Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1979

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1979 — 3,326,731 recorded births in total that year.

19781980 The 1970s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1979

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer56,7123.5%
  2. 2Melissa34,0502.1%
  3. 3Amanda31,9242.0%
  4. 4Jessica27,7801.7%
  5. 5Amy21,6091.3%
  6. 6Sarah21,0151.3%
  7. 7Heather20,8341.3%
  8. 8Angela20,2561.3%
  9. 9Nicole19,5101.2%
  10. 10Michelle19,2661.2%
  11. 11Elizabeth18,0731.1%
  12. 12Kimberly17,6351.1%
  13. 13Lisa17,2861.1%
  14. 14Christina16,4541.0%
  15. 15Stephanie16,2041.0%
  16. 16Kelly15,2961.0%
  17. 17Rebecca14,5480.9%
  18. 18Crystal13,4670.8%
  19. 19Jamie12,1560.8%
  20. 20Laura11,8800.7%
  21. 21Erin11,2590.7%
  22. 22Amber11,0790.7%
  23. 23April10,9020.7%
  24. 24Mary10,5550.7%
  25. 25Shannon10,3700.6%
  26. 26Andrea10,3360.6%
  27. 27Rachel10,2300.6%
  28. 28Tiffany9,6110.6%
  29. 29Julie9,2540.6%
  30. 30Sara8,6540.5%
  31. 31Megan8,2930.5%
  32. 32Erica8,1780.5%
  33. 33Danielle7,9810.5%
  34. 34Emily7,9710.5%
  35. 35Christine7,6890.5%
  36. 36Katherine7,4640.5%
  37. 37Maria7,3390.5%
  38. 38Tara6,8060.4%
  39. 39Brandy6,7750.4%
  40. 40Monica6,5850.4%
  41. 41Carrie6,3540.4%
  42. 42Misty5,7850.4%
  43. 43Stacy5,7080.4%
  44. 44Patricia5,6500.4%
  45. 45Lauren5,6250.4%
  46. 46Karen5,5990.3%
  47. 47Alicia5,5470.3%
  48. 48Holly5,4880.3%
  49. 49Tracy5,3890.3%
  50. 50Kathryn5,3120.3%
  51. 51Susan5,1960.3%
  52. 52Jill5,1920.3%
  53. 53Melanie5,0210.3%
  54. 54Dana4,9480.3%
  55. 55Cynthia4,9310.3%
  56. 56Kristy4,8800.3%
  57. 57Dawn4,7250.3%
  58. 58Tina4,6770.3%
  59. 59Anna4,6700.3%
  60. 60Stacey4,6130.3%
  61. 61Brandi4,6090.3%
  62. 62Kristen4,5680.3%
  63. 63Katie4,5120.3%
  64. 64Wendy4,5000.3%
  65. 65Leslie4,4970.3%
  66. 66Samantha4,4610.3%
  67. 67Ashley4,4480.3%
  68. 68Natalie4,4450.3%
  69. 69Lori4,4320.3%
  70. 70Allison4,4060.3%
  71. 71Courtney4,3210.3%
  72. 72Christy4,2860.3%
  73. 73Kristin4,2640.3%
  74. 74Kristina4,1300.3%
  75. 75Vanessa4,1020.3%
  76. 76Veronica4,0620.3%
  77. 77Sandra3,9950.2%
  78. 78Catherine3,8780.2%
  79. 79Tammy3,7580.2%
  80. 80Jacqueline3,7400.2%
  81. 81Mindy3,7120.2%
  82. 82Melinda3,7050.2%
  83. 83Heidi3,6700.2%
  84. 84Kathleen3,6410.2%
  85. 85Brooke3,5050.2%
  86. 86Tonya3,4950.2%
  87. 87Teresa3,4810.2%
  88. 88Lindsay3,4660.2%
  89. 89Valerie3,4070.2%
  90. 90Pamela3,3650.2%
  91. 91Erika3,3160.2%
  92. 92Denise3,2670.2%
  93. 93Tanya3,2250.2%
  94. 94Cheryl3,2100.2%
  95. 95Robin3,2090.2%
  96. 96Gina3,1160.2%
  97. 97Jaime3,0860.2%
