Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1978

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1978 — 3,173,639 recorded births in total that year.

19771979 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1978

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer56,3143.7%
  2. 2Melissa28,3271.8%
  3. 3Jessica26,1021.7%
  4. 4Amy23,2131.5%
  5. 5Heather22,2701.5%
  6. 6Amanda20,5201.3%
  7. 7Angela20,5171.3%
  8. 8Sarah19,9761.3%
  9. 9Michelle18,8561.2%
  10. 10Nicole17,2791.1%
  11. 11Lisa17,0331.1%
  12. 12Kelly16,9761.1%
  13. 13Kimberly16,8791.1%
  14. 14Elizabeth16,8071.1%
  15. 15Christina16,3671.1%
  16. 16Stephanie16,2331.1%
  17. 17Rebecca13,7960.9%
  18. 18Crystal12,5940.8%
  19. 19Laura11,2400.7%
  20. 20Jamie10,9820.7%
  21. 21Erin10,7860.7%
  22. 22Shannon10,5980.7%
  23. 23Andrea10,4610.7%
  24. 24Mary10,0400.7%
  25. 25Rachel9,8020.6%
  26. 26Julie9,7940.6%
  27. 27April9,5900.6%
  28. 28Sara8,8690.6%
  29. 29Christine8,2720.5%
  30. 30Amber8,1740.5%
  31. 31Danielle7,9830.5%
  32. 32Tiffany7,7010.5%
  33. 33Emily7,4730.5%
  34. 34Erica7,3400.5%
  35. 35Carrie7,3180.5%
  36. 36Maria7,0210.5%
  37. 37Brandy6,6990.4%
  38. 38Katherine6,6250.4%
  39. 39Karen6,3710.4%
  40. 40Tara6,3300.4%
  41. 41Megan5,8950.4%
  42. 42Monica5,8670.4%
  43. 43Misty5,8340.4%
  44. 44Stacy5,7760.4%
  45. 45Tina5,6990.4%
  46. 46Jill5,6760.4%
  47. 47Tracy5,6310.4%
  48. 48Patricia5,4980.4%
  49. 49Susan5,4180.4%
  50. 50Cynthia5,4030.4%
  51. 51Kristy5,3320.3%
  52. 52Dawn5,2170.3%
  53. 53Stacey4,9980.3%
  54. 54Melanie4,9960.3%
  55. 55Holly4,9720.3%
  56. 56Wendy4,9180.3%
  57. 57Kathryn4,8080.3%
  58. 58Alicia4,7520.3%
  59. 59Christy4,6610.3%
  60. 60Lori4,6310.3%
  61. 61Brandi4,5000.3%
  62. 62Kristen4,3680.3%
  63. 63Leslie4,3420.3%
  64. 64Kristina4,2290.3%
  65. 65Anna4,1730.3%
  66. 66Natalie4,1650.3%
  67. 67Tammy4,0700.3%
  68. 68Courtney4,0310.3%
  69. 69Sandra4,0050.3%
  70. 70Jaime4,0030.3%
  71. 71Dana4,0020.3%
  72. 72Catherine3,9580.3%
  73. 73Veronica3,9330.3%
  74. 74Samantha3,8860.3%
  75. 75Allison3,8640.3%
  76. 76Vanessa3,8530.3%
  77. 77Tonya3,8260.2%
  78. 78Kristin3,8070.2%
  79. 79Kathleen3,7430.2%
  80. 80Lauren3,6690.2%
  81. 81Jacqueline3,5760.2%
  82. 82Tanya3,5760.2%
  83. 83Heidi3,5670.2%
  84. 84Melinda3,5630.2%
  85. 85Denise3,5190.2%
  86. 86Michele3,4840.2%
  87. 87Ashley3,4820.2%
  88. 88Teresa3,4720.2%
  89. 89Robin3,4400.2%
  90. 90Katie3,4260.2%
  91. 91Sabrina3,3500.2%
  92. 92Valerie3,2990.2%
  93. 93Gina3,2200.2%
  94. 94Cheryl3,1670.2%
  95. 95Lindsay3,1230.2%
  96. 96Mandy3,1100.2%
  97. 97Nancy3,0440.2%
