Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1976

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1976 — 3,034,007 recorded births in total that year.

19751977 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1976

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer59,4734.1%
  2. 2Amy31,3392.1%
  3. 3Melissa25,0941.7%
  4. 4Heather24,1921.7%
  5. 5Angela22,0381.5%
  6. 6Michelle19,5501.3%
  7. 7Kimberly18,9621.3%
  8. 8Jessica18,3681.3%
  9. 9Lisa17,3461.2%
  10. 10Amanda15,5881.1%
  11. 11Stephanie15,1801.0%
  12. 12Rebecca14,4911.0%
  13. 13Nicole14,4531.0%
  14. 14Christina14,0331.0%
  15. 15Sarah13,9931.0%
  16. 16Elizabeth13,5470.9%
  17. 17Shannon13,3680.9%
  18. 18Jamie12,5390.9%
  19. 19Kelly11,7910.8%
  20. 20Laura11,2520.8%
  21. 21Julie10,8390.7%
  22. 22Mary10,3150.7%
  23. 23Rachel8,4530.6%
  24. 24Erin8,3810.6%
  25. 25Andrea8,3520.6%
  26. 26Christine8,1110.6%
  27. 27Sara8,0200.5%
  28. 28Carrie7,9910.5%
  29. 29Jaime7,8380.5%
  30. 30April7,7610.5%
  31. 31Karen7,5050.5%
  32. 32Tiffany7,4820.5%
  33. 33Danielle7,3640.5%
  34. 34Maria7,3580.5%
  35. 35Dawn7,0480.5%
  36. 36Crystal6,9460.5%
  37. 37Tracy6,8220.5%
  38. 38Stacy6,5230.4%
  39. 39Wendy6,4640.4%
  40. 40Susan6,4020.4%
  41. 41Tammy6,2280.4%
  42. 42Tara6,0200.4%
  43. 43Patricia6,0170.4%
  44. 44Cynthia6,0120.4%
  45. 45Monica5,9780.4%
  46. 46Misty5,9060.4%
  47. 47Lori5,8490.4%
  48. 48Tina5,7470.4%
  49. 49Amber5,6460.4%
  50. 50Emily5,5470.4%
  51. 51Stacey5,3900.4%
  52. 52Jill5,2830.4%
  53. 53Melanie5,2410.4%
  54. 54Erica5,2360.4%
  55. 55Brandy5,2320.4%
  56. 56Holly5,1730.4%
  57. 57Katherine5,0510.3%
  58. 58Tonya4,9660.3%
  59. 59Sandra4,8610.3%
  60. 60Christy4,8530.3%
  61. 61Tanya4,8190.3%
  62. 62Megan4,4630.3%
  63. 63Michele4,4430.3%
  64. 64Dana4,4080.3%
  65. 65Leslie4,3110.3%
  66. 66Teresa4,0560.3%
  67. 67Allison4,0280.3%
  68. 68Veronica4,0220.3%
  69. 69Denise3,9860.3%
  70. 70Heidi3,8900.3%
  71. 71Alicia3,7910.3%
  72. 72Catherine3,7800.3%
  73. 73Kristen3,6530.2%
  74. 74Kristin3,6270.2%
  75. 75Robin3,6230.2%
  76. 76Courtney3,6190.2%
  77. 77Brenda3,5870.2%
  78. 78Anna3,5840.2%
  79. 79Brandi3,5370.2%
  80. 80Natalie3,4990.2%
  81. 81Sharon3,4530.2%
  82. 82Kathleen3,4050.2%
  83. 83Valerie3,3860.2%
  84. 84Pamela3,3640.2%
  85. 85Samantha3,3470.2%
  86. 86Renee3,3140.2%
  87. 87Nancy3,2810.2%
  88. 88Kathryn3,2620.2%
  89. 89Theresa3,1730.2%
  90. 90Linda3,1380.2%
  91. 91Tamara3,0860.2%
  92. 92Victoria3,0360.2%
  93. 93Donna3,0320.2%
  94. 94Gina3,0100.2%
  95. 95Melinda2,9950.2%
  96. 96Deborah2,9920.2%
  97. 97Kristina2,9720.2%
