Most popular baby names of 1973
In 1973, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (67,808 babies, 4.4% of boys) and Jennifer for girls (62,447 babies, 4.3% of girls). The rest of the top five were Christopher, Jason, James and David for boys and Amy, Michelle, Kimberly and Lisa for girls. SSA recorded 5,877 different boy names and 9,809 different girl names that year.
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 67,808 | – |
| 2 | Christopher | 48,309 | – |
| 3 | Jason | 46,678 | ▲ 4 |
| 4 | James | 42,838 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | David | 41,085 | ▼ 1 |
| 6 | John | 39,169 | ▼ 1 |
| 7 | Robert | 38,698 | ▼ 1 |
| 8 | Brian | 35,688 | – |
| 9 | William | 28,015 | – |
| 10 | Matthew | 24,535 | – |
| 11 | Daniel | 23,673 | ▲ 4 |
| 12 | Joseph | 21,327 | – |
| 13 | Eric | 20,802 | ▲ 3 |
| 14 | Kevin | 20,771 | ▼ 1 |
| 15 | Mark | 20,372 | ▲ 3 |
| 16 | Richard | 19,943 | ▼ 2 |
| 17 | Jeffrey | 19,215 | – |
| 18 | Scott | 18,981 | ▼ 7 |
| 19 | Thomas | 17,924 | ▲ 1 |
| 20 | Steven | 17,177 | ▼ 1 |
| 21 | Anthony | 16,415 | ▲ 1 |
| 22 | Timothy | 16,035 | ▼ 1 |
| 23 | Charles | 15,751 | – |
| 24 | Paul | 12,903 | – |
| 25 | Chad | 12,885 | – |
| 26 | Gregory | 11,673 | – |
| 27 | Shawn | 11,451 | ▲ 1 |
| 28 | Kenneth | 10,981 | ▼ 1 |
| 29 | Andrew | 10,729 | ▲ 1 |
| 30 | Ryan | 10,513 | ▲ 9 |
| 31 | Jonathan | 10,271 | ▲ 6 |
| 32 | Stephen | 9,958 | ▼ 3 |
| 33 | Jeremy | 9,364 | ▲ 9 |
| 34 | Aaron | 9,231 | ▲ 6 |
| 35 | Todd | 8,678 | ▼ 4 |
| 36 | Sean | 8,556 | ▼ 3 |
| 37 | Patrick | 8,483 | ▼ 2 |
| 38 | Donald | 8,361 | ▼ 2 |
| 39 | Edward | 8,359 | ▼ 5 |
| 40 | Ronald | 8,328 | ▼ 8 |
| 41 | Keith | 8,167 | ▼ 3 |
| 42 | Joshua | 8,058 | ▲ 17 |
| 43 | Bryan | 7,112 | ▲ 2 |
| 44 | Gary | 6,851 | ▼ 3 |
| 45 | Adam | 6,841 | ▲ 6 |
| 46 | George | 6,603 | ▼ 2 |
| 47 | Douglas | 6,595 | ▼ 4 |
| 48 | Craig | 6,294 | ▼ 2 |
| 49 | Jose | 6,096 | ▲ 1 |
| 50 | Larry | 6,080 | ▼ 3 |
| 51 | Justin | 6,077 | ▲ 9 |
| 52 | Peter | 5,913 | ▼ 4 |
| 53 | Travis | 5,867 | ▲ 4 |
| 54 | Shane | 5,711 | ▲ 1 |
| 55 | Benjamin | 5,227 | ▲ 9 |
| 56 | Dennis | 5,176 | ▼ 4 |
| 57 | Jerry | 5,097 | ▼ 4 |
| 58 | Brandon | 5,066 | ▲ 5 |
| 59 | Troy | 5,065 | ▼ 10 |
