Most Popular Baby Names of 1977
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1977 in the US: 58,964 girls were named Jennifer and 67,587 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 26 girls and 1 in 24 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 8th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 17th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,533,146 girls and 1,643,220 boys born in 1977, with 11,327 different girl names and 6,859 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1976
- Kelly joined the girls' top 10; Joseph joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Sabrina (#146 to #63), Kristy (#113 to #68) and Kathryn (#88 to #70).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Wesley (#119 to #66), Nicholas (#77 to #51) and Jeremiah (#93 to #69).
- 5 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Barbara (#98 to #101) and Marc (#99 to #101).
- 1,246 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1977
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1976, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1977
| # | Name | Babies | In 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 58,964 | #1 |
| 2 | Melissa | 26,879 | #3 |
| 3 | Amy | 26,729 | #2 |
| 4 | Jessica | 24,846 | #8 |
| 5 | Heather | 23,773 | #4 |
| 6 | Angela | 20,998 | #5 |
| 7 | Michelle | 19,540 | #6 |
| 8 | Kimberly | 18,286 | #7 |
| 9 | Amanda | 18,278 | #10 |
| 10 | Kelly | 18,234 | #19 |
| 11 | Sarah | 18,096 | #15 |
| 12 | Lisa | 17,014 | #9 |
| 13 | Elizabeth | 16,431 | #16 |
| 14 | Stephanie | 15,417 | #11 |
| 15 | Nicole | 15,247 | #13 |
| 16 | Christina | 14,501 | #14 |
| 17 | Rebecca | 14,196 | #12 |
| 18 | Jamie | 12,895 | #18 |
| 19 | Shannon | 12,518 | #17 |
| 20 | Laura | 11,318 | #20 |
| 21 | Mary | 10,656 | #22 |
| 22 | Julie | 10,204 | #21 |
| 23 | Erin | 10,198 | #24 |
| 24 | Andrea | 9,782 | #25 |
| 25 | Crystal | 9,724 | #36 |
| 26 | Rachel | 8,976 | #23 |
| 27 | Sara | 8,709 | #27 |
| 28 | Carrie | 8,661 | #28 |
| 29 | April | 8,068 | #30 |
| 30 | Christine | 7,886 | #26 |
| 31 | Danielle | 7,616 | #33 |
| 32 | Karen | 7,441 | #31 |
| 33 | Amber | 7,207 | #49 |
| 34 | Tiffany | 7,205 | #32 |
| 35 | Tara | 7,198 | #42 |
| 36 | Maria | 7,094 | #34 |
| 37 | Emily | 6,879 | #50 |
| 38 | Erica | 6,624 | #54 |
| 39 | Monica | 6,366 | #45 |
| 40 | Misty | 6,315 | #46 |
| 41 | Jill | 6,238 | #52 |
| 42 | Stacy | 6,154 | #38 |
| 43 | Dawn | 6,096 | #35 |
| 44 | Katherine | 6,030 | #57 |
| 45 | Susan | 5,961 | #40 |
| 46 | Jaime | 5,906 | #29 |
| 47 | Patricia | 5,903 | #43 |
| 48 | Cynthia | 5,782 | #44 |
| 49 | Wendy | 5,764 | #39 |
| 50 | Tracy | 5,756 | #37 |
| 51 | Brandy | 5,477 | #55 |
| 52 | Holly | 5,463 | #56 |
| 53 | Melanie | 5,373 | #53 |
| 54 | Megan | 5,320 | #62 |
| 55 | Tammy | 5,310 | #41 |
| 56 | Stacey | 5,206 | #51 |
| 57 | Lori | 5,072 | #47 |
| 58 | Tina | 4,951 | #48 |
| 59 | Christy | 4,602 | #60 |
| 60 | Alicia | 4,400 | #71 |
| 61 | Sandra | 4,373 | #59 |
| 62 | Dana | 4,339 | #64 |
| 63 | Sabrina | 4,305 | #146 |
| 64 | Tonya | 4,263 | #58 |
| 65 | Leslie | 4,250 | #65 |
| 66 | Allison | 4,205 | #67 |
| 67 | Tanya | 4,085 | #61 |
| 68 | Kristy | 4,045 | #113 |
| 69 | Natalie | 4,043 | #80 |
| 70 | Kathryn | 3,964 | #88 |
| 71 | Brandi | 3,885 | #79 |
| 72 | Kristen | 3,861 | #73 |
| 73 | Veronica | 3,853 | #68 |
| 74 | Anna | 3,851 | #78 |
| 75 | Catherine | 3,840 | #72 |
| 76 | Courtney | 3,808 | #76 |
| 77 | Michele | 3,711 | #63 |
| 78 | Denise | 3,681 | #69 |
| 79 | Teresa | 3,654 | #66 |
| 80 | Kathleen | 3,649 | #82 |
| 81 | Heidi | 3,640 | #70 |
| 82 | Kristin | 3,605 | #74 |
| 83 | Kristina | 3,539 | #97 |
| 84 | Robin | 3,428 | #75 |
| 85 | Samantha | 3,284 | #85 |
