Birth year roster

Top names in 1978

The 100 most common names on 1978 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Jennifer and Michael led the 1978 baby-name charts, the top names among Gen X births. Jennifer was the #1 girls’ name for 15 years in all (1970–1984); Michael was the #1 boys’ name for 44 years in all (between 1954 and 1998). Of the 200 names below, 139 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1970s decade

Girls

#1Jennifer Endangered56,314
#2Melissa Endangered28,327
#3Jessica Endangered26,102
#4Amy Endangered23,213
#5Heather Endangered22,270
#6Amanda Endangered20,520
#7Angela Endangered20,517
#8Sarah Endangered19,976
#9Michelle Endangered18,856
#10Nicole Endangered17,279
#11Lisa Endangered17,033
#12Kelly Endangered16,976
#13Kimberly Endangered16,879
#14Elizabeth Stable16,807
#15Christina Endangered16,367
#16Stephanie Endangered16,233
#17Rebecca Endangered13,796
#18Crystal Endangered12,594
#19Laura Endangered11,240
#20Jamie Endangered10,982
#21Erin Endangered10,786
#22Shannon Endangered10,598
#23Andrea Declining10,461
#24Mary Endangered10,040
#25Rachel Endangered9,802
#26Julie Endangered9,794
#27April Endangered9,590
#28Sara Stable8,869
#29Christine Endangered8,272
#30Amber Endangered8,174
#31Danielle Endangered7,983
#32Tiffany Endangered7,701
#33Emily Declining7,473
#34Erica Endangered7,340
#35Carrie Endangered7,318
#36Maria Stable7,021
#37Brandy Endangered6,699
#38Katherine Declining6,625
#39Karen Endangered6,371
#40Tara Endangered6,330
#41Megan Endangered5,895
#42Monica Endangered5,867
#43Misty Endangered5,834
#44Stacy Endangered5,776
#45Tina Endangered5,699
#46Jill Endangered5,676
#47Tracy Endangered5,631
#48Patricia Endangered5,498
#49Susan Endangered5,418
#50Cynthia Endangered5,403
#51Kristy Endangered5,332
#52Dawn Endangered5,217
#53Stacey Endangered4,998
#54Melanie Declining4,996
#55Holly Stable4,972
#56Wendy Endangered4,918
#57Kathryn Endangered4,808
#58Alicia Endangered4,752
#59Christy Endangered4,661
#60Lori Endangered4,631
#61Brandi Endangered4,500
#62Kristen Endangered4,368
#63Leslie Endangered4,342
#64Kristina Endangered4,229
#65Anna Declining4,173
#66Natalie Declining4,165
#67Tammy Endangered4,070
#68Courtney Endangered4,031
#69Sandra Endangered4,005
#70Jaime Endangered4,003
#71Dana Endangered4,002
#72Catherine Endangered3,958
#73Veronica Stable3,933
#74Samantha Endangered3,886
#75Allison Declining3,864
#76Vanessa Declining3,853
#77Tonya Endangered3,826
#78Kristin Endangered3,807
#79Kathleen Endangered3,743
#80Lauren Endangered3,669
#81Jacqueline Endangered3,576
#82Tanya Endangered3,576
#83Heidi Stable3,567
#84Melinda Endangered3,563
#85Denise Endangered3,519
#86Michele Endangered3,484
#87Ashley Endangered3,482
#88Teresa Endangered3,472
#89Robin Endangered3,440
#90Katie Endangered3,426
#91Sabrina Stable3,350
#92Valerie Stable3,299
#93Gina Endangered3,220
#94Cheryl Endangered3,167
#95Lindsay Endangered3,123
#96Mandy Endangered3,110
#97Nancy Endangered3,044
#98Kristi Endangered2,992
#99Renee Endangered2,969
#100Linda Endangered2,932

Boys

#1Michael Past peak67,127
#2Jason Endangered51,600
#3Christopher Endangered47,236
#4David Past peak40,684
#5James Stable39,894
#6Matthew Declining34,282
#7John Past peak34,014
#8Robert Endangered33,374
#9Brian Endangered29,432
#10Joseph Declining26,663
#11Daniel Declining26,441
#12Joshua Declining25,204
#13William Declining24,170
#14Ryan Declining21,322
#15Kevin Endangered20,094
#16Eric Endangered19,761
#17Timothy Endangered19,597
#18Jeremy Endangered19,509
#19Jeffrey Endangered16,989
#20Anthony Declining16,808
#21Richard Endangered16,734
#22Andrew Declining16,720
#23Thomas Stable16,481
#24Steven Endangered16,390
#25Nicholas Declining16,342
#26Mark Endangered14,851
#27Charles Stable14,844
#28Justin Endangered14,183
#29Adam Declining13,918
#30Scott Endangered13,539
#31Jonathan Declining12,514
#32Aaron Declining12,299
#33Paul Endangered11,733
#34Benjamin Declining11,414
#35Chad Endangered10,107
#36Nathan Declining9,890
#37Stephen Endangered9,854
#38Gregory Endangered9,340
#39Shawn Endangered9,289
#40Brandon Endangered9,241
#41Kenneth Endangered9,021
#42Patrick Declining8,830
#43Bryan Declining7,291
#44Jose Stable7,148
#45Sean Endangered7,059
#46Travis Endangered6,953
#47Edward Endangered6,473
#48Donald Endangered6,423
#49Keith Endangered6,172
#50Jacob Declining6,161
#51Jesse Stable6,107
#52Shaun Endangered6,105
#53Bradley Declining6,096
#54Peter Stable5,872
#55Ronald Endangered5,758
#56Todd Endangered5,497
#57Samuel Stable5,394
#58George Stable5,297
#59Douglas Endangered5,151
#60Gary Endangered5,111
#61Corey Endangered4,942
#62Juan Stable4,837
#63Kyle Endangered4,517
#64Larry Endangered4,514
#65Shane Endangered4,480
#66Craig Endangered4,472
#67Phillip Endangered4,362
#68Dustin Endangered4,177
#69Raymond Endangered4,134
#70Marcus Declining3,995
#71Dennis Endangered3,861
#72Jared Stable3,847
#73Cory Endangered3,842
#74Joel Declining3,810
#75Derek Stable3,800
#76Derrick Endangered3,786
#77Frank Endangered3,775
#78Carlos Stable3,729
#79Antonio Stable3,677
#80Jeffery Endangered3,543
#81Jeremiah Declining3,445
#82Jerry Endangered3,427
#83Wesley Rising3,306
#84Philip Endangered3,298
#85Erik Declining3,261
#86Randy Endangered3,220
#87Brent Endangered3,181
#88Troy Endangered3,152
#89Zachary Endangered3,127
#90Gabriel Stable3,126
#91Terry Endangered3,089
#92Casey Rising3,003
#93Russell Stable2,984
#94Nathaniel Declining2,925
#95Jamie Rising2,864
#96Curtis Endangered2,825
#97Tony Endangered2,770
#98Alexander Declining2,738
#99Billy Endangered2,695
#100Carl Endangered2,606