Most popular baby names of 1971

In 1971, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (77,585 babies, 4.4% of boys) and Jennifer for girls (56,771 babies, 3.4% of girls). The rest of the top five were James, David, John and Robert for boys and Michelle, Lisa, Kimberly and Amy for girls. SSA recorded 5,656 different boy names and 9,647 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1971
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	77,585	–
2	James	54,603	–
3	David	53,118	–
4	John	51,508	–
5	Robert	50,635	–
6	Christopher	48,224	–
7	William	35,416	–
8	Jason	34,179	▲ 5
9	Brian	32,625	▼ 1
10	Scott	30,902	▲ 2
11	Richard	26,157	▼ 1
12	Jeffrey	25,835	▼ 1
13	Mark	25,132	▼ 4
14	Kevin	24,850	–
15	Joseph	24,514	▲ 1
16	Steven	23,683	▼ 1
17	Thomas	23,150	–
18	Eric	22,964	–
19	Matthew	22,542	▲ 5
20	Daniel	21,787	▼ 1
21	Timothy	20,089	▼ 1
22	Charles	19,851	▼ 1
23	Anthony	19,225	▼ 1
24	Paul	17,468	▼ 1
25	Gregory	14,762	▲ 1
26	Kenneth	14,762	▼ 1
27	Stephen	13,101	–
28	Shawn	12,825	▲ 6
29	Chad	12,138	▲ 22
30	Todd	12,056	▼ 2
31	Ronald	11,618	▼ 2
32	Edward	11,061	▼ 1
33	Andrew	10,915	▼ 1
34	Donald	10,873	▼ 4
35	Patrick	10,810	▼ 2
36	Sean	10,510	▲ 1
37	Keith	9,852	▲ 1
38	Gary	9,189	▼ 3
39	Douglas	8,738	▼ 3
40	Jonathan	8,629	▲ 2
41	Aaron	8,403	▲ 11
42	George	8,226	▼ 2
43	Craig	7,958	▼ 4
44	Larry	7,764	▼ 1
45	Jeremy	7,499	▲ 25
46	Troy	7,338	▼ 5
47	Peter	7,024	▼ 3
48	Bryan	6,612	▲ 5
49	Dennis	6,583	▼ 3
50	Jerry	6,572	▼ 5
51	Ryan	6,184	▲ 89
52	Raymond	6,104	▼ 3
53	Jeffery	6,100	▼ 3
54	Frank	6,089	▼ 6
55	Jose	6,004	▲ 1
56	Terry	5,858	▼ 2
57	Adam	5,847	▲ 15
58	Bradley	5,781	▼ 11
59	Rodney	5,195	▼ 4
60	Shane	5,093	▲ 4
61	Travis	5,015	▲ 8
62	Tony	4,889	▼ 5
63	Derek	4,667	▲ 14
64	Russell	4,543	▼ 6
65	Marcus	4,409	▲ 6
66	Samuel	4,406	▼ 4
67	Randy	4,344	▼ 8
68	Chris	4,292	▼ 5
69	Benjamin	4,250	▲ 12
70	Marc	4,210	▼ 10
71	Roger	4,128	▼ 10
72	Carl	4,056	▼ 6
73	Brent	4,053	▲ 1
74	Johnny	3,939	▼ 9
75	Billy	3,907	▲ 3
76	Phillip	3,850	▼ 3
77	Corey	3,766	▲ 7
78	Jon	3,717	▼ 10
79	Bobby	3,652	▲ 8
80	Joshua	3,649	▲ 70
81	Juan	3,646	▲ 14
82	Danny	3,610	▲ 3
83	Gerald	3,588	▼ 16
84	Derrick	3,580	▲ 12
85	Lawrence	3,523	▼ 2
86	Joel	3,499	▼ 4
87	Vincent	3,434	▼ 8
88	Carlos	3,426	▲ 10
89	Curtis	3,426	▼ 1
90	Brett	3,359	▲ 9
91	Walter	3,356	▼ 2
92	Wayne	3,333	▼ 12
93	Jimmy	3,315	▼ 7
94	Philip	3,302	▼ 2
95	Brandon	3,262	▲ 36
96	Jamie	3,231	▲ 29
97	Erik	3,212	▲ 4
98	Lance	3,176	▼ 22
99	Alan	3,168	▼ 8
100	Darren	3,156	▼ 25

