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US baby names · 1971

Most popular baby names of 1971

In 1971, Social Security card applications recorded 1,663,823 girls and 1,768,447 boys born in the US under names given to at least five babies of the same sex. That covers 9,645 distinct girls’ names and 5,655 boys’ names.

The most common names were Jennifer (56,771 girls) and Michael (77,577 boys). The ten most common girls’ names together account for 17% of recorded girls, and the top ten boys’ names for 27% of boys. Compared with 1970, 174,103 fewer babies were recorded in total.

Against the top 100 of 1970, 6 girls’ names and 5 boys’ names in 1971 are newcomers (girls: Crystal, Amanda, Christy; boys: Ryan, Joshua, Brandon). Of these names, 4 of the 100 girls’ names and 21 of the 100 boys’ names are still in the top 100 in 2025.

Ranks follow SSA’s order: most births first, with ties listed alphabetically. Each sparkline shows the name’s full history from 1880 to 2025, so you can see whether a 1971 favourite was rising, at its peak or already fading.

SSA names.zip · Social Security card applications · retrieved 2026-10-05
← 19701972 →

Top 100 girls’ names, 1971

RankNameGirlsBirths per year since 1880
#1Jennifer56,771
#2Michelle33,160
#3Lisa32,907
#4Kimberly30,708
#5Amy26,237
#6Angela25,901
#7Melissa23,875
#8Tammy17,656
#9Mary16,703
#10Julie15,322
#11Stephanie15,135
#12Heather15,017
#13Tracy14,330
#14Dawn14,288
#15Karen14,214
#16Laura13,875
#17Susan13,782
#18Christine13,678
#19Elizabeth13,606
#20Tina13,266
#21Shannon12,647
#22Kelly12,599
#23Rebecca12,192
#24Cynthia12,143
#25Lori11,829
#26Patricia11,470
#27Nicole10,423
#28Pamela10,149
#29Wendy10,063
#30Christina9,915
#31Sandra9,714
#32Stacy9,117
#33Deborah8,675
#34Teresa8,563
#35Andrea8,483
#36Denise8,219
#37Maria8,141
#38Donna8,013
#39Michele7,955
#40Sharon7,523
#41Stacey7,482
#42Linda7,376
#43Brenda7,160
#44Dana6,934
#45Tonya6,897
#46Rhonda6,649
#47Barbara6,453
#48Monica6,426
#49Tara6,336
#50Cheryl6,327
#51Robin6,213
#52Nancy6,212
#53Kathleen6,154
#54Rachel6,115
#55Carrie5,977
#56April5,939
#57Debra5,928
#58Sarah5,843
#59Jill5,724
#60Sherry5,562
#61Theresa5,446
#62Tiffany5,414
#63Paula5,379
#64Jessica5,359
#65Catherine5,337
#66Melanie5,135
#67Katherine5,120
#68Leslie5,111
#69Gina4,922
#70Cindy4,904
#71Kristin4,861
#72Tanya4,855
#73Renee4,830
#74Tracey4,789
#75Jacqueline4,784
#76Holly4,747
#77Heidi4,714
#78Ann4,558
#79Crystal4,530
#80Tamara4,486
#81Sheila4,333
#82Diana4,211
#83Diane4,208
#84Amanda4,130
#85Melinda4,057
#86Margaret4,001
#87Kristen3,967
#88Suzanne3,932
#89Christy3,930
#90Regina3,874
#91Kathy3,863
#92Carol3,857
#93Erin3,856
#94Jodi3,826
#95Deanna3,791
#96Laurie3,749
#97Victoria3,722
#98Yolanda3,721
#99Danielle3,716
#100Beth3,686

Top 100 boys’ names, 1971

RankNameBoysBirths per year since 1880
#1Michael77,577
#2James54,597
#3David53,113
#4John51,512
#5Robert50,634
#6Christopher48,225
#7William35,413
#8Jason34,173
#9Brian32,624
#10Scott30,901
#11Richard26,154
#12Jeffrey25,834
#13Mark25,132
#14Kevin24,850
#15Joseph24,517
#16Steven23,686
#17Thomas23,149
#18Eric22,962
#19Matthew22,543
#20Daniel21,785
#21Timothy20,089
#22Charles19,851
#23Anthony19,223
#24Paul17,469
#25Kenneth14,763
#26Gregory14,760
#27Stephen13,102
#28Shawn12,825
#29Chad12,137
#30Todd12,055
#31Ronald11,617
#32Edward11,062
#33Andrew10,911
#34Donald10,872
#35Patrick10,808
#36Sean10,510
#37Keith9,851
#38Gary9,190
#39Douglas8,737
#40Jonathan8,628
#41Aaron8,403
#42George8,226
#43Craig7,957
#44Larry7,763
#45Jeremy7,498
#46Troy7,340
#47Peter7,025
#48Bryan6,611
#49Dennis6,584
#50Jerry6,572
#51Ryan6,184
#52Raymond6,104
#53Jeffery6,100
#54Frank6,089
#55Jose6,004
#56Terry5,858
#57Adam5,846
#58Bradley5,780
#59Rodney5,195
#60Shane5,093
#61Travis5,016
#62Tony4,889
#63Derek4,667
#64Russell4,545
#65Marcus4,410
#66Samuel4,407
#67Randy4,345
#68Chris4,293
#69Benjamin4,251
#70Marc4,212
#71Roger4,129
#72Carl4,055
#73Brent4,053
#74Johnny3,939
#75Billy3,907
#76Phillip3,850
#77Corey3,766
#78Jon3,717
#79Bobby3,652
#80Joshua3,650
#81Juan3,648
#82Danny3,611
#83Gerald3,588
#84Derrick3,582
#85Lawrence3,523
#86Joel3,499
#87Vincent3,435
#88Carlos3,426
#89Curtis3,426
#90Brett3,357
#91Walter3,356
#92Wayne3,331
#93Jimmy3,315
#94Philip3,302
#95Brandon3,263
#96Jamie3,231
#97Erik3,212
#98Lance3,175
#99Alan3,168
#100Darren3,156