Most Popular Baby Names of 1996
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Emily and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1996 in the US: 25,150 girls were named Emily and 38,373 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 70 girls and 1 in 49 boys born that year. Emily took #1 for girls from Jessica, and it was Michael's 36th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,753,007 girls and 1,894,300 boys born in 1996, with 15,885 different girl names and 10,528 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1995
- Alexis and Rachel joined the girls' top 10; Andrew joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Sabrina (#95 to #58), Savannah (#68 to #43) and Cheyenne (#86 to #68).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Tristan (#121 to #68), Noah (#99 to #50) and Isaiah (#109 to #71).
- 3 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Kaitlin (#94 to #103) and Derek (#83 to #101).
- 1,487 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1996
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1995, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1996
| # | Name | Babies | In 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emily | 25,150 | #3 |
| 2 | Jessica | 24,201 | #1 |
| 3 | Ashley | 23,678 | #2 |
| 4 | Sarah | 21,048 | #5 |
| 5 | Samantha | 20,552 | #4 |
| 6 | Taylor | 19,155 | #6 |
| 7 | Hannah | 18,596 | #7 |
| 8 | Alexis | 16,592 | #14 |
| 9 | Rachel | 16,121 | #12 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 16,003 | #10 |
| 11 | Kayla | 15,269 | #11 |
| 12 | Megan | 14,770 | #13 |
| 13 | Amanda | 13,980 | #9 |
| 14 | Brittany | 13,797 | #8 |
| 15 | Madison | 13,412 | #29 |
| 16 | Lauren | 12,595 | #15 |
| 17 | Brianna | 11,925 | #21 |
| 18 | Victoria | 11,859 | #20 |
| 19 | Jennifer | 11,732 | #18 |
| 20 | Stephanie | 11,643 | #16 |
| 21 | Courtney | 11,344 | #17 |
| 22 | Nicole | 11,135 | #19 |
| 23 | Alyssa | 11,024 | #27 |
| 24 | Rebecca | 10,626 | #28 |
| 25 | Morgan | 10,295 | #23 |
| 26 | Alexandra | 10,025 | #26 |
| 27 | Amber | 9,771 | #22 |
| 28 | Jasmine | 9,707 | #25 |
| 29 | Danielle | 9,286 | #24 |
| 30 | Haley | 9,042 | #32 |
| 31 | Katherine | 8,877 | #30 |
| 32 | Abigail | 8,604 | #36 |
| 33 | Anna | 8,575 | #31 |
| 34 | Olivia | 8,126 | #39 |
| 35 | Shelby | 7,950 | #38 |
| 36 | Kelsey | 7,655 | #33 |
| 37 | Maria | 7,598 | #44 |
| 38 | Allison | 7,455 | #34 |
| 39 | Sydney | 7,259 | #43 |
| 40 | Kaitlyn | 7,241 | #42 |
| 41 | Kimberly | 7,176 | #37 |
| 42 | Melissa | 7,170 | #35 |
| 43 | Savannah | 7,000 | #68 |
| 44 | Mary | 6,968 | #40 |
| 45 | Brooke | 6,724 | #52 |
| 46 | Natalie | 6,693 | #51 |
| 47 | Michelle | 6,598 | #41 |
| 48 | Julia | 6,314 | #62 |
| 49 | Jordan | 6,299 | #50 |
| 50 | Sara | 6,288 | #48 |
| 51 | Erin | 6,256 | #49 |
| 52 | Tiffany | 6,158 | #46 |
| 53 | Emma | 6,151 | #67 |
| 54 | Gabrielle | 5,888 | #61 |
| 55 | Chelsea | 5,864 | #47 |
| 56 | Destiny | 5,856 | #66 |
| 57 | Christina | 5,804 | #45 |
| 58 | Sabrina | 5,774 | #95 |
| 59 | Marissa | 5,752 | #53 |
| 60 | Vanessa | 5,746 | #63 |
| 61 | Andrea | 5,671 | #55 |
| 62 | Sierra | 5,487 | #60 |
| 63 | Mariah | 5,446 | #71 |
| 64 | Katelyn | 5,421 | #59 |
| 65 | Paige | 5,342 | #58 |
| 66 | Laura | 5,227 | #55 |
| 67 | Madeline | 4,912 | #79 |
| 68 | Cheyenne | 4,866 | #86 |
| 69 | Jacqueline | 4,862 | #70 |
| 70 | Kristen | 4,851 | #64 |
| 71 | Heather | 4,759 | #54 |
| 72 | Briana | 4,735 | #74 |
| 73 | Kelly | 4,734 | #64 |
| 74 | Breanna | 4,701 | #76 |
| 75 | Mackenzie | 4,597 | #88 |
| 76 | Miranda | 4,568 | #57 |
| 77 | Alexandria | 4,563 | #72 |
| 78 | Caroline | 4,466 | #92 |
| 79 | Erica | 4,460 | #69 |
| 80 | Shannon | 4,337 | #73 |
| 81 | Katie | 4,329 | #77 |
| 82 | Monica | 4,326 | #87 |
| 83 | Jenna | 4,288 | #84 |
| 84 | Caitlin | 4,268 | #81 |
| 85 | Bailey | 4,192 | #96 |
