Most Popular Baby Names of 1971
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1971 in the US: 56,771 girls were named Jennifer and 77,577 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 29 girls and 1 in 23 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 2nd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 11th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,663,823 girls and 1,768,447 boys born in 1971, with 9,643 different girl names and 5,653 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1970
- Julie joined the girls' top 10; Jason and Scott joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Tiffany (#99 to #62), Jessica (#98 to #64) and April (#82 to #56).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Ryan (#140 to #51), Joshua (#150 to #80) and Brandon (#131 to #95).
- 6 girl names and 5 boy names left the top 100, among them Kim (#78 to #101) and Joe (#90 to #101).
- 1,030 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1971
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1970, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1971
| # | Name | Babies | In 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 56,771 | #1 |
| 2 | Michelle | 33,160 | #4 |
| 3 | Lisa | 32,907 | #2 |
| 4 | Kimberly | 30,708 | #3 |
| 5 | Amy | 26,237 | #5 |
| 6 | Angela | 25,901 | #6 |
| 7 | Melissa | 23,875 | #7 |
| 8 | Tammy | 17,656 | #8 |
| 9 | Mary | 16,703 | #9 |
| 10 | Julie | 15,322 | #11 |
| 11 | Stephanie | 15,135 | #17 |
| 12 | Heather | 15,017 | #19 |
| 13 | Tracy | 14,330 | #10 |
| 14 | Dawn | 14,288 | #16 |
| 15 | Karen | 14,214 | #12 |
| 16 | Laura | 13,875 | #13 |
| 17 | Susan | 13,782 | #15 |
| 18 | Christine | 13,678 | #14 |
| 19 | Elizabeth | 13,606 | #18 |
| 20 | Tina | 13,266 | #21 |
| 21 | Shannon | 12,647 | #22 |
| 22 | Kelly | 12,599 | #20 |
| 23 | Rebecca | 12,192 | #29 |
| 24 | Cynthia | 12,143 | #25 |
| 25 | Lori | 11,829 | #23 |
| 26 | Patricia | 11,470 | #24 |
| 27 | Nicole | 10,423 | #30 |
| 28 | Pamela | 10,149 | #26 |
| 29 | Wendy | 10,063 | #28 |
| 30 | Christina | 9,915 | #35 |
| 31 | Sandra | 9,714 | #27 |
| 32 | Stacy | 9,117 | #42 |
| 33 | Deborah | 8,675 | #33 |
| 34 | Teresa | 8,563 | #34 |
| 35 | Andrea | 8,483 | #43 |
| 36 | Denise | 8,219 | #36 |
| 37 | Maria | 8,141 | #39 |
| 38 | Donna | 8,013 | #32 |
| 39 | Michele | 7,955 | #31 |
| 40 | Sharon | 7,523 | #37 |
| 41 | Stacey | 7,482 | #48 |
| 42 | Linda | 7,376 | #38 |
| 43 | Brenda | 7,160 | #40 |
| 44 | Dana | 6,934 | #54 |
| 45 | Tonya | 6,897 | #49 |
| 46 | Rhonda | 6,649 | #46 |
| 47 | Barbara | 6,453 | #41 |
| 48 | Monica | 6,426 | #56 |
| 49 | Tara | 6,336 | #69 |
| 50 | Cheryl | 6,327 | #44 |
| 51 | Robin | 6,213 | #51 |
| 52 | Nancy | 6,212 | #50 |
| 53 | Kathleen | 6,154 | #45 |
| 54 | Rachel | 6,115 | #58 |
| 55 | Carrie | 5,977 | #73 |
| 56 | April | 5,939 | #82 |
| 57 | Debra | 5,928 | #47 |
| 58 | Sarah | 5,843 | #65 |
| 59 | Jill | 5,724 | #52 |
| 60 | Sherry | 5,562 | #60 |
| 61 | Theresa | 5,446 | #53 |
| 62 | Tiffany | 5,414 | #99 |
| 63 | Paula | 5,379 | #57 |
| 64 | Jessica | 5,359 | #98 |
| 65 | Catherine | 5,337 | #59 |
| 66 | Melanie | 5,135 | #91 |
| 67 | Katherine | 5,120 | #67 |
| 68 | Leslie | 5,111 | #64 |
| 69 | Gina | 4,922 | #61 |
| 70 | Cindy | 4,904 | #72 |
| 71 | Kristin | 4,861 | #63 |
| 72 | Tanya | 4,855 | #76 |
| 73 | Renee | 4,830 | #68 |
| 74 | Tracey | 4,789 | #55 |
| 75 | Jacqueline | 4,784 | #66 |
| 76 | Holly | 4,747 | #74 |
| 77 | Heidi | 4,714 | #81 |
| 78 | Ann | 4,558 | #62 |
| 79 | Crystal | 4,530 | #101 |
| 80 | Tamara | 4,486 | #79 |
| 81 | Sheila | 4,333 | #75 |
| 82 | Diana | 4,211 | #89 |
| 83 | Diane | 4,208 | #70 |
| 84 | Amanda | 4,130 | #108 |
| 85 | Melinda | 4,057 | #93 |
| 86 | Margaret | 4,001 | #80 |
