Most Popular Baby Names of 1972
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1972 in the US: 63,600 girls were named Jennifer and 71,393 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 24 girls and 1 in 23 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 3rd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 12th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,521,244 girls and 1,621,608 boys born in 1972, with 9,664 different girl names and 5,748 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1971
- Stephanie, Heather and Nicole joined the girls' top 10; Matthew joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Veronica (#110 to #82), Danielle (#99 to #73) and Melanie (#66 to #42).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Justin (#103 to #60), Brandon (#95 to #63) and Christian (#122 to #96).
- 6 girl names and 8 boy names left the top 100, among them Regina (#90 to #104) and Lawrence (#85 to #101).
- 1,080 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1972
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1971, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1972
| # | Name | Babies | In 1971 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 63,600 | #1 |
| 2 | Michelle | 29,285 | #2 |
| 3 | Lisa | 27,543 | #3 |
| 4 | Kimberly | 26,282 | #4 |
| 5 | Amy | 25,873 | #5 |
| 6 | Angela | 23,561 | #6 |
| 7 | Melissa | 22,494 | #7 |
| 8 | Stephanie | 16,890 | #11 |
| 9 | Heather | 16,320 | #12 |
| 10 | Nicole | 15,755 | #27 |
| 11 | Tammy | 14,211 | #8 |
| 12 | Julie | 14,062 | #10 |
| 13 | Mary | 13,757 | #9 |
| 14 | Rebecca | 13,252 | #23 |
| 15 | Elizabeth | 12,182 | #19 |
| 16 | Christine | 11,986 | #18 |
| 17 | Laura | 11,778 | #16 |
| 18 | Tina | 11,523 | #20 |
| 19 | Tracy | 11,436 | #13 |
| 20 | Dawn | 11,340 | #14 |
| 21 | Karen | 11,181 | #15 |
| 22 | Shannon | 10,965 | #21 |
| 23 | Kelly | 10,944 | #22 |
| 24 | Susan | 10,574 | #17 |
| 25 | Cynthia | 10,173 | #24 |
| 26 | Christina | 10,172 | #30 |
| 27 | Patricia | 9,602 | #26 |
| 28 | Lori | 9,434 | #25 |
| 29 | Wendy | 8,529 | #29 |
| 30 | Andrea | 8,022 | #35 |
| 31 | Sandra | 7,917 | #31 |
| 32 | Maria | 7,721 | #37 |
| 33 | Stacy | 7,604 | #32 |
| 34 | Pamela | 7,472 | #28 |
| 35 | Denise | 7,382 | #36 |
| 36 | Michele | 7,380 | #39 |
| 37 | Tonya | 7,244 | #45 |
| 38 | Tara | 7,234 | #49 |
| 39 | Teresa | 7,176 | #34 |
| 40 | Rachel | 6,417 | #54 |
| 41 | Stacey | 6,380 | #41 |
| 42 | Melanie | 6,296 | #66 |
| 43 | Deborah | 6,271 | #33 |
| 44 | Brenda | 6,270 | #43 |
| 45 | Donna | 6,257 | #38 |
| 46 | Jessica | 6,206 | #64 |
| 47 | Monica | 6,133 | #48 |
| 48 | April | 6,120 | #56 |
| 49 | Sarah | 6,114 | #58 |
| 50 | Sharon | 6,111 | #40 |
| 51 | Linda | 5,742 | #42 |
| 52 | Dana | 5,610 | #44 |
| 53 | Carrie | 5,421 | #55 |
| 54 | Tanya | 5,402 | #72 |
| 55 | Robin | 5,369 | #51 |
| 56 | Cheryl | 5,136 | #50 |
| 57 | Kathleen | 5,097 | #53 |
| 58 | Barbara | 5,080 | #47 |
| 59 | Crystal | 5,044 | #79 |
| 60 | Rhonda | 5,001 | #46 |
| 61 | Tiffany | 4,844 | #62 |
| 62 | Jill | 4,824 | #59 |
| 63 | Nancy | 4,818 | #52 |
| 64 | Heidi | 4,723 | #77 |
| 65 | Catherine | 4,686 | #65 |
| 66 | Debra | 4,666 | #57 |
| 67 | Kristin | 4,586 | #71 |
| 68 | Theresa | 4,569 | #61 |
| 69 | Katherine | 4,514 | #67 |
| 70 | Sherry | 4,447 | #60 |
| 71 | Holly | 4,376 | #76 |
| 72 | Paula | 4,260 | #63 |
| 73 | Danielle | 4,201 | #99 |
| 74 | Christy | 4,190 | #89 |
| 75 | Leslie | 4,184 | #68 |
| 76 | Amanda | 4,180 | #84 |
| 77 | Renee | 4,088 | #73 |
| 78 | Gina | 4,057 | #69 |
| 79 | Jacqueline | 3,803 | #75 |
| 80 | Cindy | 3,737 | #70 |
| 81 | Melinda | 3,671 | #85 |
| 82 | Veronica | 3,563 | #110 |
| 83 | Diana | 3,548 | #82 |
| 84 | Tamara | 3,531 | #80 |
