Most Popular Baby Names of 1997
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Emily and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1997 in the US: 25,734 girls were named Emily and 37,562 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 68 girls and 1 in 50 boys born that year. It was Emily's 2nd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1996), and it was Michael's 37th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,740,710 girls and 1,885,140 boys born in 1997, with 16,156 different girl names and 10,806 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1996
- Madison joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1996.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Sophia (#125 to #94), Grace (#94 to #69) and Bailey (#85 to #65).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Cole (#106 to #72), Ethan (#62 to #46) and Angel (#102 to #86).
- 4 girl names and 5 boy names left the top 100, among them Angelica (#97 to #101) and Peter (#95 to #102).
- 1,577 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1997
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1996, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1997
| # | Name | Babies | In 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emily | 25,734 | #1 |
| 2 | Jessica | 21,045 | #2 |
| 3 | Ashley | 20,897 | #3 |
| 4 | Sarah | 20,716 | #4 |
| 5 | Hannah | 20,597 | #7 |
| 6 | Samantha | 20,170 | #5 |
| 7 | Taylor | 19,504 | #6 |
| 8 | Alexis | 17,171 | #8 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 15,430 | #10 |
| 10 | Madison | 15,189 | #15 |
| 11 | Megan | 14,244 | #12 |
| 12 | Kayla | 13,885 | #11 |
| 13 | Rachel | 13,798 | #9 |
| 14 | Lauren | 13,248 | #16 |
| 15 | Alyssa | 12,649 | #23 |
| 16 | Amanda | 12,243 | #13 |
| 17 | Brianna | 12,008 | #17 |
| 18 | Jennifer | 11,840 | #19 |
| 19 | Victoria | 11,795 | #18 |
| 20 | Brittany | 11,529 | #14 |
| 21 | Nicole | 10,744 | #22 |
| 22 | Morgan | 10,342 | #25 |
| 23 | Stephanie | 9,778 | #20 |
| 24 | Jasmine | 9,680 | #28 |
| 25 | Rebecca | 9,634 | #24 |
| 26 | Abigail | 9,630 | #32 |
| 27 | Olivia | 9,479 | #34 |
| 28 | Courtney | 9,035 | #21 |
| 29 | Amber | 8,914 | #27 |
| 30 | Alexandra | 8,752 | #26 |
| 31 | Haley | 8,687 | #30 |
| 32 | Katherine | 8,518 | #31 |
| 33 | Anna | 8,342 | #33 |
| 34 | Danielle | 8,034 | #29 |
| 35 | Sydney | 8,032 | #39 |
| 36 | Emma | 7,749 | #53 |
| 37 | Julia | 7,341 | #48 |
| 38 | Maria | 7,314 | #37 |
| 39 | Allison | 7,274 | #38 |
| 40 | Jordan | 7,167 | #49 |
| 41 | Kaitlyn | 7,005 | #40 |
| 42 | Destiny | 6,727 | #56 |
| 43 | Shelby | 6,701 | #35 |
| 44 | Melissa | 6,679 | #42 |
| 45 | Brooke | 6,671 | #45 |
| 46 | Mary | 6,650 | #44 |
| 47 | Savannah | 6,580 | #43 |
| 48 | Natalie | 6,539 | #46 |
| 49 | Kimberly | 6,182 | #41 |
| 50 | Sara | 6,159 | #50 |
| 51 | Gabrielle | 5,943 | #54 |
| 52 | Erin | 5,940 | #51 |
| 53 | Sabrina | 5,816 | #58 |
| 54 | Vanessa | 5,796 | #60 |
| 55 | Michelle | 5,695 | #47 |
| 56 | Sierra | 5,688 | #62 |
| 57 | Kelsey | 5,573 | #36 |
| 58 | Andrea | 5,405 | #61 |
| 59 | Madeline | 5,313 | #67 |
| 60 | Marissa | 5,298 | #59 |
| 61 | Tiffany | 5,221 | #52 |
| 62 | Christina | 5,182 | #57 |
| 63 | Katelyn | 5,156 | #64 |
| 64 | Paige | 5,030 | #65 |
| 65 | Bailey | 5,024 | #85 |
| 66 | Laura | 4,851 | #66 |
| 67 | Mariah | 4,803 | #63 |
| 68 | Cheyenne | 4,764 | #68 |
| 69 | Grace | 4,639 | #94 |
| 70 | Miranda | 4,590 | #76 |
| 71 | Mackenzie | 4,491 | #75 |
| 72 | Briana | 4,476 | #72 |
| 73 | Chelsea | 4,461 | #55 |
| 74 | Breanna | 4,444 | #74 |
| 75 | Caroline | 4,439 | #78 |
| 76 | Jenna | 4,422 | #83 |
| 77 | Jacqueline | 4,278 | #69 |
| 78 | Alexandria | 4,234 | #77 |
| 79 | Monica | 4,223 | #82 |
| 80 | Hailey | 4,148 | #93 |
| 81 | Cassandra | 4,098 | #89 |
| 82 | Kristen | 4,085 | #70 |
