Most Popular Baby Names of 1978
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1978 in the US: 56,314 girls were named Jennifer and 67,127 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 27 girls and 1 in 24 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 9th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 18th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,531,859 girls and 1,641,837 boys born in 1978, with 11,473 different girl names and 6,759 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1977
- Sarah and Nicole joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1977.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Cheryl (#135 to #94), Lauren (#114 to #80) and Katie (#115 to #90).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Shaun (#103 to #52), Nicholas (#51 to #25) and Kyle (#79 to #63).
- 6 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Theresa (#98 to #101) and Johnny (#93 to #101).
- 1,080 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1978
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1977, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1978
| # | Name | Babies | In 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 56,314 | #1 |
| 2 | Melissa | 28,327 | #2 |
| 3 | Jessica | 26,102 | #4 |
| 4 | Amy | 23,213 | #3 |
| 5 | Heather | 22,270 | #5 |
| 6 | Amanda | 20,520 | #9 |
| 7 | Angela | 20,517 | #6 |
| 8 | Sarah | 19,976 | #11 |
| 9 | Michelle | 18,856 | #7 |
| 10 | Nicole | 17,279 | #15 |
| 11 | Lisa | 17,033 | #12 |
| 12 | Kelly | 16,976 | #10 |
| 13 | Kimberly | 16,879 | #8 |
| 14 | Elizabeth | 16,807 | #13 |
| 15 | Christina | 16,367 | #16 |
| 16 | Stephanie | 16,233 | #14 |
| 17 | Rebecca | 13,796 | #17 |
| 18 | Crystal | 12,594 | #25 |
| 19 | Laura | 11,240 | #20 |
| 20 | Jamie | 10,982 | #18 |
| 21 | Erin | 10,786 | #23 |
| 22 | Shannon | 10,598 | #19 |
| 23 | Andrea | 10,461 | #24 |
| 24 | Mary | 10,040 | #21 |
| 25 | Rachel | 9,802 | #26 |
| 26 | Julie | 9,794 | #22 |
| 27 | April | 9,590 | #29 |
| 28 | Sara | 8,869 | #27 |
| 29 | Christine | 8,272 | #30 |
| 30 | Amber | 8,174 | #33 |
| 31 | Danielle | 7,983 | #31 |
| 32 | Tiffany | 7,701 | #34 |
| 33 | Emily | 7,473 | #37 |
| 34 | Erica | 7,340 | #38 |
| 35 | Carrie | 7,318 | #28 |
| 36 | Maria | 7,021 | #36 |
| 37 | Brandy | 6,699 | #51 |
| 38 | Katherine | 6,625 | #44 |
| 39 | Karen | 6,371 | #32 |
| 40 | Tara | 6,330 | #35 |
| 41 | Megan | 5,895 | #54 |
| 42 | Monica | 5,867 | #39 |
| 43 | Misty | 5,834 | #40 |
| 44 | Stacy | 5,776 | #42 |
| 45 | Tina | 5,699 | #58 |
| 46 | Jill | 5,676 | #41 |
| 47 | Tracy | 5,631 | #50 |
| 48 | Patricia | 5,498 | #47 |
| 49 | Susan | 5,418 | #45 |
| 50 | Cynthia | 5,403 | #48 |
| 51 | Kristy | 5,332 | #68 |
| 52 | Dawn | 5,217 | #43 |
| 53 | Stacey | 4,998 | #56 |
| 54 | Melanie | 4,996 | #53 |
| 55 | Holly | 4,972 | #52 |
| 56 | Wendy | 4,918 | #49 |
| 57 | Kathryn | 4,808 | #70 |
| 58 | Alicia | 4,752 | #60 |
| 59 | Christy | 4,661 | #59 |
| 60 | Lori | 4,631 | #57 |
| 61 | Brandi | 4,500 | #71 |
| 62 | Kristen | 4,368 | #72 |
| 63 | Leslie | 4,342 | #65 |
| 64 | Kristina | 4,229 | #83 |
| 65 | Anna | 4,173 | #74 |
| 66 | Natalie | 4,165 | #69 |
| 67 | Tammy | 4,070 | #55 |
| 68 | Courtney | 4,031 | #76 |
| 69 | Sandra | 4,005 | #61 |
| 70 | Jaime | 4,003 | #46 |
| 71 | Dana | 4,002 | #62 |
| 72 | Catherine | 3,958 | #75 |
| 73 | Veronica | 3,933 | #73 |
| 74 | Samantha | 3,886 | #85 |
| 75 | Allison | 3,864 | #66 |
| 76 | Vanessa | 3,853 | #90 |
| 77 | Tonya | 3,826 | #64 |
| 78 | Kristin | 3,807 | #82 |
| 79 | Kathleen | 3,743 | #80 |
| 80 | Lauren | 3,669 | #114 |
| 81 | Jacqueline | 3,576 | #92 |
| 81 | Tanya | 3,576 | #67 |
| 83 | Heidi | 3,567 | #81 |
| 84 | Melinda | 3,563 | #96 |
