. 85Kristen3,5270.2%
  86. 86Anna3,4490.2%
  87. 87Erica3,4430.2%
  88. 88Tracey3,4070.2%
  89. 89Yolanda3,3980.2%
  90. 90Sheila3,3940.2%
  91. 91Ann3,3600.2%
  92. 92Suzanne3,3000.2%
  93. 93Erin3,2890.2%
  94. 94Shelly3,2880.2%
  95. 95Margaret3,2860.2%
  96. 96Alicia3,2680.2%
  97. 97Jodi3,2590.2%
  98. 98Laurie3,2270.2%
  99. 99Victoria3,2060.2%
  100. 100Valerie3,1930.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael71,3934.4%
  2. 2Christopher52,1723.2%
  3. 3James47,0632.9%
  4. 4David46,3222.9%
  5. 5John43,1582.7%
  6. 6Robert43,0132.7%
  7. 7Jason37,4232.3%
  8. 8Brian36,3062.2%
  9. 9William30,5101.9%
  10. 10Matthew22,9281.4%
  11. 11Scott22,8381.4%
  12. 12Joseph22,4541.4%
  13. 13Kevin22,3541.4%
  14. 14Richard22,3021.4%
  15. 15Daniel22,0921.4%
  16. 16Eric22,0271.4%
  17. 17Jeffrey21,6771.3%
  18. 18Mark21,4901.3%
  19. 19Steven19,8511.2%
  20. 20Thomas19,5571.2%
  21. 21Timothy17,6051.1%
  22. 22Anthony17,4541.1%
  23. 23Charles16,9681.0%
  24. 24Paul14,5550.9%
  25. 25Chad13,3920.8%
  26. 26Gregory13,0560.8%
  27. 27Kenneth12,3340.8%
  28. 28Shawn11,2770.7%
  29. 29Stephen11,0370.7%
  30. 30Andrew10,1110.6%
  31. 31Todd9,9680.6%
  32. 32Ronald9,5020.6%
  33. 33Sean9,4440.6%
  34. 34Edward9,2920.6%
  35. 35Patrick9,2760.6%
  36. 36Donald9,2610.6%
  37. 37Jonathan9,2190.6%
  38. 38Keith9,1450.6%
  39. 39Ryan8,8780.5%
  40. 40Aaron7,8630.5%
  41. 41Gary7,7580.5%
  42. 42Jeremy7,3980.5%
  43. 43Douglas7,3870.5%
  44. 44George7,1670.4%
  45. 45Bryan7,0350.4%
  46. 46Craig6,7290.4%
  47. 47Larry6,6040.4%
  48. 48Peter6,4710.4%
  49. 49Troy6,3480.4%
  50. 50Jose5,9350.4%
  51. 51Adam5,7400.4%
  52. 52Dennis5,6080.3%
  53. 53Jerry5,5970.3%
  54. 54Raymond5,4430.3%
  55. 55Shane5,2360.3%
  56. 56Frank5,1650.3%
  57. 57Travis5,1360.3%
  58. 58Jeffery5,0630.3%
  59. 59Joshua5,0330.3%
  60. 60Justin4,9750.3%
  61. 61Bradley4,8390.3%
  62. 62Terry4,7700.3%
  63. 63Brandon4,6250.3%
  64. 64Benjamin4,4980.3%
  65. 65Rodney4,3630.3%
  66. 66Samuel4,2130.3%
  67. 67Derek4,1460.3%
  68. 68Tony4,0010.2%
  69. 69Russell3,7820.2%
  70. 70Randy3,7390.2%
  71. 71Marcus3,6850.2%
  72. 72Jamie3,6800.2%
  73. 73Juan3,6720.2%
  74. 74Johnny3,5640.2%
  75. 75Phillip3,5320.2%
  76. 76Roger3,5310.2%
  77. 77Brent3,5300.2%
  78. 78Joel3,5280.2%
  79. 79Nathan3,5120.2%
  80. 80Brett3,5030.2%
  81. 81Billy3,4730.2%
  82. 82Chris3,4720.2%
  83. 83Marc3,4650.2%
  84. 84Carlos3,4340.2%
  85. 85Carl3,4060.2%
  86. 86Erik3,3980.2%
  87. 87Danny3,3060.2%
  88. 88Jesse3,2260.2%
  89. 89Jon3,2210.2%
  90. 90Bobby3,1710.2%
  91. 91Derrick3,0880.2%
  92. 92Curtis3,0800.2%
  93. 93Antonio3,0280.2%
  94. 94Shannon3,0140.2%
  95. 95Corey2,9900.2%
  96. 96Christian2,9620.2%
  97. 97Jimmy2,9320.2%
  98. 98Walter2,9180.2%
  99. 99Nicholas2,8430.2%
  100. 100Joe2,8250.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1972 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.