| 86 | Valerie | 3,266 | #83 |
| 87 | Renee | 3,259 | #86 |
| 88 | Gina | 3,231 | #94 |
| 89 | Nancy | 3,222 | #87 |
| 90 | Vanessa | 3,209 | #106 |
| 91 | Brenda | 3,151 | #77 |
| 92 | Jacqueline | 3,148 | #99 |
| 93 | Tamara | 3,126 | #91 |
| 94 | Mandy | 3,100 | #100 |
| 95 | Sharon | 3,089 | #81 |
| 96 | Melinda | 3,044 | #95 |
| 97 | Beth | 2,967 | #114 |
| 98 | Theresa | 2,914 | #89 |
| 99 | Linda | 2,912 | #90 |
| 100 | Diana | 2,846 | #101 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1977
| # | Name | Babies | In 1976 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 67,587 | #1 |
| 2 | Jason | 55,631 | #2 |
| 3 | Christopher | 46,721 | #3 |
| 4 | David | 40,515 | #4 |
| 5 | James | 40,040 | #5 |
| 6 | Robert | 34,214 | #7 |
| 7 | John | 34,195 | #6 |
| 8 | Brian | 32,492 | #8 |
| 9 | Matthew | 31,965 | #9 |
| 10 | Joseph | 26,483 | #12 |
| 11 | Daniel | 26,073 | #10 |
| 12 | William | 24,758 | #11 |
| 13 | Kevin | 22,463 | #15 |
| 14 | Joshua | 22,068 | #18 |
| 15 | Jeremy | 21,610 | #14 |
| 16 | Ryan | 21,246 | #16 |
| 17 | Eric | 20,745 | #13 |
| 18 | Timothy | 17,977 | #21 |
| 19 | Jeffrey | 17,481 | #17 |
| 20 | Richard | 17,442 | #19 |
| 21 | Anthony | 16,804 | #22 |
| 22 | Thomas | 16,586 | #23 |
| 23 | Steven | 16,484 | #20 |
| 24 | Andrew | 16,017 | #27 |
| 25 | Mark | 15,418 | #25 |
| 26 | Charles | 14,743 | #26 |
| 27 | Scott | 14,203 | #24 |
| 28 | Jonathan | 12,319 | #31 |
| 29 | Benjamin | 12,106 | #32 |
| 30 | Justin | 12,008 | #33 |
| 31 | Paul | 11,798 | #28 |
| 32 | Aaron | 11,631 | #30 |
| 33 | Adam | 11,030 | #36 |
| 34 | Chad | 10,831 | #29 |
| 35 | Gregory | 10,052 | #35 |
| 36 | Nathan | 9,886 | #39 |
| 37 | Shawn | 9,865 | #34 |
| 38 | Stephen | 9,635 | #37 |
| 39 | Kenneth | 9,452 | #38 |
| 40 | Patrick | 8,305 | #41 |
| 41 | Brandon | 8,272 | #40 |
| 42 | Bryan | 7,886 | #43 |
| 43 | Sean | 7,625 | #42 |
| 44 | Travis | 7,277 | #46 |
| 45 | Jose | 6,919 | #44 |
| 46 | Donald | 6,866 | #47 |
| 47 | Edward | 6,840 | #45 |
| 48 | Keith | 6,597 | #48 |
| 49 | Bradley | 6,431 | #51 |
| 50 | Todd | 6,276 | #50 |
| 51 | Nicholas | 6,071 | #77 |
| 52 | Corey | 6,041 | #64 |
| 53 | Ronald | 6,026 | #49 |
| 54 | Jesse | 5,823 | #55 |
| 55 | Peter | 5,821 | #54 |
| 56 | Jacob | 5,788 | #63 |
| 57 | George | 5,606 | #53 |
| 58 | Gary | 5,447 | #52 |
| 59 | Douglas | 5,297 | #56 |
| 60 | Samuel | 5,257 | #59 |
| 61 | Shane | 4,868 | #57 |
| 62 | Larry | 4,837 | #60 |
| 63 | Juan | 4,562 | #58 |
| 64 | Craig | 4,560 | #61 |
| 65 | Raymond | 4,372 | #65 |
| 66 | Wesley | 4,302 | #119 |
| 67 | Cory | 4,259 | #83 |
| 68 | Dennis | 4,152 | #66 |
| 69 | Jeremiah | 4,151 | #93 |
| 70 | Phillip | 3,967 | #69 |
| 71 | Frank | 3,894 | #68 |
| 72 | Marcus | 3,846 | #74 |
| 73 | Joel | 3,824 | #72 |
| 74 | Carlos | 3,795 | #70 |
| 75 | Jerry | 3,745 | #67 |
| 76 | Jared | 3,738 | #90 |
| 77 | Antonio | 3,662 | #71 |
| 78 | Jeffery | 3,564 | #76 |
| 79 | Kyle | 3,505 | #80 |
| 80 | Derrick | 3,481 | #91 |
| 81 | Dustin | 3,477 | #82 |
| 82 | Jamie | 3,447 | #62 |
| 83 | Terry | 3,443 | #75 |
| 84 | Derek | 3,441 | #84 |
| 85 | Brent | 3,423 | #78 |
| 86 | Randy | 3,397 | #79 |
| 87 | Gabriel | 3,346 | #81 |
| 88 | Troy | 3,307 | #73 |
| 89 | Russell | 3,124 | #87 |
| 90 | Philip | 3,093 | #89 |
| 91 | Billy | 2,950 | #85 |
| 92 | Tony | 2,938 | #86 |
| 93 | Johnny | 2,801 | #92 |
| 94 | Erik | 2,786 | #94 |
| 95 | Zachary | 2,777 | #96 |
| 96 | Alexander | 2,704 | #107 |
| 97 | Rodney | 2,703 | #88 |
| 98 | Jimmy | 2,637 | #101 |
| 99 | Carl | 2,615 | #95 |
| 100 | Curtis | 2,605 | #105 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1976, or the year after, 1978, 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.