| 85 | Denise | 3,519 | #78 |
| 86 | Michele | 3,484 | #77 |
| 87 | Ashley | 3,482 | #106 |
| 88 | Teresa | 3,472 | #79 |
| 89 | Robin | 3,440 | #84 |
| 90 | Katie | 3,426 | #115 |
| 91 | Sabrina | 3,350 | #63 |
| 92 | Valerie | 3,299 | #86 |
| 93 | Gina | 3,220 | #88 |
| 94 | Cheryl | 3,167 | #135 |
| 95 | Lindsay | 3,123 | #110 |
| 96 | Mandy | 3,110 | #94 |
| 97 | Nancy | 3,044 | #89 |
| 98 | Kristi | 2,992 | #104 |
| 99 | Renee | 2,969 | #87 |
| 100 | Linda | 2,932 | #99 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1978
| # | Name | Babies | In 1977 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 67,127 | #1 |
| 2 | Jason | 51,600 | #2 |
| 3 | Christopher | 47,236 | #3 |
| 4 | David | 40,684 | #4 |
| 5 | James | 39,894 | #5 |
| 6 | Matthew | 34,282 | #9 |
| 7 | John | 34,014 | #7 |
| 8 | Robert | 33,374 | #6 |
| 9 | Brian | 29,432 | #8 |
| 10 | Joseph | 26,663 | #10 |
| 11 | Daniel | 26,441 | #11 |
| 12 | Joshua | 25,204 | #14 |
| 13 | William | 24,170 | #12 |
| 14 | Ryan | 21,322 | #16 |
| 15 | Kevin | 20,094 | #13 |
| 16 | Eric | 19,761 | #17 |
| 17 | Timothy | 19,597 | #18 |
| 18 | Jeremy | 19,509 | #15 |
| 19 | Jeffrey | 16,989 | #19 |
| 20 | Anthony | 16,808 | #21 |
| 21 | Richard | 16,734 | #20 |
| 22 | Andrew | 16,720 | #24 |
| 23 | Thomas | 16,481 | #22 |
| 24 | Steven | 16,390 | #23 |
| 25 | Nicholas | 16,342 | #51 |
| 26 | Mark | 14,851 | #25 |
| 27 | Charles | 14,844 | #26 |
| 28 | Justin | 14,183 | #30 |
| 29 | Adam | 13,918 | #33 |
| 30 | Scott | 13,539 | #27 |
| 31 | Jonathan | 12,514 | #28 |
| 32 | Aaron | 12,299 | #32 |
| 33 | Paul | 11,733 | #31 |
| 34 | Benjamin | 11,414 | #29 |
| 35 | Chad | 10,107 | #34 |
| 36 | Nathan | 9,890 | #36 |
| 37 | Stephen | 9,854 | #38 |
| 38 | Gregory | 9,340 | #35 |
| 39 | Shawn | 9,289 | #37 |
| 40 | Brandon | 9,241 | #41 |
| 41 | Kenneth | 9,021 | #39 |
| 42 | Patrick | 8,830 | #40 |
| 43 | Bryan | 7,291 | #42 |
| 44 | Jose | 7,148 | #45 |
| 45 | Sean | 7,059 | #43 |
| 46 | Travis | 6,953 | #44 |
| 47 | Edward | 6,473 | #47 |
| 48 | Donald | 6,423 | #46 |
| 49 | Keith | 6,172 | #48 |
| 50 | Jacob | 6,161 | #56 |
| 51 | Jesse | 6,107 | #54 |
| 52 | Shaun | 6,105 | #103 |
| 53 | Bradley | 6,096 | #49 |
| 54 | Peter | 5,872 | #55 |
| 55 | Ronald | 5,758 | #53 |
| 56 | Todd | 5,497 | #50 |
| 57 | Samuel | 5,394 | #60 |
| 58 | George | 5,297 | #57 |
| 59 | Douglas | 5,151 | #59 |
| 60 | Gary | 5,111 | #58 |
| 61 | Corey | 4,942 | #52 |
| 62 | Juan | 4,837 | #63 |
| 63 | Kyle | 4,517 | #79 |
| 64 | Larry | 4,514 | #62 |
| 65 | Shane | 4,480 | #61 |
| 66 | Craig | 4,472 | #64 |
| 67 | Phillip | 4,362 | #70 |
| 68 | Dustin | 4,177 | #81 |
| 69 | Raymond | 4,134 | #65 |
| 70 | Marcus | 3,995 | #72 |
| 71 | Dennis | 3,861 | #68 |
| 72 | Jared | 3,847 | #76 |
| 73 | Cory | 3,842 | #67 |
| 74 | Joel | 3,810 | #73 |
| 75 | Derek | 3,800 | #84 |
| 76 | Derrick | 3,786 | #80 |
| 77 | Frank | 3,775 | #71 |
| 78 | Carlos | 3,729 | #74 |
| 79 | Antonio | 3,677 | #77 |
| 80 | Jeffery | 3,543 | #78 |
| 81 | Jeremiah | 3,445 | #69 |
| 82 | Jerry | 3,427 | #75 |
| 83 | Wesley | 3,306 | #66 |
| 84 | Philip | 3,298 | #90 |
| 85 | Erik | 3,261 | #94 |
| 86 | Randy | 3,220 | #86 |
| 87 | Brent | 3,181 | #85 |
| 88 | Troy | 3,152 | #88 |
| 89 | Zachary | 3,127 | #95 |
| 90 | Gabriel | 3,126 | #87 |
| 91 | Terry | 3,089 | #83 |
| 92 | Casey | 3,003 | #102 |
| 93 | Russell | 2,984 | #89 |
| 94 | Nathaniel | 2,925 | #107 |
| 95 | Jamie | 2,864 | #82 |
| 96 | Curtis | 2,825 | #100 |
| 97 | Tony | 2,770 | #92 |
| 98 | Alexander | 2,738 | #96 |
| 99 | Billy | 2,695 | #91 |
| 100 | Carl | 2,606 | #99 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1977, or the year after, 1979, 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.