| 85 | Kristen | 3,527 | #87 |
| 86 | Anna | 3,449 | #106 |
| 87 | Erica | 3,443 | #108 |
| 88 | Tracey | 3,407 | #74 |
| 89 | Yolanda | 3,398 | #98 |
| 90 | Sheila | 3,394 | #81 |
| 91 | Ann | 3,360 | #78 |
| 92 | Suzanne | 3,300 | #88 |
| 93 | Erin | 3,289 | #93 |
| 94 | Shelly | 3,288 | #103 |
| 95 | Margaret | 3,286 | #86 |
| 96 | Alicia | 3,268 | #105 |
| 97 | Jodi | 3,259 | #94 |
| 98 | Laurie | 3,227 | #96 |
| 99 | Victoria | 3,206 | #97 |
| 100 | Valerie | 3,193 | #102 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1972
| # | Name | Babies | In 1971 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 71,393 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 52,172 | #6 |
| 3 | James | 47,063 | #2 |
| 4 | David | 46,322 | #3 |
| 5 | John | 43,158 | #4 |
| 6 | Robert | 43,013 | #5 |
| 7 | Jason | 37,423 | #8 |
| 8 | Brian | 36,306 | #9 |
| 9 | William | 30,510 | #7 |
| 10 | Matthew | 22,928 | #19 |
| 11 | Scott | 22,838 | #10 |
| 12 | Joseph | 22,454 | #15 |
| 13 | Kevin | 22,354 | #14 |
| 14 | Richard | 22,302 | #11 |
| 15 | Daniel | 22,092 | #20 |
| 16 | Eric | 22,027 | #18 |
| 17 | Jeffrey | 21,677 | #12 |
| 18 | Mark | 21,490 | #13 |
| 19 | Steven | 19,851 | #16 |
| 20 | Thomas | 19,557 | #17 |
| 21 | Timothy | 17,605 | #21 |
| 22 | Anthony | 17,454 | #23 |
| 23 | Charles | 16,968 | #22 |
| 24 | Paul | 14,555 | #24 |
| 25 | Chad | 13,392 | #29 |
| 26 | Gregory | 13,056 | #26 |
| 27 | Kenneth | 12,334 | #25 |
| 28 | Shawn | 11,277 | #28 |
| 29 | Stephen | 11,037 | #27 |
| 30 | Andrew | 10,111 | #33 |
| 31 | Todd | 9,968 | #30 |
| 32 | Ronald | 9,502 | #31 |
| 33 | Sean | 9,444 | #36 |
| 34 | Edward | 9,292 | #32 |
| 35 | Patrick | 9,276 | #35 |
| 36 | Donald | 9,261 | #34 |
| 37 | Jonathan | 9,219 | #40 |
| 38 | Keith | 9,145 | #37 |
| 39 | Ryan | 8,878 | #51 |
| 40 | Aaron | 7,863 | #41 |
| 41 | Gary | 7,758 | #38 |
| 42 | Jeremy | 7,398 | #45 |
| 43 | Douglas | 7,387 | #39 |
| 44 | George | 7,167 | #42 |
| 45 | Bryan | 7,035 | #48 |
| 46 | Craig | 6,729 | #43 |
| 47 | Larry | 6,604 | #44 |
| 48 | Peter | 6,471 | #47 |
| 49 | Troy | 6,348 | #46 |
| 50 | Jose | 5,935 | #55 |
| 51 | Adam | 5,740 | #57 |
| 52 | Dennis | 5,608 | #49 |
| 53 | Jerry | 5,597 | #50 |
| 54 | Raymond | 5,443 | #52 |
| 55 | Shane | 5,236 | #60 |
| 56 | Frank | 5,165 | #54 |
| 57 | Travis | 5,136 | #61 |
| 58 | Jeffery | 5,063 | #53 |
| 59 | Joshua | 5,033 | #80 |
| 60 | Justin | 4,975 | #103 |
| 61 | Bradley | 4,839 | #58 |
| 62 | Terry | 4,770 | #56 |
| 63 | Brandon | 4,625 | #95 |
| 64 | Benjamin | 4,498 | #69 |
| 65 | Rodney | 4,363 | #59 |
| 66 | Samuel | 4,213 | #66 |
| 67 | Derek | 4,146 | #63 |
| 68 | Tony | 4,001 | #62 |
| 69 | Russell | 3,782 | #64 |
| 70 | Randy | 3,739 | #67 |
| 71 | Marcus | 3,685 | #65 |
| 72 | Jamie | 3,680 | #96 |
| 73 | Juan | 3,672 | #81 |
| 74 | Johnny | 3,564 | #74 |
| 75 | Phillip | 3,532 | #76 |
| 76 | Roger | 3,531 | #71 |
| 77 | Brent | 3,530 | #73 |
| 78 | Joel | 3,528 | #86 |
| 79 | Nathan | 3,512 | #104 |
| 80 | Brett | 3,503 | #90 |
| 81 | Billy | 3,473 | #75 |
| 82 | Chris | 3,472 | #68 |
| 83 | Marc | 3,465 | #70 |
| 84 | Carlos | 3,434 | #88 |
| 85 | Carl | 3,406 | #72 |
| 86 | Erik | 3,398 | #97 |
| 87 | Danny | 3,306 | #82 |
| 88 | Jesse | 3,226 | #107 |
| 89 | Jon | 3,221 | #78 |
| 90 | Bobby | 3,171 | #79 |
| 91 | Derrick | 3,088 | #84 |
| 92 | Curtis | 3,080 | #88 |
| 93 | Antonio | 3,028 | #110 |
| 94 | Shannon | 3,014 | #106 |
| 95 | Corey | 2,990 | #77 |
| 96 | Christian | 2,962 | #122 |
| 97 | Jimmy | 2,932 | #93 |
| 98 | Walter | 2,918 | #91 |
| 99 | Nicholas | 2,843 | #123 |
| 100 | Joe | 2,825 | #101 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1971, or the year after, 1973, 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.