  98. 98Barbara2,9680.2%
  99. 99Jacqueline2,9480.2%
  100. 100Mandy2,9240.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael66,9154.3%
  2. 2Jason52,6433.4%
  3. 3Christopher45,1902.9%
  4. 4David39,2652.5%
  5. 5James38,2942.4%
  6. 6John33,9762.2%
  7. 7Robert33,7892.2%
  8. 8Brian30,5171.9%
  9. 9Matthew29,9511.9%
  10. 10Daniel24,7021.6%
  11. 11William24,4281.6%
  12. 12Joseph24,0551.5%
  13. 13Eric21,3591.4%
  14. 14Jeremy20,1261.3%
  15. 15Kevin18,4741.2%
  16. 16Ryan17,4841.1%
  17. 17Jeffrey17,0131.1%
  18. 18Joshua16,8451.1%
  19. 19Richard16,7521.1%
  20. 20Steven16,6501.1%
  21. 21Timothy16,6201.1%
  22. 22Anthony16,6011.1%
  23. 23Thomas16,1221.0%
  24. 24Scott15,7171.0%
  25. 25Mark15,5081.0%
  26. 26Charles13,9210.9%
  27. 27Andrew13,3010.8%
  28. 28Paul11,7810.8%
  29. 29Chad11,7660.7%
  30. 30Aaron11,3440.7%
  31. 31Jonathan11,3140.7%
  32. 32Benjamin10,6720.7%
  33. 33Justin10,1440.6%
  34. 34Shawn10,1080.6%
  35. 35Gregory10,0600.6%
  36. 36Adam9,9370.6%
  37. 37Stephen9,7270.6%
  38. 38Kenneth9,1270.6%
  39. 39Nathan8,6110.5%
  40. 40Brandon7,7860.5%
  41. 41Patrick7,6420.5%
  42. 42Sean7,5650.5%
  43. 43Bryan7,2880.5%
  44. 44Jose7,0610.5%
  45. 45Edward7,0480.4%
  46. 46Travis6,8320.4%
  47. 47Donald6,7920.4%
  48. 48Keith6,7450.4%
  49. 49Ronald6,4570.4%
  50. 50Todd6,4400.4%
  51. 51Bradley5,9760.4%
  52. 52Gary5,5920.4%
  53. 53George5,5560.4%
  54. 54Peter5,4450.3%
  55. 55Jesse5,3000.3%
  56. 56Douglas5,2240.3%
  57. 57Shane5,0950.3%
  58. 58Juan5,0530.3%
  59. 59Samuel5,0250.3%
  60. 60Larry4,8420.3%
  61. 61Craig4,7320.3%
  62. 62Jamie4,6210.3%
  63. 63Jacob4,5090.3%
  64. 64Corey4,4320.3%
  65. 65Raymond4,2180.3%
  66. 66Dennis4,1690.3%
  67. 67Jerry4,0700.3%
  68. 68Frank3,8990.2%
  69. 69Phillip3,7890.2%
  70. 70Carlos3,7870.2%
  71. 71Antonio3,7740.2%
  72. 72Joel3,7220.2%
  73. 73Troy3,7150.2%
  74. 74Marcus3,6810.2%
  75. 75Terry3,6680.2%
  76. 76Jeffery3,5640.2%
  77. 77Nicholas3,4660.2%
  78. 78Brent3,4050.2%
  79. 79Randy3,3200.2%
  80. 80Kyle3,3080.2%
  81. 81Gabriel3,3030.2%
  82. 82Dustin3,2120.2%
  83. 83Cory3,1820.2%
  84. 84Derek3,1680.2%
  85. 85Billy3,1580.2%
  86. 86Tony3,0670.2%
  87. 87Russell2,9990.2%
  88. 88Rodney2,9840.2%
  89. 89Philip2,9430.2%
  90. 90Jared2,9290.2%
  91. 91Derrick2,9210.2%
  92. 92Johnny2,8740.2%
  93. 93Jeremiah2,8720.2%
  94. 94Erik2,7540.2%
  95. 95Carl2,6700.2%
  96. 96Bobby2,6440.2%
  97. 97Zachary2,6440.2%
  98. 98Shannon2,6110.2%
  99. 99Marc2,5980.2%
  100. 100Victor2,5280.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1976 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.