| 86 | Lindsey | 4,112 | #82 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 4,102 | #83 |
| 88 | Amy | 4,067 | #75 |
| 89 | Cassandra | 4,018 | #78 |
| 90 | Angela | 3,867 | #85 |
| 91 | Alicia | 3,861 | #89 |
| 92 | Crystal | 3,786 | #80 |
| 93 | Hailey | 3,762 | #111 |
| 94 | Grace | 3,742 | #97 |
| 95 | Catherine | 3,739 | #90 |
| 96 | Jamie | 3,599 | #93 |
| 97 | Angelica | 3,404 | #101 |
| 98 | Leah | 3,326 | #103 |
| 99 | Molly | 3,312 | #98 |
| 100 | Alexa | 3,260 | #100 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1996
| # | Name | Babies | In 1995 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 38,373 | #1 |
| 2 | Matthew | 32,077 | #2 |
| 3 | Jacob | 31,925 | #4 |
| 4 | Christopher | 30,904 | #3 |
| 5 | Joshua | 29,175 | #5 |
| 6 | Nicholas | 27,724 | #7 |
| 7 | Tyler | 26,956 | #6 |
| 8 | Brandon | 25,847 | #8 |
| 9 | Austin | 25,663 | #10 |
| 10 | Andrew | 25,244 | #11 |
| 11 | Daniel | 25,128 | #9 |
| 12 | Joseph | 24,758 | #12 |
| 13 | David | 23,022 | #16 |
| 14 | Zachary | 22,369 | #14 |
| 15 | John | 22,188 | #13 |
| 16 | Ryan | 21,809 | #15 |
| 17 | James | 21,165 | #17 |
| 18 | William | 20,546 | #20 |
| 19 | Anthony | 20,508 | #19 |
| 20 | Justin | 20,015 | #18 |
| 21 | Jonathan | 18,602 | #23 |
| 22 | Alexander | 17,964 | #21 |
| 23 | Robert | 17,676 | #22 |
| 24 | Christian | 15,824 | #28 |
| 25 | Kyle | 15,600 | #24 |
| 26 | Kevin | 14,589 | #25 |
| 27 | Jordan | 13,852 | #29 |
| 28 | Thomas | 13,804 | #27 |
| 29 | Benjamin | 13,784 | #31 |
| 30 | Samuel | 13,629 | #33 |
| 31 | Cody | 12,954 | #26 |
| 32 | Jose | 12,155 | #35 |
| 33 | Dylan | 12,037 | #34 |
| 34 | Aaron | 11,971 | #30 |
| 35 | Eric | 11,611 | #32 |
| 36 | Brian | 10,476 | #36 |
| 37 | Nathan | 10,287 | #39 |
| 38 | Steven | 9,650 | #37 |
| 39 | Adam | 9,557 | #38 |
| 40 | Timothy | 8,919 | #40 |
| 41 | Jason | 8,695 | #41 |
| 42 | Logan | 8,374 | #51 |
| 43 | Charles | 8,248 | #44 |
| 44 | Patrick | 8,194 | #43 |
| 45 | Richard | 8,182 | #42 |
| 46 | Sean | 7,896 | #45 |
| 47 | Hunter | 7,603 | #53 |
| 48 | Caleb | 7,550 | #54 |
| 49 | Cameron | 7,388 | #49 |
| 50 | Noah | 7,184 | #99 |
| 51 | Jesse | 7,075 | #46 |
| 52 | Juan | 7,010 | #50 |
| 53 | Alex | 6,915 | #47 |
| 54 | Connor | 6,911 | #55 |
| 55 | Mark | 6,599 | #52 |
| 56 | Jeremy | 6,412 | #48 |
| 57 | Luis | 6,407 | #59 |
| 58 | Dakota | 6,067 | #56 |
| 59 | Stephen | 6,008 | #57 |
| 60 | Devin | 6,001 | #58 |
| 61 | Gabriel | 5,900 | #65 |
| 62 | Ethan | 5,853 | #75 |
| 63 | Trevor | 5,842 | #61 |
| 64 | Jared | 5,821 | #63 |
| 65 | Evan | 5,577 | #60 |
| 66 | Bryan | 5,560 | #70 |
| 67 | Carlos | 5,464 | #68 |
| 68 | Tristan | 5,458 | #121 |
| 69 | Nathaniel | 5,420 | #73 |
| 70 | Ian | 5,411 | #67 |
| 71 | Isaiah | 5,324 | #109 |
| 72 | Jeffrey | 5,263 | #64 |
| 73 | Travis | 5,159 | #66 |
| 74 | Jesus | 5,115 | #76 |
| 75 | Luke | 5,017 | #82 |
| 76 | Chase | 4,992 | #95 |
| 77 | Kenneth | 4,973 | #72 |
| 78 | Paul | 4,883 | #71 |
| 79 | Dustin | 4,874 | #62 |
| 80 | Antonio | 4,866 | #85 |
| 81 | Elijah | 4,818 | #93 |
| 82 | Taylor | 4,798 | #69 |
| 83 | Bradley | 4,755 | #78 |
| 84 | Blake | 4,747 | #77 |
| 85 | Garrett | 4,653 | #80 |
| 86 | Isaac | 4,566 | #98 |
| 87 | Marcus | 4,546 | #81 |
| 88 | Mitchell | 4,391 | #79 |
| 89 | Jack | 4,245 | #110 |
| 90 | Tanner | 4,180 | #86 |
| 91 | Miguel | 4,160 | #94 |
| 92 | Adrian | 4,112 | #96 |
| 93 | Lucas | 4,106 | #91 |
| 94 | Corey | 4,087 | #74 |
| 95 | Peter | 4,082 | #89 |
| 96 | Edward | 4,073 | #88 |
| 97 | Malik | 4,026 | #131 |
| 98 | Gregory | 3,994 | #84 |
| 99 | Dalton | 3,980 | #87 |
| 100 | Victor | 3,924 | #90 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1995, or the year after, 1997, the top 100 of the whole 1990s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1990s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.