Most popular baby names of 1972

In 1972, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (71,391 babies, 4.4% of boys) and Jennifer for girls (63,602 babies, 4.2% of girls). The rest of the top five were Christopher, James, David and John for boys and Michelle, Lisa, Kimberly and Amy for girls. SSA recorded 5,751 different boy names and 9,665 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1972
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	71,391	–
2	Christopher	52,173	▲ 4
3	James	47,064	▼ 1
4	David	46,326	▼ 1
5	John	43,162	▼ 1
6	Robert	43,015	▼ 1
7	Jason	37,434	▲ 1
8	Brian	36,309	▲ 1
9	William	30,512	▼ 2
10	Matthew	22,931	▲ 9
11	Scott	22,840	▼ 1
12	Joseph	22,456	▲ 3
13	Kevin	22,357	▲ 1
14	Richard	22,303	▼ 3
15	Daniel	22,091	▲ 5
16	Eric	22,031	▲ 2
17	Jeffrey	21,677	▼ 5
18	Mark	21,494	▼ 5
19	Steven	19,853	▼ 3
20	Thomas	19,561	▼ 3
21	Timothy	17,605	–
22	Anthony	17,459	▲ 1
23	Charles	16,969	▼ 1
24	Paul	14,561	–
25	Chad	13,391	▲ 4
26	Gregory	13,059	▼ 1
27	Kenneth	12,333	▼ 1
28	Shawn	11,279	–
29	Stephen	11,037	▼ 2
30	Andrew	10,114	▲ 3
31	Todd	9,968	▼ 1
32	Ronald	9,503	▼ 1
33	Sean	9,446	▲ 3
34	Edward	9,295	▼ 2
35	Patrick	9,275	–
36	Donald	9,261	▼ 2
37	Jonathan	9,223	▲ 3
38	Keith	9,146	▼ 1
39	Ryan	8,879	▲ 12
40	Aaron	7,863	▲ 1
41	Gary	7,759	▼ 3
42	Jeremy	7,399	▲ 3
43	Douglas	7,389	▼ 4
44	George	7,164	▼ 2
45	Bryan	7,034	▲ 3
46	Craig	6,731	▼ 3
47	Larry	6,603	▼ 3
48	Peter	6,475	▼ 1
49	Troy	6,347	▼ 3
50	Jose	5,935	▲ 5
51	Adam	5,740	▲ 6
52	Dennis	5,608	▼ 3
53	Jerry	5,597	▼ 3
54	Raymond	5,442	▼ 2
55	Shane	5,235	▲ 5
56	Frank	5,167	▼ 2
57	Travis	5,138	▲ 4
58	Jeffery	5,063	▼ 5
59	Joshua	5,033	▲ 21
60	Justin	4,975	▲ 43
61	Bradley	4,839	▼ 3
62	Terry	4,770	▼ 6
63	Brandon	4,625	▲ 32
64	Benjamin	4,498	▲ 5
65	Rodney	4,363	▼ 6
66	Samuel	4,214	–
67	Derek	4,146	▼ 4
68	Tony	4,001	▼ 6
69	Russell	3,783	▼ 5
70	Randy	3,739	▼ 3
71	Marcus	3,685	▼ 6
72	Jamie	3,680	▲ 24
73	Juan	3,674	▲ 8
74	Johnny	3,564	–
75	Roger	3,534	▼ 4
76	Phillip	3,532	–
77	Brent	3,530	▼ 4
78	Joel	3,528	▲ 8
79	Nathan	3,514	▲ 25
80	Brett	3,503	▲ 10
81	Billy	3,473	▼ 6
82	Chris	3,473	▼ 14
83	Marc	3,465	▼ 13
84	Carlos	3,436	▲ 4
85	Carl	3,406	▼ 13
86	Erik	3,399	▲ 11
87	Danny	3,306	▼ 5
88	Jesse	3,226	▲ 19
89	Jon	3,221	▼ 11
90	Bobby	3,172	▼ 11
91	Derrick	3,088	▼ 7
92	Curtis	3,080	▼ 3
93	Antonio	3,029	▲ 17
94	Shannon	3,013	▲ 12
95	Corey	2,991	▼ 18
96	Christian	2,962	▲ 26
97	Jimmy	2,933	▼ 4
98	Walter	2,917	▼ 7
99	Nicholas	2,844	▲ 24
100	Joe	2,825	▲ 1

