Most popular baby names of 1979
In 1979, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (67,718 babies, 3.9% of boys) and Jennifer for girls (56,716 babies, 3.5% of girls). The rest of the top five were Christopher, Jason, David and James for boys and Melissa, Amanda, Jessica and Amy for girls. SSA recorded 7,071 different boy names and 11,973 different girl names that year.
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 67,718 | – |
| 2 | Christopher | 50,667 | ▲ 1 |
| 3 | Jason | 50,371 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | David | 42,062 | – |
| 5 | James | 39,351 | – |
| 6 | Matthew | 35,625 | – |
| 7 | John | 35,412 | – |
| 8 | Robert | 34,018 | – |
| 9 | Joshua | 31,125 | ▲ 3 |
| 10 | Brian | 28,664 | ▼ 1 |
| 11 | Joseph | 28,653 | ▼ 1 |
| 12 | Daniel | 28,521 | ▼ 1 |
| 13 | William | 24,680 | – |
| 14 | Ryan | 23,211 | – |
| 15 | Nicholas | 21,343 | ▲ 10 |
| 16 | Jeremy | 21,007 | ▲ 2 |
| 17 | Eric | 20,269 | ▼ 1 |
| 18 | Timothy | 19,078 | ▼ 1 |
| 19 | Kevin | 18,734 | ▼ 4 |
| 20 | Andrew | 18,617 | ▲ 2 |
| 21 | Anthony | 17,517 | ▼ 1 |
| 22 | Justin | 17,392 | ▲ 6 |
| 23 | Adam | 17,050 | ▲ 6 |
| 24 | Jeffrey | 16,867 | ▼ 5 |
| 25 | Richard | 16,713 | ▼ 4 |
| 26 | Thomas | 16,456 | ▼ 3 |
| 27 | Steven | 16,335 | ▼ 3 |
| 28 | Charles | 14,807 | ▼ 1 |
| 29 | Scott | 14,441 | ▲ 1 |
| 30 | Mark | 14,393 | ▼ 4 |
| 31 | Jonathan | 14,333 | – |
| 32 | Aaron | 13,075 | – |
| 33 | Benjamin | 12,514 | ▲ 1 |
| 34 | Paul | 11,632 | ▼ 1 |
| 35 | Brandon | 11,302 | ▲ 5 |
| 36 | Travis | 11,037 | ▲ 10 |
| 37 | Nathan | 10,721 | ▼ 1 |
| 38 | Chad | 10,162 | ▼ 3 |
| 39 | Patrick | 9,980 | ▲ 3 |
| 40 | Stephen | 9,905 | ▼ 3 |
| 41 | Kenneth | 9,237 | – |
| 42 | Gregory | 9,108 | ▼ 4 |
| 43 | Shawn | 7,909 | ▼ 4 |
| 44 | Jose | 7,848 | – |
| 45 | Jacob | 7,546 | ▲ 5 |
| 46 | Bryan | 7,441 | ▼ 3 |
| 47 | Bradley | 6,926 | ▲ 6 |
| 48 | Edward | 6,875 | ▼ 1 |
| 49 | Sean | 6,853 | ▼ 4 |
| 50 | Jesse | 6,680 | ▲ 1 |
| 51 | Donald | 6,509 | ▼ 3 |
| 52 | Keith | 6,188 | ▼ 3 |
| 53 | Peter | 6,080 | ▲ 1 |
| 54 | Ronald | 5,693 | ▲ 1 |
| 55 | Samuel | 5,688 | ▲ 2 |
| 56 | Kyle | 5,450 | ▲ 7 |
| 57 | George | 5,262 | ▲ 1 |
| 58 | Douglas | 5,169 | ▲ 1 |
| 59 | Gary | 5,040 | ▲ 1 |
