If you were born in the 1965 through mid-1980's, you are just past the cusp of the “Baby Boomers” generation that ended circa 1965. Your official generation moniker is “Generation X.”
Many parents of Generation X hailed from the Baby Boomer generation. Hence, it makes sense that generation has much to do with popular names from the 1970s.
The “flower child” of the 70's named many babies in that decade. Here are some additional factors that likely affected baby names in the 1970s:
- The Disco movement;
- Bell Bottoms and Big Hair Fads, including the “Mullet;”
- and possibly the most important factor: the infamous Vietnam War.
Examination of Some 1970s Name Favorites
Leading 1970s boy names: There appears to have been a continuance of strong traditional names with male babies. Many of the top ten hail from centuries ago and/or Biblical times; strong examples are Michael, David, William, Joseph, Robert, Daniel, and Thomas.
Leading 1970s girl names: Ironically, it would seem that not as many girls' names are as traditional and orthodox- with the exception of Elizabeth, Rebecca, and Mary, which are three continuing mainstays that carried over from previous eras. Many of the other popular names are of a more “creative” and “shiny” disco era, namely: Nicole, Michelle, Jennifer, Lisa, Amanda, and Jessica.
Origins of 1970s Baby Names
One could explore other rationales for the origins of these popular names, but in most cases, baby names from the 70s were derived from ancestors' names and from current fads and trends. Later decades would see a surge in rhyming two-syllable names such as Aiden, Hayden, Caden, Brayden, and Jayden (both genders), which all seem to have come from just creative ruminations and pursuits.
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | Jennifer |
| 2 | Christopher | Amy |
| 3 | Jason | Melissa |
| 4 | David | Michelle |
| 5 | James | Kimberly |
| 6 | John | Lisa |
| 7 | Robert | Angela |
| 8 | Brian | Heather |
| 9 | William | Stephanie |
| 10 | Matthew | Nicole |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Joseph | Jessica |
| 12 | Daniel | Elizabeth |
| 13 | Kevin | Rebecca |
| 14 | Eric | Kelly |
| 15 | Jeffrey | Mary |
| 16 | Richard | Christina |
| 17 | Scott | Amanda |
| 18 | Mark | Julie |
| 19 | Steven | Sarah |
| 20 | Thomas | Laura |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Timothy | Shannon |
| 22 | Anthony | Christine |
| 23 | Charles | Tammy |
| 24 | Joshua | Tracy |
| 25 | Ryan | Karen |
| 26 | Jeremy | Dawn |
| 27 | Paul | Susan |
| 28 | Andrew | Andrea |
| 29 | Gregory | Tina |
| 30 | Chad | Patricia |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Kenneth | Cynthia |
| 32 | Jonathan | Lori |
| 33 | Stephen | Rachel |
| 34 | Shawn | April |
| 35 | Aaron | Maria |
| 36 | Adam | Wendy |
| 37 | Patrick | Crystal |
| 38 | Justin | Stacy |
| 39 | Sean | Erin |
| 40 | Edward | Jamie |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Todd | Carrie |
| 42 | Donald | Tiffany |
| 43 | Ronald | Tara |
| 44 | Benjamin | Sandra |
| 45 | Keith | Monica |
| 46 | Bryan | Danielle |
| 47 | Gary | Stacey |
| 48 | Jose | Pamela |
| 49 | Nathan | Tonya |
| 50 | Douglas | Sara |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Brandon | Michele |
| 52 | Nicholas | Teresa |
| 53 | George | Denise |
| 54 | Travis | Jill |
| 55 | Peter | Katherine |
| 56 | Craig | Melanie |
| 57 | Bradley | Dana |
| 58 | Larry | Holly |
| 59 | Dennis | Erica |
| 60 | Shane | Brenda |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Raymond | Deborah |
| 62 | Troy | Tanya |
| 63 | Jerry | Sharon |
| 64 | Samuel | Donna |
| 65 | Frank | Amber |
| 66 | Jesse | Emily |
| 67 | Jeffery | Linda |
| 68 | Juan | Robin |
| 69 | Terry | Kathleen |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 70 | Corey | Leslie |
| 71 | Phillip | Christy |
| 72 | Marcus | Kristen |
| 73 | Derek | Catherine |
| 74 | Rodney | Kristin |
| 75 | Joel | Misty |
| 76 | Carlos | Barbara |
| 77 | Randy | Heidi |
| 78 | Jacob | Nancy |
| 79 | Jamie | Cheryl |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | Tony | Theresa |
| 81 | Russell | Brandy |
| 82 | Brent | Alicia |
| 83 | Antonio | Veronica |
| 84 | Billy | Gina |
| 85 | Derrick | Jacqueline |
| 86 | Kyle | Rhonda |
| 87 | Erik | Anna |
| 88 | Johnny | Renee |
| 89 | Marc | Megan |
| 90 | Carl | Tamara |
| Rank | 1970s Boy Names | 1970s Girl Names |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | Philip | Melinda |
| 92 | Roger | Kathryn |
| 93 | Bobby | Debra |
| 94 | Brett | Sherry |
| 95 | Danny | Allison |
| 96 | Curtis | Valerie |
| 97 | Jon | Diana |
| 98 | Vincent | Paula |
| 99 | Cory | Kristina |
| 100 | Jimmy | Ann |
Are Popular '70s Names Still Popular Today?
If you're looking for a unique name for your baby, you'll definitely want to know if the top '70s names are still popular 50 years later. Let's take a gander at where the top five boys' and girls' names from the '70s rank today.
The five most popular '70s boys' names were Michael, Christopher, Jason, David, and James. Michael retains quite a bit of popularity to this day, ranking at 26 in 2023. Christopher still keeps a spot in the Top 100, ranking at 94 in 2023. Jason isn't quite as popular anymore, ranking at 264 in 2023. David remains in the Top 50 at 45. Finally, James remains extremely popular, ranking at number nine in 2023.
For girls, the five most popular '70s names were Jennifer, Amy, Melissa, Michelle, and Kimberly. Jennifer has fallen a great deal since the '70s, ranking at 997 in 2023. Amy fairs better, ranking at 475. Melissa continues the trend of '70s girl names falling significantly in popularity, ranking at 773. Michelle only ranks five spots lower, at 778. Finally, Kimberly ranks similarly to Amy at 479.
If you want an uncommon name for your baby girl, then the top '70s girl names are certainly a great place to look!