Most Popular Baby Names of 1976
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1976 in the US: 59,473 girls were named Jennifer and 66,915 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 25 girls and 1 in 23 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 7th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 16th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,465,099 girls and 1,569,007 boys born in 1976, with 10,910 different girl names and 6,493 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1975
- Jessica and Amanda joined the girls' top 10; Daniel joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Jaime (#263 to #29), Jamie (#68 to #18) and Natalie (#110 to #80).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Jeremiah (#149 to #93), Zachary (#145 to #96) and Gabriel (#106 to #81).
- 7 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Diana (#100 to #101) and Danny (#94 to #102).
- 1,247 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1976
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1975, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1976
| # | Name | Babies | In 1975 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 59,473 | #1 |
| 2 | Amy | 31,339 | #2 |
| 3 | Melissa | 25,094 | #4 |
| 4 | Heather | 24,192 | #3 |
| 5 | Angela | 22,038 | #5 |
| 6 | Michelle | 19,550 | #6 |
| 7 | Kimberly | 18,962 | #7 |
| 8 | Jessica | 18,368 | #13 |
| 9 | Lisa | 17,346 | #8 |
| 10 | Amanda | 15,588 | #14 |
| 11 | Stephanie | 15,180 | #9 |
| 12 | Rebecca | 14,491 | #11 |
| 13 | Nicole | 14,453 | #10 |
| 14 | Christina | 14,033 | #12 |
| 15 | Sarah | 13,993 | #17 |
| 16 | Elizabeth | 13,547 | #15 |
| 17 | Shannon | 13,368 | #21 |
| 18 | Jamie | 12,539 | #68 |
| 19 | Kelly | 11,791 | #16 |
| 20 | Laura | 11,252 | #20 |
| 21 | Julie | 10,839 | #18 |
| 22 | Mary | 10,315 | #19 |
| 23 | Rachel | 8,453 | #26 |
| 24 | Erin | 8,381 | #38 |
| 25 | Andrea | 8,352 | #28 |
| 26 | Christine | 8,111 | #22 |
| 27 | Sara | 8,020 | #54 |
| 28 | Carrie | 7,991 | #29 |
| 29 | Jaime | 7,838 | #263 |
| 30 | April | 7,761 | #25 |
| 31 | Karen | 7,505 | #27 |
| 32 | Tiffany | 7,482 | #37 |
| 33 | Danielle | 7,364 | #42 |
| 34 | Maria | 7,358 | #30 |
| 35 | Dawn | 7,048 | #23 |
| 36 | Crystal | 6,946 | #43 |
| 37 | Tracy | 6,822 | #24 |
| 38 | Stacy | 6,523 | #34 |
| 39 | Wendy | 6,464 | #33 |
| 40 | Susan | 6,402 | #32 |
| 41 | Tammy | 6,228 | #31 |
| 42 | Tara | 6,020 | #41 |
| 43 | Patricia | 6,017 | #36 |
| 44 | Cynthia | 6,012 | #40 |
| 45 | Monica | 5,978 | #49 |
| 46 | Misty | 5,906 | #47 |
| 47 | Lori | 5,849 | #39 |
| 48 | Tina | 5,747 | #35 |
| 49 | Amber | 5,646 | #59 |
| 50 | Emily | 5,547 | #48 |
| 51 | Stacey | 5,390 | #44 |
| 52 | Jill | 5,283 | #46 |
| 53 | Melanie | 5,241 | #52 |
| 54 | Erica | 5,236 | #63 |
| 55 | Brandy | 5,232 | #57 |
| 56 | Holly | 5,173 | #55 |
| 57 | Katherine | 5,051 | #58 |
| 58 | Tonya | 4,966 | #45 |
| 59 | Sandra | 4,861 | #51 |
| 60 | Christy | 4,853 | #53 |
| 61 | Tanya | 4,819 | #50 |
| 62 | Megan | 4,463 | #69 |
| 63 | Michele | 4,443 | #56 |
| 64 | Dana | 4,408 | #62 |
| 65 | Leslie | 4,311 | #71 |
| 66 | Teresa | 4,056 | #61 |
| 67 | Allison | 4,028 | #89 |
| 68 | Veronica | 4,022 | #72 |
| 69 | Denise | 3,986 | #64 |
| 70 | Heidi | 3,890 | #66 |
| 71 | Alicia | 3,791 | #76 |
| 72 | Catherine | 3,780 | #73 |
| 73 | Kristen | 3,653 | #60 |
| 74 | Kristin | 3,627 | #74 |
| 75 | Robin | 3,623 | #65 |
| 76 | Courtney | 3,619 | #102 |
| 77 | Brenda | 3,587 | #67 |
| 78 | Anna | 3,584 | #79 |
| 79 | Brandi | 3,537 | #88 |
| 80 | Natalie | 3,499 | #110 |
| 81 | Sharon | 3,453 | #75 |
| 82 | Kathleen | 3,405 | #80 |
| 83 | Valerie | 3,386 | #92 |
| 84 | Pamela | 3,364 | #70 |