  98. 98Leah3,0750.2%
  99. 99Katrina2,9980.2%
  100. 100Theresa2,9950.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael67,7133.9%
  2. 2Christopher50,6592.9%
  3. 3Jason50,3692.9%
  4. 4David42,0532.4%
  5. 5James39,3512.3%
  6. 6Matthew35,6212.1%
  7. 7John35,4102.1%
  8. 8Robert34,0152.0%
  9. 9Joshua31,1201.8%
  10. 10Brian28,6591.7%
  11. 11Joseph28,6541.7%
  12. 12Daniel28,5211.7%
  13. 13William24,6761.4%
  14. 14Ryan23,2121.3%
  15. 15Nicholas21,3441.2%
  16. 16Jeremy21,0051.2%
  17. 17Eric20,2681.2%
  18. 18Timothy19,0771.1%
  19. 19Kevin18,7331.1%
  20. 20Andrew18,6181.1%
  21. 21Anthony17,5131.0%
  22. 22Justin17,3901.0%
  23. 23Adam17,0461.0%
  24. 24Jeffrey16,8651.0%
  25. 25Richard16,7131.0%
  26. 26Thomas16,4541.0%
  27. 27Steven16,3310.9%
  28. 28Charles14,8060.9%
  29. 29Scott14,4400.8%
  30. 30Mark14,3860.8%
  31. 31Jonathan14,3310.8%
  32. 32Aaron13,0760.8%
  33. 33Benjamin12,5120.7%
  34. 34Paul11,6300.7%
  35. 35Brandon11,3020.7%
  36. 36Travis11,0370.6%
  37. 37Nathan10,7190.6%
  38. 38Chad10,1610.6%
  39. 39Patrick9,9790.6%
  40. 40Stephen9,9030.6%
  41. 41Kenneth9,2360.5%
  42. 42Gregory9,1090.5%
  43. 43Shawn7,9100.5%
  44. 44Jose7,8480.5%
  45. 45Jacob7,5450.4%
  46. 46Bryan7,4410.4%
  47. 47Bradley6,9230.4%
  48. 48Edward6,8770.4%
  49. 49Sean6,8500.4%
  50. 50Jesse6,6790.4%
  51. 51Donald6,5080.4%
  52. 52Keith6,1860.4%
  53. 53Peter6,0790.4%
  54. 54Ronald5,6940.3%
  55. 55Samuel5,6870.3%
  56. 56Kyle5,4490.3%
  57. 57George5,2630.3%
  58. 58Douglas5,1670.3%
  59. 59Gary5,0380.3%
  60. 60Todd4,9840.3%
  61. 61Juan4,9460.3%
  62. 62Dustin4,8990.3%
  63. 63Corey4,7380.3%
  64. 64Shaun4,7360.3%
  65. 65Jared4,6700.3%
  66. 66Erik4,6400.3%
  67. 67Shane4,4820.3%
  68. 68Phillip4,4220.3%
  69. 69Larry4,3930.3%
  70. 70Raymond4,3350.3%
  71. 71Joel4,2160.2%
  72. 72Derek4,2000.2%
  73. 73Carlos4,1650.2%
  74. 74Zachary4,1560.2%
  75. 75Dennis4,0800.2%
  76. 76Marcus4,0480.2%
  77. 77Craig4,0290.2%
  78. 78Frank3,9280.2%
  79. 79Antonio3,8010.2%
  80. 80Derrick3,7290.2%
  81. 81Jeremiah3,7190.2%
  82. 82Cory3,5870.2%
  83. 83Philip3,4600.2%
  84. 84Brent3,4550.2%
  85. 85Jerry3,4460.2%
  86. 86Randy3,4160.2%
  87. 87Jeffery3,3570.2%
  88. 88Jamie3,2400.2%
  89. 89Wesley3,2370.2%
  90. 90Gabriel3,2350.2%
  91. 91Curtis3,2000.2%
  92. 92Russell3,1320.2%
  93. 93Casey3,0820.2%
  94. 94Alexander3,0580.2%
  95. 95Nathaniel3,0400.2%
  96. 96Terry3,0400.2%
  97. 97Billy2,9980.2%
  98. 98Brett2,9970.2%
  99. 99Troy2,9640.2%
  100. 100Carl2,8980.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1979 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.