| 87 | Kristen | 3,967 | #83 |
| 88 | Suzanne | 3,932 | #87 |
| 89 | Christy | 3,930 | #105 |
| 90 | Regina | 3,874 | #86 |
| 91 | Kathy | 3,863 | #77 |
| 92 | Carol | 3,857 | #71 |
| 93 | Erin | 3,856 | #111 |
| 94 | Jodi | 3,826 | #95 |
| 95 | Deanna | 3,791 | #90 |
| 96 | Laurie | 3,749 | #88 |
| 97 | Victoria | 3,722 | #85 |
| 98 | Yolanda | 3,721 | #106 |
| 99 | Danielle | 3,716 | #114 |
| 100 | Beth | 3,686 | #92 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1971
| # | Name | Babies | In 1970 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 77,577 | #1 |
| 2 | James | 54,597 | #2 |
| 3 | David | 53,113 | #3 |
| 4 | John | 51,512 | #4 |
| 5 | Robert | 50,634 | #5 |
| 6 | Christopher | 48,225 | #6 |
| 7 | William | 35,413 | #7 |
| 8 | Jason | 34,173 | #13 |
| 9 | Brian | 32,624 | #8 |
| 10 | Scott | 30,901 | #12 |
| 11 | Richard | 26,154 | #10 |
| 12 | Jeffrey | 25,834 | #11 |
| 13 | Mark | 25,132 | #9 |
| 14 | Kevin | 24,850 | #14 |
| 15 | Joseph | 24,517 | #16 |
| 16 | Steven | 23,686 | #15 |
| 17 | Thomas | 23,149 | #17 |
| 18 | Eric | 22,962 | #18 |
| 19 | Matthew | 22,543 | #24 |
| 20 | Daniel | 21,785 | #19 |
| 21 | Timothy | 20,089 | #20 |
| 22 | Charles | 19,851 | #21 |
| 23 | Anthony | 19,223 | #22 |
| 24 | Paul | 17,469 | #23 |
| 25 | Kenneth | 14,763 | #25 |
| 26 | Gregory | 14,760 | #26 |
| 27 | Stephen | 13,102 | #27 |
| 28 | Shawn | 12,825 | #34 |
| 29 | Chad | 12,137 | #51 |
| 30 | Todd | 12,055 | #28 |
| 31 | Ronald | 11,617 | #29 |
| 32 | Edward | 11,062 | #31 |
| 33 | Andrew | 10,911 | #32 |
| 34 | Donald | 10,872 | #30 |
| 35 | Patrick | 10,808 | #33 |
| 36 | Sean | 10,510 | #37 |
| 37 | Keith | 9,851 | #38 |
| 38 | Gary | 9,190 | #35 |
| 39 | Douglas | 8,737 | #36 |
| 40 | Jonathan | 8,628 | #42 |
| 41 | Aaron | 8,403 | #52 |
| 42 | George | 8,226 | #40 |
| 43 | Craig | 7,957 | #39 |
| 44 | Larry | 7,763 | #43 |
| 45 | Jeremy | 7,498 | #70 |
| 46 | Troy | 7,340 | #41 |
| 47 | Peter | 7,025 | #44 |
| 48 | Bryan | 6,611 | #53 |
| 49 | Dennis | 6,584 | #46 |
| 50 | Jerry | 6,572 | #45 |
| 51 | Ryan | 6,184 | #140 |
| 52 | Raymond | 6,104 | #49 |
| 53 | Jeffery | 6,100 | #50 |
| 54 | Frank | 6,089 | #48 |
| 55 | Jose | 6,004 | #56 |
| 56 | Terry | 5,858 | #54 |
| 57 | Adam | 5,846 | #72 |
| 58 | Bradley | 5,780 | #47 |
| 59 | Rodney | 5,195 | #55 |
| 60 | Shane | 5,093 | #64 |
| 61 | Travis | 5,016 | #69 |
| 62 | Tony | 4,889 | #57 |
| 63 | Derek | 4,667 | #77 |
| 64 | Russell | 4,545 | #58 |
| 65 | Marcus | 4,410 | #71 |
| 66 | Samuel | 4,407 | #62 |
| 67 | Randy | 4,345 | #59 |
| 68 | Chris | 4,293 | #63 |
| 69 | Benjamin | 4,251 | #81 |
| 70 | Marc | 4,212 | #60 |
| 71 | Roger | 4,129 | #61 |
| 72 | Carl | 4,055 | #66 |
| 73 | Brent | 4,053 | #74 |
| 74 | Johnny | 3,939 | #65 |
| 75 | Billy | 3,907 | #78 |
| 76 | Phillip | 3,850 | #73 |
| 77 | Corey | 3,766 | #84 |
| 78 | Jon | 3,717 | #68 |
| 79 | Bobby | 3,652 | #87 |
| 80 | Joshua | 3,650 | #150 |
| 81 | Juan | 3,648 | #95 |
| 82 | Danny | 3,611 | #85 |
| 83 | Gerald | 3,588 | #67 |
| 84 | Derrick | 3,582 | #96 |
| 85 | Lawrence | 3,523 | #83 |
| 86 | Joel | 3,499 | #82 |
| 87 | Vincent | 3,435 | #79 |
| 88 | Carlos | 3,426 | #98 |
| 88 | Curtis | 3,426 | #88 |
| 90 | Brett | 3,357 | #99 |
| 91 | Walter | 3,356 | #89 |
| 92 | Wayne | 3,331 | #80 |
| 93 | Jimmy | 3,315 | #86 |
| 94 | Philip | 3,302 | #92 |
| 95 | Brandon | 3,263 | #131 |
| 96 | Jamie | 3,231 | #125 |
| 97 | Erik | 3,212 | #101 |
| 98 | Lance | 3,175 | #76 |
| 99 | Alan | 3,168 | #91 |
| 100 | Darren | 3,156 | #75 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1970, or the year after, 1972, the top 100 of the whole 1970s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1970s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.