Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1974

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1974 — 3,039,803 recorded births in total that year.

19731975 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1974

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer63,1074.3%
  2. 2Amy29,5662.0%
  3. 3Michelle25,8261.8%
  4. 4Heather23,1791.6%
  5. 5Angela22,8031.6%
  6. 6Kimberly22,4271.5%
  7. 7Melissa22,1661.5%
  8. 8Lisa19,7781.3%
  9. 9Stephanie16,9841.2%
  10. 10Rebecca15,1631.0%
  11. 11Nicole13,1120.9%
  12. 12Elizabeth12,2590.8%
  13. 13Mary11,7380.8%
  14. 14Julie11,3600.8%
  15. 15Kelly10,8510.7%
  16. 16Christina10,8490.7%
  17. 17Jessica10,6560.7%
  18. 18Shannon10,6080.7%
  19. 19Christine9,9010.7%
  20. 20Sarah9,7880.7%
  21. 21Laura9,7160.7%
  22. 22Dawn9,4170.6%
  23. 23Tracy9,2860.6%
  24. 24Tammy9,2380.6%
  25. 25Tina8,6680.6%
  26. 26Karen8,6430.6%
  27. 27Susan8,4700.6%
  28. 28April8,4540.6%
  29. 29Patricia8,0360.5%
  30. 30Lori7,9600.5%
  31. 31Maria7,8040.5%
  32. 32Wendy7,5640.5%
  33. 33Cynthia7,5570.5%
  34. 34Amanda7,4730.5%
  35. 35Andrea7,4720.5%
  36. 36Rachel7,3990.5%
  37. 37Tonya6,8780.5%
  38. 38Stacy6,7410.5%
  39. 39Tara6,6570.5%
  40. 40Danielle6,6290.5%
  41. 41Tiffany6,4820.4%
  42. 42Carrie6,4360.4%
  43. 43Monica6,2810.4%
  44. 44Sandra6,2700.4%
  45. 45Kristen6,0520.4%
  46. 46Tanya5,9970.4%
  47. 47Erin5,8680.4%
  48. 48Stacey5,8030.4%
  49. 49Crystal5,6220.4%
  50. 50Michele5,5870.4%
  51. 51Melanie5,4830.4%
  52. 52Teresa5,3970.4%
  53. 53Denise5,3950.4%
  54. 54Pamela5,2720.4%
  55. 55Dana5,1580.4%
  56. 56Holly5,1440.4%
  57. 57Christy5,0670.3%
  58. 58Jill5,0610.3%
  59. 59Brenda4,8300.3%
  60. 60Heidi4,6830.3%
  61. 61Sara4,6500.3%
  62. 62Katherine4,5300.3%
  63. 63Robin4,5250.3%
  64. 64Tamara4,5250.3%
  65. 65Leslie4,4630.3%
  66. 66Misty4,4390.3%
  67. 67Donna4,3540.3%
  68. 68Deborah4,3430.3%
  69. 69Emily4,3290.3%
  70. 70Sharon4,2760.3%
  71. 71Veronica4,2260.3%
  72. 72Kristin4,2180.3%
  73. 73Catherine4,1840.3%
  74. 74Erica4,1210.3%
  75. 75Linda4,0770.3%
  76. 76Kathleen3,9530.3%
  77. 77Barbara3,9060.3%
  78. 78Nancy3,8910.3%
  79. 79Theresa3,8570.3%
  80. 80Brandy3,8320.3%
  81. 81Melinda3,7520.3%
  82. 82Anna3,6220.2%
  83. 83Jacqueline3,5730.2%
  84. 84Gina3,5600.2%
  85. 85Renee3,5280.2%
  86. 86Rhonda3,5250.2%
  87. 87Diana3,5130.2%
  88. 88Cheryl3,4960.2%
  89. 89Sherry3,4360.2%
  90. 90Alicia3,4340.2%
  91. 91Jodi3,3060.2%
  92. 92Amber3,2730.2%
  93. 93Valerie3,1810.2%
  94. 94Debra3,1290.2%
  95. 95Margaret3,0870.2%
  96. 96Paula3,0610.2%
  97. 97Jamie3,0200.2%
