Birth year roster

Top names in 1997

Name: Top baby names in 1997
Creator: Social Security Administration

The names most likely to appear on 1997 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.

Emily and Michael led the 1997 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — Emily, which rose to prominence in this era and Michael, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1997 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.

Explore the 1990s decade

Girls

#1Emily25,734
#2Jessica21,045
#3Ashley20,897
#4Sarah20,716
#5Hannah20,597
#6Samantha20,170
#7Taylor19,504
#8Alexis17,171
#9Elizabeth15,430
#10Madison15,189
#11Megan14,244
#12Kayla13,885
#13Rachel13,798
#14Lauren13,248
#15Alyssa12,649
#16Amanda12,243
#17Brianna12,008
#18Jennifer11,840
#19Victoria11,795
#20Brittany11,529
#21Nicole10,744
#22Morgan10,342
#23Stephanie9,778
#24Jasmine9,680
#25Rebecca9,634

Boys

#1Michael37,562
#2Jacob34,163
#3Matthew31,517
#4Christopher29,108
#5Joshua28,289
#6Nicholas27,258
#7Andrew25,208
#8Brandon25,197
#9Austin25,118
#10Tyler24,879
#11Daniel23,950
#12Joseph23,604
#13Zachary21,929
#14David21,896
#15John21,386
#16Ryan20,527
#17James20,408
#18Anthony20,034
#19William20,020
#20Justin18,745
#21Jonathan18,542
#22Alexander17,112
#23Robert16,304
#24Kyle15,919
#25Christian15,059