| 83 | Kelly | 4,064 | #73 |
| 84 | Erica | 3,992 | #79 |
| 85 | Shannon | 3,914 | #80 |
| 86 | Kathryn | 3,873 | #87 |
| 87 | Katie | 3,867 | #81 |
| 88 | Caitlin | 3,862 | #84 |
| 89 | Alicia | 3,782 | #91 |
| 90 | Heather | 3,767 | #71 |
| 91 | Autumn | 3,740 | #104 |
| 92 | Amy | 3,691 | #88 |
| 93 | Angela | 3,652 | #90 |
| 94 | Sophia | 3,640 | #125 |
| 95 | Lindsey | 3,636 | #86 |
| 96 | Catherine | 3,591 | #95 |
| 97 | Diana | 3,586 | #107 |
| 98 | Molly | 3,452 | #99 |
| 99 | Crystal | 3,435 | #92 |
| 100 | Michaela | 3,398 | #102 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1997
| # | Name | Babies | In 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 37,562 | #1 |
| 2 | Jacob | 34,163 | #3 |
| 3 | Matthew | 31,517 | #2 |
| 4 | Christopher | 29,108 | #4 |
| 5 | Joshua | 28,289 | #5 |
| 6 | Nicholas | 27,258 | #6 |
| 7 | Andrew | 25,208 | #10 |
| 8 | Brandon | 25,197 | #8 |
| 9 | Austin | 25,118 | #9 |
| 10 | Tyler | 24,879 | #7 |
| 11 | Daniel | 23,950 | #11 |
| 12 | Joseph | 23,604 | #12 |
| 13 | Zachary | 21,929 | #14 |
| 14 | David | 21,896 | #13 |
| 15 | John | 21,386 | #15 |
| 16 | Ryan | 20,527 | #16 |
| 17 | James | 20,408 | #17 |
| 18 | Anthony | 20,034 | #19 |
| 19 | William | 20,020 | #18 |
| 20 | Justin | 18,745 | #20 |
| 21 | Jonathan | 18,542 | #21 |
| 22 | Alexander | 17,112 | #22 |
| 23 | Robert | 16,304 | #23 |
| 24 | Kyle | 15,919 | #25 |
| 25 | Christian | 15,059 | #24 |
| 26 | Jordan | 14,761 | #27 |
| 27 | Samuel | 14,237 | #30 |
| 28 | Kevin | 13,295 | #26 |
| 29 | Benjamin | 13,266 | #29 |
| 30 | Dylan | 12,968 | #33 |
| 31 | Thomas | 12,899 | #28 |
| 32 | Jose | 11,929 | #32 |
| 33 | Aaron | 11,170 | #34 |
| 34 | Nathan | 10,442 | #37 |
| 35 | Eric | 10,317 | #35 |
| 36 | Cody | 10,296 | #31 |
| 37 | Brian | 9,739 | #36 |
| 38 | Noah | 9,280 | #50 |
| 39 | Adam | 8,805 | #39 |
| 40 | Steven | 8,765 | #38 |
| 41 | Jason | 8,746 | #41 |
| 42 | Logan | 8,620 | #42 |
| 43 | Timothy | 8,502 | #40 |
| 44 | Hunter | 8,405 | #47 |
| 45 | Cameron | 8,219 | #49 |
| 46 | Ethan | 7,807 | #62 |
| 47 | Caleb | 7,775 | #48 |
| 48 | Sean | 7,744 | #46 |
| 49 | Charles | 7,656 | #43 |
| 50 | Patrick | 7,490 | #44 |
| 51 | Richard | 7,243 | #45 |
| 52 | Connor | 7,140 | #54 |
| 53 | Luis | 7,131 | #57 |
| 54 | Juan | 7,115 | #52 |
| 55 | Alex | 6,855 | #53 |
| 56 | Jared | 6,682 | #64 |
| 57 | Gabriel | 6,406 | #61 |
| 58 | Mark | 6,165 | #55 |
| 59 | Devin | 6,044 | #60 |
| 60 | Isaiah | 6,003 | #71 |
| 61 | Evan | 6,002 | #65 |
| 62 | Trevor | 6,001 | #63 |
| 63 | Jesse | 5,920 | #51 |
| 64 | Jeremy | 5,803 | #56 |
| 65 | Nathaniel | 5,775 | #69 |
| 66 | Dakota | 5,664 | #58 |
| 67 | Carlos | 5,463 | #67 |
| 68 | Stephen | 5,414 | #59 |
| 69 | Bryan | 5,251 | #66 |
| 70 | Ian | 5,211 | #70 |
| 71 | Jesus | 5,164 | #74 |
| 72 | Cole | 5,159 | #106 |
| 73 | Isaac | 5,146 | #86 |
| 74 | Elijah | 5,089 | #81 |
| 75 | Antonio | 5,069 | #80 |
| 76 | Jack | 4,984 | #89 |
| 77 | Chase | 4,964 | #76 |
| 78 | Luke | 4,953 | #75 |
| 79 | Paul | 4,752 | #78 |
| 80 | Blake | 4,728 | #84 |
| 81 | Travis | 4,684 | #73 |
| 82 | Tanner | 4,676 | #90 |
| 83 | Kenneth | 4,659 | #77 |
| 84 | Jeffrey | 4,582 | #72 |
| 85 | Garrett | 4,545 | #85 |
| 86 | Angel | 4,514 | #102 |
| 87 | Taylor | 4,333 | #82 |
| 88 | Dustin | 4,277 | #79 |
| 89 | Mason | 4,268 | #104 |
| 90 | Dalton | 4,238 | #99 |
| 91 | Miguel | 4,234 | #91 |
| 92 | Tristan | 4,197 | #68 |
| 93 | Marcus | 4,183 | #87 |
| 94 | Bradley | 4,124 | #83 |
| 95 | Adrian | 4,116 | #92 |
| 96 | Mitchell | 4,068 | #88 |
| 97 | Seth | 4,043 | #103 |
| 98 | Lucas | 4,034 | #93 |
| 99 | Alejandro | 3,998 | #107 |
| 100 | Edward | 3,915 | #96 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1996, or the year after, 1998, 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.