| 60 | Todd | 4,984 | ▼ 4 |
| 61 | Juan | 4,943 | ▲ 1 |
| 62 | Dustin | 4,899 | ▲ 6 |
| 63 | Corey | 4,737 | ▼ 2 |
| 64 | Shaun | 4,737 | ▼ 12 |
| 65 | Jared | 4,670 | ▲ 7 |
| 66 | Erik | 4,638 | ▲ 19 |
| 67 | Shane | 4,483 | ▼ 2 |
| 68 | Phillip | 4,422 | ▼ 1 |
| 69 | Larry | 4,393 | ▼ 5 |
| 70 | Raymond | 4,336 | ▼ 1 |
| 71 | Joel | 4,216 | ▲ 3 |
| 72 | Derek | 4,201 | ▲ 3 |
| 73 | Carlos | 4,165 | ▲ 5 |
| 74 | Zachary | 4,156 | ▲ 15 |
| 75 | Dennis | 4,081 | ▼ 4 |
| 76 | Marcus | 4,049 | ▼ 6 |
| 77 | Craig | 4,028 | ▼ 11 |
| 78 | Frank | 3,930 | ▼ 1 |
| 79 | Antonio | 3,802 | – |
| 80 | Derrick | 3,728 | ▼ 4 |
| 81 | Jeremiah | 3,720 | – |
| 82 | Cory | 3,587 | ▼ 9 |
| 83 | Philip | 3,460 | ▲ 1 |
| 84 | Brent | 3,457 | ▲ 3 |
| 85 | Jerry | 3,446 | ▼ 3 |
| 86 | Randy | 3,416 | – |
| 87 | Jeffery | 3,357 | ▼ 7 |
| 88 | Jamie | 3,240 | ▲ 7 |
| 89 | Wesley | 3,237 | ▼ 6 |
| 90 | Gabriel | 3,236 | – |
| 91 | Curtis | 3,201 | ▲ 5 |
| 92 | Russell | 3,132 | ▲ 1 |
| 93 | Casey | 3,082 | ▼ 1 |
| 94 | Alexander | 3,059 | ▲ 4 |
| 95 | Nathaniel | 3,040 | ▼ 1 |
| 96 | Terry | 3,040 | ▼ 5 |
| 97 | Billy | 2,998 | ▲ 2 |
| 98 | Brett | 2,997 | ▲ 14 |
| 99 | Troy | 2,962 | ▼ 11 |
| 100 | Carl | 2,898 | – |
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 56,716 | – |
| 2 | Melissa | 34,050 | – |
| 3 | Amanda | 31,925 | ▲ 3 |
| 4 | Jessica | 27,782 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | Amy | 21,609 | ▼ 1 |
| 6 | Sarah | 21,017 | ▲ 2 |
| 7 | Heather | 20,834 | ▼ 2 |
| 8 | Angela | 20,257 | ▼ 1 |
| 9 | Nicole | 19,509 | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | Michelle | 19,266 | ▼ 1 |
| 11 | Elizabeth | 18,075 | ▲ 3 |
| 12 | Kimberly | 17,637 | ▲ 1 |
| 13 | Lisa | 17,285 | ▼ 2 |
| 14 | Christina | 16,453 | ▲ 1 |
| 15 | Stephanie | 16,204 | ▲ 1 |
| 16 | Kelly | 15,296 | ▼ 4 |
| 17 | Rebecca | 14,550 | – |
| 18 | Crystal | 13,468 | – |
| 19 | Jamie | 12,156 | ▲ 1 |
| 20 | Laura | 11,880 | ▼ 1 |
| 21 | Erin | 11,259 | – |
| 22 | Amber | 11,080 | ▲ 8 |
| 23 | April | 10,902 | ▲ 4 |
| 24 | Mary | 10,556 | – |
| 25 | Shannon | 10,370 | ▼ 3 |
| 26 | Andrea | 10,337 | ▼ 3 |
| 27 | Rachel | 10,229 | ▼ 2 |
| 28 | Tiffany | 9,611 | ▲ 4 |
| 29 | Julie | 9,254 | ▼ 3 |
| 30 | Sara | 8,654 | ▼ 2 |