| 85 | Samantha | 3,347 | #101 |
| 86 | Renee | 3,314 | #87 |
| 87 | Nancy | 3,281 | #82 |
| 88 | Kathryn | 3,262 | #99 |
| 89 | Theresa | 3,173 | #78 |
| 90 | Linda | 3,138 | #81 |
| 91 | Tamara | 3,086 | #77 |
| 92 | Victoria | 3,036 | #105 |
| 93 | Donna | 3,032 | #85 |
| 94 | Gina | 3,010 | #84 |
| 95 | Melinda | 2,995 | #91 |
| 96 | Deborah | 2,992 | #86 |
| 97 | Kristina | 2,972 | #103 |
| 98 | Barbara | 2,968 | #83 |
| 99 | Jacqueline | 2,948 | #90 |
| 100 | Mandy | 2,924 | #106 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1976
| # | Name | Babies | In 1975 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 66,915 | #1 |
| 2 | Jason | 52,643 | #2 |
| 3 | Christopher | 45,190 | #3 |
| 4 | David | 39,265 | #5 |
| 5 | James | 38,294 | #4 |
| 6 | John | 33,976 | #7 |
| 7 | Robert | 33,789 | #6 |
| 8 | Brian | 30,517 | #8 |
| 9 | Matthew | 29,951 | #9 |
| 10 | Daniel | 24,702 | #11 |
| 11 | William | 24,428 | #10 |
| 12 | Joseph | 24,055 | #12 |
| 13 | Eric | 21,359 | #13 |
| 14 | Jeremy | 20,126 | #24 |
| 15 | Kevin | 18,474 | #15 |
| 16 | Ryan | 17,484 | #23 |
| 17 | Jeffrey | 17,013 | #14 |
| 18 | Joshua | 16,845 | #26 |
| 19 | Richard | 16,752 | #16 |
| 20 | Steven | 16,650 | #18 |
| 21 | Timothy | 16,620 | #22 |
| 22 | Anthony | 16,601 | #21 |
| 23 | Thomas | 16,122 | #20 |
| 24 | Scott | 15,717 | #17 |
| 25 | Mark | 15,508 | #19 |
| 26 | Charles | 13,921 | #25 |
| 27 | Andrew | 13,301 | #28 |
| 28 | Paul | 11,781 | #29 |
| 29 | Chad | 11,766 | #27 |
| 30 | Aaron | 11,344 | #32 |
| 31 | Jonathan | 11,314 | #30 |
| 32 | Benjamin | 10,672 | #36 |
| 33 | Justin | 10,144 | #37 |
| 34 | Shawn | 10,108 | #31 |
| 35 | Gregory | 10,060 | #33 |
| 36 | Adam | 9,937 | #38 |
| 37 | Stephen | 9,727 | #34 |
| 38 | Kenneth | 9,127 | #35 |
| 39 | Nathan | 8,611 | #45 |
| 40 | Brandon | 7,786 | #44 |
| 41 | Patrick | 7,642 | #39 |
| 42 | Sean | 7,565 | #40 |
| 43 | Bryan | 7,288 | #47 |
| 44 | Jose | 7,061 | #48 |
| 45 | Edward | 7,048 | #41 |
| 46 | Travis | 6,832 | #51 |
| 47 | Donald | 6,792 | #42 |
| 48 | Keith | 6,745 | #49 |
| 49 | Ronald | 6,457 | #46 |
| 50 | Todd | 6,440 | #43 |
| 51 | Bradley | 5,976 | #52 |
| 52 | Gary | 5,592 | #50 |
| 53 | George | 5,556 | #53 |
| 54 | Peter | 5,445 | #54 |
| 55 | Jesse | 5,300 | #64 |
| 56 | Douglas | 5,224 | #55 |
| 57 | Shane | 5,095 | #57 |
| 58 | Juan | 5,053 | #60 |
| 59 | Samuel | 5,025 | #61 |
| 60 | Larry | 4,842 | #56 |
| 61 | Craig | 4,732 | #58 |
| 62 | Jamie | 4,621 | #62 |
| 63 | Jacob | 4,509 | #75 |
| 64 | Corey | 4,432 | #71 |
| 65 | Raymond | 4,218 | #63 |
| 66 | Dennis | 4,169 | #59 |
| 67 | Jerry | 4,070 | #65 |
| 68 | Frank | 3,899 | #66 |
| 69 | Phillip | 3,789 | #72 |
| 70 | Carlos | 3,787 | #73 |
| 71 | Antonio | 3,774 | #77 |
| 72 | Joel | 3,722 | #74 |
| 73 | Troy | 3,715 | #69 |
| 74 | Marcus | 3,681 | #68 |
| 75 | Terry | 3,668 | #67 |
| 76 | Jeffery | 3,564 | #70 |
| 77 | Nicholas | 3,466 | #81 |
| 78 | Brent | 3,405 | #79 |
| 79 | Randy | 3,320 | #78 |
| 80 | Kyle | 3,308 | #88 |
| 81 | Gabriel | 3,303 | #106 |
| 82 | Dustin | 3,212 | #96 |
| 83 | Cory | 3,182 | #99 |
| 84 | Derek | 3,168 | #83 |
| 85 | Billy | 3,158 | #84 |
| 86 | Tony | 3,067 | #80 |
| 87 | Russell | 2,999 | #82 |
| 88 | Rodney | 2,984 | #76 |
| 89 | Philip | 2,943 | #85 |
| 90 | Jared | 2,929 | #100 |
| 91 | Derrick | 2,921 | #90 |
| 92 | Johnny | 2,874 | #86 |
| 93 | Jeremiah | 2,872 | #149 |
| 94 | Erik | 2,754 | #87 |
| 95 | Carl | 2,670 | #91 |
| 96 | Bobby | 2,644 | #93 |
| 96 | Zachary | 2,644 | #145 |
| 98 | Shannon | 2,611 | #101 |
| 99 | Marc | 2,598 | #89 |
| 100 | Victor | 2,528 | #95 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1975, or the year after, 1977, 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.