| 60 | Raymond | 4,833 | ▼ 6 |
| 61 | Frank | 4,784 | ▼ 5 |
| 62 | Bradley | 4,747 | ▼ 1 |
| 63 | Nathan | 4,735 | ▲ 16 |
| 64 | Jeffery | 4,407 | ▼ 6 |
| 65 | Terry | 4,375 | ▼ 3 |
| 66 | Samuel | 4,266 | – |
| 67 | Juan | 4,087 | ▲ 6 |
| 68 | Rodney | 4,059 | ▼ 3 |
| 69 | Derek | 3,920 | ▼ 2 |
| 70 | Jamie | 3,913 | ▲ 2 |
| 71 | Phillip | 3,861 | ▲ 5 |
| 72 | Marcus | 3,715 | ▼ 1 |
| 73 | Joel | 3,570 | ▲ 5 |
| 74 | Carlos | 3,568 | ▲ 10 |
| 75 | Jesse | 3,442 | ▲ 13 |
| 76 | Billy | 3,437 | ▲ 5 |
| 77 | Russell | 3,397 | ▼ 8 |
| 78 | Tony | 3,348 | ▼ 10 |
| 79 | Randy | 3,346 | ▼ 9 |
| 80 | Brent | 3,287 | ▼ 3 |
| 81 | Marc | 3,275 | ▲ 2 |
| 82 | Johnny | 3,267 | ▼ 8 |
| 83 | Danny | 3,180 | ▲ 4 |
| 84 | Nicholas | 3,154 | ▲ 15 |
| 85 | Roger | 3,154 | ▼ 10 |
| 86 | Erik | 3,060 | – |
| 87 | Derrick | 3,056 | ▲ 4 |
| 88 | Brett | 3,031 | ▼ 8 |
| 89 | Corey | 3,019 | ▲ 6 |
| 90 | Carl | 3,013 | ▼ 5 |
| 91 | Philip | 2,998 | ▲ 13 |
| 92 | Antonio | 2,964 | ▲ 1 |
| 93 | Bobby | 2,889 | ▼ 3 |
| 94 | Jon | 2,799 | ▼ 5 |
| 95 | Jimmy | 2,735 | ▲ 2 |
| 96 | Chris | 2,703 | ▼ 14 |
| 97 | Christian | 2,693 | ▼ 1 |
| 98 | Curtis | 2,691 | ▼ 6 |
| 99 | Vincent | 2,685 | ▲ 6 |
| 100 | Shannon | 2,636 | ▼ 6 |
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 62,447 | – |
| 2 | Amy | 26,964 | ▲ 3 |
| 3 | Michelle | 26,936 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Kimberly | 23,531 | – |
| 5 | Lisa | 22,673 | ▼ 2 |
| 6 | Melissa | 22,480 | ▲ 1 |
| 7 | Angela | 20,898 | ▼ 1 |
| 8 | Heather | 19,346 | ▲ 1 |
| 9 | Stephanie | 17,264 | ▼ 1 |
| 10 | Rebecca | 14,869 | ▲ 4 |
| 11 | Nicole | 13,922 | ▼ 1 |
| 12 | Julie | 12,784 | – |
| 13 | Elizabeth | 12,358 | ▲ 2 |
| 14 | Mary | 12,313 | ▼ 1 |
| 15 | Tammy | 11,245 | ▼ 4 |
| 16 | Christina | 10,888 | ▲ 9 |
| 17 | Christine | 10,549 | ▼ 1 |
| 18 | Kelly | 10,514 | ▲ 5 |
| 19 | Laura | 10,343 | ▼ 2 |
| 20 | Tracy | 9,913 | ▼ 1 |
| 21 | Dawn | 9,890 | ▼ 1 |
| 22 | Shannon | 9,803 | – |
| 23 | Karen | 9,352 | ▼ 2 |
| 24 | Tina | 9,308 | ▼ 6 |
| 25 | Susan | 9,279 | ▼ 1 |
| 26 | Cynthia | 8,744 | – |
| 27 | Patricia | 8,477 | – |
| 28 | Lori | 8,472 | – |
| 29 | Wendy | 7,811 | – |
| 30 | Andrea | 7,766 | – |
| 31 | Maria | 7,665 | ▲ 1 |