Top 100 girl names, 1972
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Jennifer	63,602	–
2	Michelle	29,287	–
3	Lisa	27,543	–
4	Kimberly	26,281	–
5	Amy	25,872	–
6	Angela	23,562	–
7	Melissa	22,494	–
8	Stephanie	16,890	▲ 3
9	Heather	16,320	▲ 3
10	Nicole	15,755	▲ 17
11	Tammy	14,211	▼ 3
12	Julie	14,063	▼ 2
13	Mary	13,756	▼ 4
14	Rebecca	13,253	▲ 9
15	Elizabeth	12,183	▲ 4
16	Christine	11,986	▲ 2
17	Laura	11,777	▼ 1
18	Tina	11,522	▲ 2
19	Tracy	11,436	▼ 6
20	Dawn	11,340	▼ 6
21	Karen	11,180	▼ 6
22	Shannon	10,966	▼ 1
23	Kelly	10,943	▼ 1
24	Susan	10,574	▼ 7
25	Christina	10,173	▲ 5
26	Cynthia	10,173	▼ 2
27	Patricia	9,600	▼ 1
28	Lori	9,434	▼ 3
29	Wendy	8,529	–
30	Andrea	8,021	▲ 5
31	Sandra	7,916	–
32	Maria	7,717	▲ 5
33	Stacy	7,603	▼ 1
34	Pamela	7,471	▼ 6
35	Denise	7,381	▲ 1
36	Michele	7,380	▲ 3
37	Tonya	7,243	▲ 8
38	Tara	7,234	▲ 11
39	Teresa	7,177	▼ 5
40	Rachel	6,417	▲ 14
41	Stacey	6,380	–
42	Melanie	6,295	▲ 24
43	Deborah	6,273	▼ 10
44	Brenda	6,270	▼ 1
45	Donna	6,256	▼ 7
46	Jessica	6,206	▲ 18
47	Monica	6,133	▲ 1
48	April	6,120	▲ 8
49	Sarah	6,114	▲ 9
50	Sharon	6,111	▼ 10
51	Linda	5,743	▼ 9
52	Dana	5,611	▼ 8
53	Carrie	5,422	▲ 2
54	Tanya	5,402	▲ 18
55	Robin	5,368	▼ 4
56	Cheryl	5,136	▼ 6
57	Kathleen	5,096	▼ 4
58	Barbara	5,079	▼ 11
59	Crystal	5,043	▲ 20
60	Rhonda	5,001	▼ 14
61	Tiffany	4,845	▲ 1
62	Jill	4,825	▼ 3
63	Nancy	4,818	▼ 11
64	Heidi	4,723	▲ 13
65	Catherine	4,685	–
66	Debra	4,666	▼ 9
67	Kristin	4,587	▲ 4
68	Theresa	4,569	▼ 7
69	Katherine	4,511	▼ 2
70	Sherry	4,447	▼ 10
71	Holly	4,376	▲ 5
72	Paula	4,260	▼ 9
73	Danielle	4,201	▲ 26
74	Christy	4,189	▲ 14
75	Leslie	4,184	▼ 7
76	Amanda	4,181	▲ 8
77	Renee	4,088	▼ 4
78	Gina	4,057	▼ 9
79	Jacqueline	3,803	▼ 4
80	Cindy	3,737	▼ 10
81	Melinda	3,671	▲ 4
82	Veronica	3,563	▲ 28
83	Diana	3,547	▼ 1
84	Tamara	3,531	▼ 4
85	Kristen	3,528	▲ 2
86	Anna	3,449	▲ 20
87	Erica	3,443	▲ 21
88	Tracey	3,407	▼ 14
89	Yolanda	3,398	▲ 9
90	Sheila	3,394	▼ 9
91	Ann	3,360	▼ 13
92	Suzanne	3,300	▼ 3
93	Erin	3,289	–
94	Shelly	3,288	▲ 9
95	Margaret	3,286	▼ 9
96	Alicia	3,268	▲ 9
97	Jodi	3,260	▼ 3
98	Laurie	3,228	▼ 2
99	Victoria	3,206	▼ 2
100	Valerie	3,193	▲ 2

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1972. 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.