Birth year roster

Top names in 1979

The 100 most common names on 1979 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Jennifer and Michael led the 1979 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, 138 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1970s decade

Girls

#1Jennifer Endangered56,712
#2Melissa Endangered34,050
#3Amanda Endangered31,924
#4Jessica Endangered27,780
#5Amy Endangered21,609
#6Sarah Endangered21,015
#7Heather Endangered20,834
#8Angela Endangered20,256
#9Nicole Endangered19,510
#10Michelle Endangered19,266
#11Elizabeth Stable18,073
#12Kimberly Endangered17,635
#13Lisa Endangered17,286
#14Christina Endangered16,454
#15Stephanie Endangered16,204
#16Kelly Endangered15,296
#17Rebecca Endangered14,548
#18Crystal Endangered13,467
#19Jamie Endangered12,156
#20Laura Endangered11,880
#21Erin Endangered11,259
#22Amber Endangered11,079
#23April Endangered10,902
#24Mary Endangered10,555
#25Shannon Endangered10,370
#26Andrea Declining10,336
#27Rachel Endangered10,230
#28Tiffany Endangered9,611
#29Julie Endangered9,254
#30Sara Stable8,654
#31Megan Endangered8,293
#32Erica Endangered8,178
#33Danielle Endangered7,981
#34Emily Declining7,971
#35Christine Endangered7,689
#36Katherine Declining7,464
#37Maria Stable7,339
#38Tara Endangered6,806
#39Brandy Endangered6,775
#40Monica Endangered6,585
#41Carrie Endangered6,354
#42Misty Endangered5,785
#43Stacy Endangered5,708
#44Patricia Endangered5,650
#45Lauren Endangered5,625
#46Karen Endangered5,599
#47Alicia Endangered5,547
#48Holly Stable5,488
#49Tracy Endangered5,389
#50Kathryn Endangered5,312
#51Susan Endangered5,196
#52Jill Endangered5,192
#53Melanie Declining5,021
#54Dana Endangered4,948
#55Cynthia Endangered4,931
#56Kristy Endangered4,880
#57Dawn Endangered4,725
#58Tina Endangered4,677
#59Anna Declining4,670
#60Stacey Endangered4,613
#61Brandi Endangered4,609
#62Kristen Endangered4,568
#63Katie Endangered4,512
#64Wendy Endangered4,500
#65Leslie Endangered4,497
#66Samantha Endangered4,461
#67Ashley Endangered4,448
#68Natalie Declining4,445
#69Lori Endangered4,432
#70Allison Declining4,406
#71Courtney Endangered4,321
#72Christy Endangered4,286
#73Kristin Endangered4,264
#74Kristina Endangered4,130
#75Vanessa Declining4,102
#76Veronica Stable4,062
#77Sandra Endangered3,995
#78Catherine Endangered3,878
#79Tammy Endangered3,758
#80Jacqueline Endangered3,740
#81Mindy Endangered3,712
#82Melinda Endangered3,705
#83Heidi Stable3,670
#84Kathleen Endangered3,641
#85Brooke Declining3,505
#86Tonya Endangered3,495
#87Teresa Endangered3,481
#88Lindsay Endangered3,466
#89Valerie Stable3,407
#90Pamela Endangered3,365
#91Erika Endangered3,316
#92Denise Endangered3,267
#93Tanya Endangered3,225
#94Cheryl Endangered3,210
#95Robin Endangered3,209
#96Gina Endangered3,116
#97Jaime Endangered3,086
#98Leah Stable3,075
#99Katrina Endangered2,998
#100Theresa Endangered2,995

Boys

#1Michael Past peak67,713
#2Christopher Endangered50,659
#3Jason Endangered50,369
#4David Past peak42,053
#5James Stable39,351
#6Matthew Declining35,621
#7John Past peak35,410
#8Robert Endangered34,015
#9Joshua Declining31,120
#10Brian Endangered28,659
#11Joseph Declining28,654
#12Daniel Declining28,521
#13William Declining24,676
#14Ryan Declining23,212
#15Nicholas Declining21,344
#16Jeremy Endangered21,005
#17Eric Endangered20,268
#18Timothy Endangered19,077
#19Kevin Endangered18,733
#20Andrew Declining18,618
#21Anthony Declining17,513
#22Justin Endangered17,390
#23Adam Declining17,046
#24Jeffrey Endangered16,865
#25Richard Endangered16,713
#26Thomas Stable16,454
#27Steven Endangered16,331
#28Charles Stable14,806
#29Scott Endangered14,440
#30Mark Endangered14,386
#31Jonathan Declining14,331
#32Aaron Declining13,076
#33Benjamin Declining12,512
#34Paul Endangered11,630
#35Brandon Endangered11,302
#36Travis Endangered11,037
#37Nathan Declining10,719
#38Chad Endangered10,161
#39Patrick Declining9,979
#40Stephen Endangered9,903
#41Kenneth Endangered9,236
#42Gregory Endangered9,109
#43Shawn Endangered7,910
#44Jose Stable7,848
#45Jacob Declining7,545
#46Bryan Declining7,441
#47Bradley Declining6,923
#48Edward Endangered6,877
#49Sean Endangered6,850
#50Jesse Stable6,679
#51Donald Endangered6,508
#52Keith Endangered6,186
#53Peter Stable6,079
#54Ronald Endangered5,694
#55Samuel Stable5,687
#56Kyle Endangered5,449
#57George Stable5,263
#58Douglas Endangered5,167
#59Gary Endangered5,038
#60Todd Endangered4,984
#61Juan Stable4,946
#62Dustin Endangered4,899
#63Corey Endangered4,738
#64Shaun Endangered4,736
#65Jared Stable4,670
#66Erik Declining4,640
#67Shane Endangered4,482
#68Phillip Endangered4,422
#69Larry Endangered4,393
#70Raymond Endangered4,335
#71Joel Declining4,216
#72Derek Stable4,200
#73Carlos Stable4,165
#74Zachary Endangered4,156
#75Dennis Endangered4,080
#76Marcus Declining4,048
#77Craig Endangered4,029
#78Frank Endangered3,928
#79Antonio Stable3,801
#80Derrick Endangered3,729
#81Jeremiah Declining3,719
#82Cory Endangered3,587
#83Philip Endangered3,460
#84Brent Endangered3,455
#85Jerry Endangered3,446
#86Randy Endangered3,416
#87Jeffery Endangered3,357
#88Jamie Rising3,240
#89Wesley Rising3,237
#90Gabriel Stable3,235
#91Curtis Endangered3,200
#92Russell Stable3,132
#93Casey Rising3,082
#94Alexander Declining3,058
#95Nathaniel Declining3,040
#96Terry Endangered3,040
#97Billy Endangered2,998
#98Brett Endangered2,997
#99Troy Endangered2,964
#100Carl Endangered2,898