Top 100 girl names, 1971
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Jennifer	56,771	–
2	Michelle	33,159	▲ 2
3	Lisa	32,910	▼ 1
4	Kimberly	30,706	▼ 1
5	Amy	26,237	–
6	Angela	25,900	–
7	Melissa	23,876	–
8	Tammy	17,656	–
9	Mary	16,702	–
10	Julie	15,324	▲ 1
11	Stephanie	15,134	▲ 6
12	Heather	15,019	▲ 7
13	Tracy	14,329	▼ 3
14	Dawn	14,288	▲ 2
15	Karen	14,213	▼ 3
16	Laura	13,874	▼ 3
17	Susan	13,783	▼ 2
18	Christine	13,677	▼ 4
19	Elizabeth	13,605	▼ 1
20	Tina	13,265	▲ 1
21	Shannon	12,647	▲ 1
22	Kelly	12,599	▼ 2
23	Rebecca	12,192	▲ 6
24	Cynthia	12,144	▲ 1
25	Lori	11,829	▼ 2
26	Patricia	11,469	▼ 2
27	Nicole	10,423	▲ 3
28	Pamela	10,149	▼ 2
29	Wendy	10,063	▼ 1
30	Christina	9,916	▲ 5
31	Sandra	9,713	▼ 4
32	Stacy	9,116	▲ 10
33	Deborah	8,674	–
34	Teresa	8,562	–
35	Andrea	8,482	▲ 8
36	Denise	8,219	–
37	Maria	8,137	▲ 2
38	Donna	8,014	▼ 6
39	Michele	7,955	▼ 8
40	Sharon	7,523	▼ 3
41	Stacey	7,482	▲ 7
42	Linda	7,376	▼ 4
43	Brenda	7,161	▼ 3
44	Dana	6,934	▲ 10
45	Tonya	6,897	▲ 4
46	Rhonda	6,649	–
47	Barbara	6,454	▼ 6
48	Monica	6,427	▲ 8
49	Tara	6,335	▲ 20
50	Cheryl	6,327	▼ 6
51	Robin	6,213	–
52	Nancy	6,212	▼ 2
53	Kathleen	6,154	▼ 8
54	Rachel	6,113	▲ 4
55	Carrie	5,976	▲ 18
56	April	5,939	▲ 26
57	Debra	5,928	▼ 10
58	Sarah	5,844	▲ 7
59	Jill	5,724	▼ 7
60	Sherry	5,562	–
61	Theresa	5,446	▼ 8
62	Tiffany	5,413	▲ 37
63	Paula	5,378	▼ 6
64	Jessica	5,360	▲ 34
65	Catherine	5,336	▼ 6
66	Melanie	5,134	▲ 25
67	Katherine	5,122	–
68	Leslie	5,111	▼ 4
69	Gina	4,921	▼ 8
70	Cindy	4,905	▲ 2
71	Kristin	4,861	▼ 8
72	Tanya	4,854	▲ 4
73	Renee	4,830	▼ 5
74	Tracey	4,789	▼ 19
75	Jacqueline	4,785	▼ 9
76	Holly	4,746	▼ 2
77	Heidi	4,715	▲ 4
78	Ann	4,558	▼ 16
79	Crystal	4,530	▲ 22
80	Tamara	4,486	▼ 1
81	Sheila	4,333	▼ 6
82	Diana	4,211	▲ 7
83	Diane	4,209	▼ 13
84	Amanda	4,130	▲ 24
85	Melinda	4,057	▲ 8
86	Margaret	4,001	▼ 6
87	Kristen	3,967	▼ 4
88	Christy	3,931	▲ 17
89	Suzanne	3,931	▼ 2
90	Regina	3,874	▼ 4
91	Kathy	3,863	▼ 14
92	Carol	3,859	▼ 21
93	Erin	3,856	▲ 18
94	Jodi	3,827	▲ 1
95	Deanna	3,791	▼ 5
96	Laurie	3,750	▼ 8
97	Victoria	3,722	▼ 12
98	Yolanda	3,721	▲ 8
99	Danielle	3,718	▲ 15
100	Beth	3,686	▼ 8

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1971. 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.