  98. 98Kathryn2,9910.2%
  99. 99Allison2,9590.2%
  100. 100Ann2,9280.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael67,5344.3%
  2. 2Jason54,7563.5%
  3. 3Christopher48,5853.1%
  4. 4David41,7862.7%
  5. 5James41,3342.6%
  6. 6John37,6122.4%
  7. 7Robert37,0052.4%
  8. 8Brian34,4492.2%
  9. 9Matthew27,1941.7%
  10. 10William26,9801.7%
  11. 11Daniel23,8331.5%
  12. 12Joseph21,8341.4%
  13. 13Eric20,1931.3%
  14. 14Kevin19,4611.2%
  15. 15Jeffrey19,3201.2%
  16. 16Mark18,9051.2%
  17. 17Richard18,6361.2%
  18. 18Scott18,0301.1%
  19. 19Steven17,6631.1%
  20. 20Thomas17,2681.1%
  21. 21Anthony16,3911.0%
  22. 22Timothy15,8901.0%
  23. 23Charles15,1511.0%
  24. 24Jeremy13,2950.8%
  25. 25Ryan13,1790.8%
  26. 26Chad12,7880.8%
  27. 27Paul12,3100.8%
  28. 28Andrew11,7780.7%
  29. 29Joshua11,5990.7%
  30. 30Shawn11,4380.7%
  31. 31Gregory10,8260.7%
  32. 32Aaron10,5070.7%
  33. 33Jonathan10,2300.7%
  34. 34Kenneth10,1430.6%
  35. 35Stephen10,1010.6%
  36. 36Adam8,4210.5%
  37. 37Sean8,2900.5%
  38. 38Patrick8,1370.5%
  39. 39Todd7,8450.5%
  40. 40Edward7,8170.5%
  41. 41Donald7,7580.5%
  42. 42Ronald7,6670.5%
  43. 43Justin7,4290.5%
  44. 44Keith7,3900.5%
  45. 45Bryan7,2260.5%
  46. 46Benjamin7,1830.5%
  47. 47Jose6,7200.4%
  48. 48Gary6,4440.4%
  49. 49George6,2830.4%
  50. 50Peter5,9400.4%
  51. 51Brandon5,8590.4%
  52. 52Nathan5,8440.4%
  53. 53Douglas5,8430.4%
  54. 54Travis5,7020.4%
  55. 55Larry5,6940.4%
  56. 56Shane5,6550.4%
  57. 57Craig5,5390.4%
  58. 58Bradley5,1730.3%
  59. 59Dennis4,8800.3%
  60. 60Samuel4,6720.3%
  61. 61Jerry4,6640.3%
  62. 62Raymond4,5770.3%
  63. 63Troy4,5630.3%
  64. 64Juan4,4280.3%
  65. 65Frank4,3650.3%
  66. 66Jeffery4,3630.3%
  67. 67Jesse4,1050.3%
  68. 68Jamie4,0860.3%
  69. 69Terry4,0270.3%
  70. 70Phillip3,9340.3%
  71. 71Carlos3,8710.2%
  72. 72Rodney3,8490.2%
  73. 73Marcus3,8010.2%
  74. 74Derek3,6360.2%
  75. 75Joel3,4910.2%
  76. 76Brent3,4130.2%
  77. 77Corey3,3820.2%
  78. 78Billy3,3650.2%
  79. 79Randy3,3420.2%
  80. 80Nicholas3,2180.2%
  81. 81Tony3,2160.2%
  82. 82Antonio3,1780.2%
  83. 83Johnny3,1690.2%
  84. 84Russell3,1680.2%
  85. 85Marc3,1080.2%
  86. 86Philip2,9670.2%
  87. 87Derrick2,9580.2%
  88. 88Jacob2,9570.2%
  89. 89Carl2,8950.2%
  90. 90Erik2,8810.2%
  91. 91Danny2,8590.2%
  92. 92Bobby2,7920.2%
  93. 93Roger2,7540.2%
  94. 94Jon2,7500.2%
  95. 95Brett2,6770.2%
  96. 96Victor2,6210.2%
  97. 97Kyle2,5980.2%
  98. 98Curtis2,5890.2%
  99. 99Jimmy2,5680.2%
  100. 100Lawrence2,5430.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1974 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.