Most popular baby names of 1970

In 1970, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (85,271 babies, 4.6% of boys) and Jennifer for girls (46,150 babies, 2.6% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, David, John and Robert for boys and Lisa, Kimberly, Michelle and Amy for girls. SSA recorded 5,432 different boy names and 9,355 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1970
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	85,271	–
2	James	61,740	▲ 1
3	David	61,729	▼ 1
4	John	58,496	–
5	Robert	57,179	–
6	Christopher	41,751	▲ 1
7	William	38,889	▼ 1
8	Brian	31,918	▲ 1
9	Mark	31,464	▼ 1
10	Richard	30,440	–
11	Jeffrey	30,142	–
12	Scott	28,572	–
13	Jason	27,274	▲ 12
14	Kevin	26,970	▲ 2
15	Steven	26,795	▼ 1
16	Joseph	26,718	▼ 1
17	Thomas	26,674	▼ 4
18	Eric	23,573	▲ 3
19	Daniel	23,521	▼ 1
20	Timothy	22,427	▼ 3
21	Charles	22,412	▼ 2
22	Anthony	21,176	▼ 2
23	Paul	20,197	▼ 1
24	Matthew	20,188	–
25	Kenneth	16,803	▼ 2
26	Gregory	16,287	–
27	Stephen	14,760	–
28	Todd	14,425	–
29	Ronald	13,617	–
30	Donald	12,397	–
31	Edward	12,278	▲ 1
32	Andrew	11,988	▲ 1
33	Patrick	11,734	▼ 2
34	Shawn	10,945	▲ 7
35	Gary	10,716	–
36	Douglas	10,410	▼ 2
37	Sean	10,344	–
38	Keith	9,615	▼ 2
39	Craig	9,367	–
40	George	8,913	▼ 2
41	Troy	8,448	▲ 1
42	Jonathan	8,194	▲ 4
43	Larry	8,105	▼ 3
44	Peter	8,057	▼ 1
45	Jerry	7,422	–
46	Dennis	7,313	▼ 2
47	Bradley	6,819	▲ 6
48	Frank	6,805	▼ 1
49	Raymond	6,789	▲ 1
50	Jeffery	6,701	▼ 2
51	Chad	6,629	▲ 18
52	Aaron	6,583	▲ 9
53	Bryan	6,451	▼ 2
54	Terry	6,187	▼ 2
55	Rodney	5,856	▼ 6
56	Jose	5,691	–
57	Tony	5,480	▼ 3
58	Russell	5,106	▼ 1
59	Randy	5,037	▼ 4
60	Marc	5,011	▲ 3
61	Roger	4,584	▼ 2
62	Samuel	4,559	▲ 2
63	Chris	4,461	▲ 3
64	Shane	4,451	▲ 23
65	Johnny	4,438	▲ 2
66	Carl	4,401	▼ 4
67	Gerald	4,399	▼ 2
68	Jon	4,370	–
69	Travis	4,323	▲ 45
70	Jeremy	4,318	▲ 77
71	Marcus	4,315	▲ 67
72	Adam	4,314	▲ 41
73	Phillip	4,275	▲ 1
74	Brent	4,270	▲ 18
75	Darren	4,197	▼ 15
76	Lance	4,160	▲ 27
77	Derek	4,147	▲ 32
78	Billy	4,122	▼ 1
79	Vincent	4,021	▼ 9
80	Wayne	4,006	▼ 5
81	Benjamin	3,927	▲ 10
82	Joel	3,840	▼ 2
83	Lawrence	3,824	▼ 12
84	Corey	3,813	▼ 26
85	Danny	3,768	▼ 12
86	Jimmy	3,659	▼ 8
87	Bobby	3,636	▼ 5
88	Curtis	3,615	▼ 7
89	Walter	3,584	▼ 5
90	Joe	3,569	▼ 7
91	Alan	3,553	▼ 15
92	Philip	3,521	▼ 6
93	Martin	3,502	▼ 14
94	Bruce	3,482	▼ 22
95	Juan	3,474	▲ 9
96	Derrick	3,446	▲ 11
97	Jay	3,416	▼ 2
98	Carlos	3,380	▲ 12
99	Brett	3,370	▼ 5
100	Randall	3,271	▼ 15