  98. 98Kristi2,9920.2%
  99. 99Renee2,9690.2%
  100. 100Linda2,9320.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael67,1274.1%
  2. 2Jason51,6003.1%
  3. 3Christopher47,2362.9%
  4. 4David40,6842.5%
  5. 5James39,8942.4%
  6. 6Matthew34,2822.1%
  7. 7John34,0142.1%
  8. 8Robert33,3742.0%
  9. 9Brian29,4321.8%
  10. 10Joseph26,6631.6%
  11. 11Daniel26,4411.6%
  12. 12Joshua25,2041.5%
  13. 13William24,1701.5%
  14. 14Ryan21,3221.3%
  15. 15Kevin20,0941.2%
  16. 16Eric19,7611.2%
  17. 17Timothy19,5971.2%
  18. 18Jeremy19,5091.2%
  19. 19Jeffrey16,9891.0%
  20. 20Anthony16,8081.0%
  21. 21Richard16,7341.0%
  22. 22Andrew16,7201.0%
  23. 23Thomas16,4811.0%
  24. 24Steven16,3901.0%
  25. 25Nicholas16,3421.0%
  26. 26Mark14,8510.9%
  27. 27Charles14,8440.9%
  28. 28Justin14,1830.9%
  29. 29Adam13,9180.8%
  30. 30Scott13,5390.8%
  31. 31Jonathan12,5140.8%
  32. 32Aaron12,2990.7%
  33. 33Paul11,7330.7%
  34. 34Benjamin11,4140.7%
  35. 35Chad10,1070.6%
  36. 36Nathan9,8900.6%
  37. 37Stephen9,8540.6%
  38. 38Gregory9,3400.6%
  39. 39Shawn9,2890.6%
  40. 40Brandon9,2410.6%
  41. 41Kenneth9,0210.5%
  42. 42Patrick8,8300.5%
  43. 43Bryan7,2910.4%
  44. 44Jose7,1480.4%
  45. 45Sean7,0590.4%
  46. 46Travis6,9530.4%
  47. 47Edward6,4730.4%
  48. 48Donald6,4230.4%
  49. 49Keith6,1720.4%
  50. 50Jacob6,1610.4%
  51. 51Jesse6,1070.4%
  52. 52Shaun6,1050.4%
  53. 53Bradley6,0960.4%
  54. 54Peter5,8720.4%
  55. 55Ronald5,7580.4%
  56. 56Todd5,4970.3%
  57. 57Samuel5,3940.3%
  58. 58George5,2970.3%
  59. 59Douglas5,1510.3%
  60. 60Gary5,1110.3%
  61. 61Corey4,9420.3%
  62. 62Juan4,8370.3%
  63. 63Kyle4,5170.3%
  64. 64Larry4,5140.3%
  65. 65Shane4,4800.3%
  66. 66Craig4,4720.3%
  67. 67Phillip4,3620.3%
  68. 68Dustin4,1770.3%
  69. 69Raymond4,1340.3%
  70. 70Marcus3,9950.2%
  71. 71Dennis3,8610.2%
  72. 72Jared3,8470.2%
  73. 73Cory3,8420.2%
  74. 74Joel3,8100.2%
  75. 75Derek3,8000.2%
  76. 76Derrick3,7860.2%
  77. 77Frank3,7750.2%
  78. 78Carlos3,7290.2%
  79. 79Antonio3,6770.2%
  80. 80Jeffery3,5430.2%
  81. 81Jeremiah3,4450.2%
  82. 82Jerry3,4270.2%
  83. 83Wesley3,3060.2%
  84. 84Philip3,2980.2%
  85. 85Erik3,2610.2%
  86. 86Randy3,2200.2%
  87. 87Brent3,1810.2%
  88. 88Troy3,1520.2%
  89. 89Zachary3,1270.2%
  90. 90Gabriel3,1260.2%
  91. 91Terry3,0890.2%
  92. 92Casey3,0030.2%
  93. 93Russell2,9840.2%
  94. 94Nathaniel2,9250.2%
  95. 95Jamie2,8640.2%
  96. 96Curtis2,8250.2%
  97. 97Tony2,7700.2%
  98. 98Alexander2,7380.2%
  99. 99Billy2,6950.2%
  100. 100Carl2,6060.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1978 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.