| 32 | Stacy | 7,339 | ▲ 1 |
| 33 | April | 7,265 | ▲ 15 |
| 34 | Jessica | 7,228 | ▲ 12 |
| 35 | Sarah | 7,214 | ▲ 14 |
| 36 | Tonya | 7,185 | ▲ 1 |
| 37 | Tara | 6,708 | ▲ 1 |
| 38 | Denise | 6,615 | ▼ 3 |
| 39 | Sandra | 6,584 | ▼ 8 |
| 40 | Monica | 6,379 | ▲ 7 |
| 41 | Stacey | 6,253 | – |
| 42 | Rachel | 6,103 | ▼ 2 |
| 43 | Melanie | 6,079 | ▼ 1 |
| 44 | Michele | 5,996 | ▼ 8 |
| 45 | Teresa | 5,986 | ▼ 6 |
| 46 | Carrie | 5,836 | ▲ 7 |
| 47 | Pamela | 5,813 | ▼ 13 |
| 48 | Crystal | 5,769 | ▲ 11 |
| 49 | Danielle | 5,648 | ▲ 24 |
| 50 | Tanya | 5,632 | ▲ 4 |
| 51 | Amanda | 5,626 | ▲ 25 |
| 52 | Tiffany | 5,501 | ▲ 9 |
| 53 | Brenda | 5,379 | ▼ 9 |
| 54 | Holly | 5,114 | ▲ 17 |
| 55 | Donna | 5,058 | ▼ 10 |
| 56 | Deborah | 4,979 | ▼ 13 |
| 57 | Sharon | 4,963 | ▼ 7 |
| 58 | Kristen | 4,936 | ▲ 27 |
| 59 | Dana | 4,934 | ▼ 7 |
| 60 | Robin | 4,805 | ▼ 5 |
| 61 | Linda | 4,731 | ▼ 10 |
| 62 | Jill | 4,538 | – |
| 63 | Barbara | 4,434 | ▼ 5 |
| 64 | Katherine | 4,419 | ▲ 5 |
| 65 | Heidi | 4,396 | ▼ 1 |
| 66 | Tamara | 4,286 | ▲ 18 |
| 67 | Catherine | 4,262 | ▼ 2 |
| 68 | Kathleen | 4,250 | ▼ 11 |
| 69 | Theresa | 4,179 | ▼ 1 |
| 70 | Rhonda | 4,161 | ▼ 10 |
| 71 | Veronica | 4,152 | ▲ 11 |
| 72 | Melinda | 4,144 | ▲ 9 |
| 73 | Christy | 4,121 | ▲ 1 |
| 74 | Cheryl | 4,010 | ▼ 18 |
| 75 | Leslie | 3,954 | – |
| 76 | Sherry | 3,952 | ▼ 6 |
| 77 | Nancy | 3,945 | ▼ 14 |
| 78 | Kristin | 3,904 | ▼ 11 |
| 79 | Erin | 3,877 | ▲ 14 |
| 80 | Renee | 3,846 | ▼ 3 |
| 81 | Erica | 3,794 | ▲ 6 |
| 82 | Brandy | 3,715 | ▲ 58 |
| 83 | Gina | 3,699 | ▼ 5 |
| 84 | Debra | 3,652 | ▼ 18 |
| 85 | Diana | 3,519 | ▼ 2 |
| 86 | Anna | 3,507 | – |
| 87 | Paula | 3,504 | ▼ 15 |
| 88 | Jacqueline | 3,500 | ▼ 9 |
| 89 | Sara | 3,479 | ▲ 12 |
| 90 | Misty | 3,475 | ▲ 35 |
| 91 | Alicia | 3,432 | ▲ 5 |
| 92 | Cindy | 3,280 | ▼ 12 |
| 93 | Ann | 3,255 | ▼ 2 |
| 94 | Margaret | 3,167 | ▲ 1 |
| 95 | Victoria | 3,070 | ▲ 4 |
| 96 | Valerie | 3,042 | ▲ 4 |
| 97 | Kristina | 3,038 | ▲ 15 |
| 98 | Suzanne | 3,036 | ▼ 6 |
| 99 | Emily | 3,027 | ▲ 32 |
| 100 | Jodi | 3,024 | ▼ 3 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1973. 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.