| 31 | Megan | 8,293 | ▲ 10 |
| 32 | Erica | 8,178 | ▲ 2 |
| 33 | Danielle | 7,980 | ▼ 2 |
| 34 | Emily | 7,971 | ▼ 1 |
| 35 | Christine | 7,689 | ▼ 6 |
| 36 | Katherine | 7,465 | ▲ 2 |
| 37 | Maria | 7,335 | ▼ 1 |
| 38 | Tara | 6,806 | ▲ 2 |
| 39 | Brandy | 6,775 | ▼ 2 |
| 40 | Monica | 6,585 | ▲ 2 |
| 41 | Carrie | 6,355 | ▼ 6 |
| 42 | Misty | 5,785 | ▲ 1 |
| 43 | Stacy | 5,708 | ▲ 1 |
| 44 | Patricia | 5,650 | ▲ 4 |
| 45 | Lauren | 5,625 | ▲ 35 |
| 46 | Karen | 5,599 | ▼ 7 |
| 47 | Alicia | 5,547 | ▲ 11 |
| 48 | Holly | 5,488 | ▲ 7 |
| 49 | Tracy | 5,389 | ▼ 2 |
| 50 | Kathryn | 5,312 | ▲ 7 |
| 51 | Susan | 5,196 | ▼ 2 |
| 52 | Jill | 5,192 | ▼ 6 |
| 53 | Melanie | 5,021 | ▲ 1 |
| 54 | Dana | 4,948 | ▲ 16 |
| 55 | Cynthia | 4,932 | ▼ 5 |
| 56 | Kristy | 4,880 | ▼ 5 |
| 57 | Dawn | 4,724 | ▼ 5 |
| 58 | Tina | 4,680 | ▼ 13 |
| 59 | Anna | 4,669 | ▲ 6 |
| 60 | Stacey | 4,613 | ▼ 7 |
| 61 | Brandi | 4,609 | – |
| 62 | Kristen | 4,569 | – |
| 63 | Katie | 4,511 | ▲ 27 |
| 64 | Wendy | 4,500 | ▼ 8 |
| 65 | Leslie | 4,498 | ▼ 2 |
| 66 | Samantha | 4,462 | ▲ 8 |
| 67 | Ashley | 4,448 | ▲ 20 |
| 68 | Natalie | 4,445 | ▼ 2 |
| 69 | Lori | 4,432 | ▼ 9 |
| 70 | Allison | 4,407 | ▲ 5 |
| 71 | Courtney | 4,323 | ▼ 3 |
| 72 | Christy | 4,286 | ▼ 13 |
| 73 | Kristin | 4,264 | ▲ 5 |
| 74 | Kristina | 4,130 | ▼ 10 |
| 75 | Vanessa | 4,102 | ▲ 1 |
| 76 | Veronica | 4,062 | ▼ 3 |
| 77 | Sandra | 3,994 | ▼ 8 |
| 78 | Catherine | 3,878 | ▼ 6 |
| 79 | Tammy | 3,758 | ▼ 12 |
| 80 | Jacqueline | 3,741 | ▲ 1 |
| 81 | Mindy | 3,712 | ▲ 89 |
| 82 | Melinda | 3,705 | ▲ 2 |
| 83 | Heidi | 3,672 | – |
| 84 | Kathleen | 3,641 | ▼ 5 |
| 85 | Brooke | 3,506 | ▲ 30 |
| 86 | Tonya | 3,495 | ▼ 9 |
| 87 | Teresa | 3,481 | ▲ 1 |
| 88 | Lindsay | 3,466 | ▲ 7 |
| 89 | Valerie | 3,407 | ▲ 3 |
| 90 | Pamela | 3,365 | ▲ 19 |
| 91 | Erika | 3,318 | ▲ 13 |
| 92 | Denise | 3,267 | ▼ 7 |
| 93 | Tanya | 3,225 | ▼ 11 |
| 94 | Cheryl | 3,210 | – |
| 95 | Robin | 3,208 | ▼ 6 |
| 96 | Gina | 3,115 | ▼ 3 |
| 97 | Jaime | 3,086 | ▼ 26 |
| 98 | Leah | 3,075 | ▲ 10 |
| 99 | Katrina | 2,998 | ▲ 23 |
| 100 | Theresa | 2,995 | ▲ 1 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1979. 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.