Top 100 girl names, 1970
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Jennifer	46,150	▲ 2
2	Lisa	38,965	▼ 1
3	Kimberly	34,133	▲ 1
4	Michelle	34,046	▼ 2
5	Amy	25,213	▲ 1
6	Angela	24,930	▲ 1
7	Melissa	23,734	▼ 2
8	Tammy	19,586	▲ 1
9	Mary	19,203	▼ 1
10	Tracy	18,465	▲ 7
11	Julie	17,158	▲ 1
12	Karen	16,700	▲ 1
13	Laura	16,492	▼ 3
14	Christine	16,062	–
15	Susan	15,739	▼ 4
16	Dawn	15,681	▲ 5
17	Stephanie	15,387	▲ 2
18	Elizabeth	15,112	▼ 2
19	Heather	14,670	▲ 15
20	Kelly	14,608	▼ 5
21	Tina	13,863	▲ 1
22	Shannon	13,547	▲ 9
23	Lori	13,449	▼ 3
24	Patricia	13,406	▼ 6
25	Cynthia	12,913	▼ 2
26	Pamela	12,906	▼ 2
27	Sandra	11,246	▼ 2
28	Wendy	11,100	▲ 1
29	Rebecca	10,855	▼ 1
30	Nicole	10,691	▲ 17
31	Michele	10,090	▼ 1
32	Donna	9,969	▼ 6
33	Deborah	9,846	▼ 6
34	Teresa	9,612	▼ 2
35	Christina	9,588	▲ 2
36	Denise	9,342	▼ 1
37	Sharon	9,178	▼ 1
38	Linda	8,730	▼ 5
39	Maria	8,684	▲ 1
40	Brenda	8,336	▼ 2
41	Barbara	8,026	▼ 2
42	Stacy	7,771	▲ 11
43	Andrea	7,708	▲ 5
44	Cheryl	7,439	▼ 3
45	Kathleen	7,409	▼ 3
46	Rhonda	7,379	▼ 2
47	Debra	7,197	▼ 4
48	Stacey	7,154	▲ 4
49	Tonya	7,140	▲ 5
50	Nancy	7,062	▼ 5
51	Robin	7,004	▼ 5
52	Jill	6,806	▼ 1
53	Theresa	6,412	▼ 4
54	Dana	6,405	▲ 6
55	Tracey	6,230	▲ 10
56	Monica	6,188	▲ 3
57	Paula	6,055	▼ 7
58	Rachel	6,030	▲ 11
59	Catherine	6,006	▼ 1
60	Sherry	5,917	▼ 5
61	Gina	5,875	▲ 2
62	Ann	5,740	▼ 5
63	Kristin	5,633	▲ 13
64	Leslie	5,622	–
65	Sarah	5,614	▲ 7
66	Jacqueline	5,576	▼ 4
67	Katherine	5,443	▲ 3
68	Renee	5,373	▼ 1
69	Tara	5,330	▲ 38
70	Diane	5,186	▼ 9
71	Carol	5,063	▼ 15
72	Cindy	5,049	▲ 2
73	Carrie	4,977	▲ 21
74	Holly	4,940	▲ 13
75	Sheila	4,937	▼ 7
76	Tanya	4,862	▲ 14
77	Kathy	4,797	–
78	Kim	4,729	▼ 12
79	Tamara	4,721	▼ 1
80	Margaret	4,704	▼ 7
81	Heidi	4,641	▼ 1
82	April	4,602	▲ 15
83	Kristen	4,600	▲ 13
84	Carolyn	4,518	▼ 13
85	Victoria	4,460	▼ 2
86	Regina	4,433	–
87	Suzanne	4,425	▼ 12
88	Laurie	4,392	▼ 9
89	Diana	4,373	▼ 8
90	Deanna	4,331	▼ 2
91	Melanie	4,330	▲ 1
92	Beth	4,247	▼ 10
93	Melinda	4,225	▼ 4
94	Carla	4,214	▼ 3
95	Jodi	4,185	–
96	Janet	4,159	▼ 12
97	Valerie	4,130	▼ 12
98	Jessica	4,022	▲ 36
99	Tiffany	4,001	▲ 45
100	Traci	3,854	▲ 12

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1970. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.