Most popular baby names of 1996
In 1996, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (38,373 babies, 2.0% of boys) and Emily for girls (25,150 babies, 1.4% of girls). The rest of the top five were Matthew, Jacob, Christopher and Joshua for boys and Jessica, Ashley, Sarah and Samantha for girls. SSA recorded 10,534 different boy names and 15,894 different girl names that year.
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 38,373 | – |
| 2 | Matthew | 32,077 | – |
| 3 | Jacob | 31,924 | ▲ 1 |
| 4 | Christopher | 30,902 | ▼ 1 |
| 5 | Joshua | 29,174 | – |
| 6 | Nicholas | 27,722 | – |
| 7 | Tyler | 26,955 | – |
| 8 | Brandon | 25,847 | – |
| 9 | Austin | 25,663 | ▲ 1 |
| 10 | Andrew | 25,244 | ▲ 1 |
| 11 | Daniel | 25,125 | ▼ 2 |
| 12 | Joseph | 24,758 | – |
| 13 | David | 23,024 | ▲ 3 |
| 14 | Zachary | 22,368 | – |
| 15 | John | 22,186 | ▼ 2 |
| 16 | Ryan | 21,810 | ▼ 1 |
| 17 | James | 21,164 | – |
| 18 | William | 20,544 | ▲ 2 |
| 19 | Anthony | 20,507 | – |
| 20 | Justin | 20,011 | ▼ 2 |
| 21 | Jonathan | 18,602 | ▲ 2 |
| 22 | Alexander | 17,964 | ▼ 1 |
| 23 | Robert | 17,676 | ▼ 1 |
| 24 | Christian | 15,823 | ▲ 4 |
| 25 | Kyle | 15,600 | ▼ 1 |
| 26 | Kevin | 14,589 | ▼ 1 |
| 27 | Jordan | 13,852 | ▲ 2 |
| 28 | Thomas | 13,805 | ▼ 1 |
| 29 | Benjamin | 13,785 | ▲ 2 |
| 30 | Samuel | 13,629 | ▲ 3 |
| 31 | Cody | 12,953 | ▼ 5 |
| 32 | Jose | 12,155 | ▲ 3 |
| 33 | Dylan | 12,037 | ▲ 1 |
| 34 | Aaron | 11,971 | ▼ 4 |
| 35 | Eric | 11,610 | ▼ 3 |
| 36 | Brian | 10,476 | – |
| 37 | Nathan | 10,285 | ▲ 2 |
| 38 | Steven | 9,649 | ▼ 1 |
| 39 | Adam | 9,557 | ▼ 1 |
| 40 | Timothy | 8,919 | – |
| 41 | Jason | 8,696 | – |
| 42 | Logan | 8,374 | ▲ 9 |
| 43 | Charles | 8,247 | ▲ 1 |
| 44 | Patrick | 8,193 | ▼ 1 |
| 45 | Richard | 8,180 | ▼ 3 |
| 46 | Sean | 7,896 | ▼ 1 |
| 47 | Hunter | 7,603 | ▲ 6 |
| 48 | Caleb | 7,549 | ▲ 6 |
| 49 | Cameron | 7,388 | – |
| 50 | Noah | 7,184 | ▲ 49 |
| 51 | Jesse | 7,075 | ▼ 5 |
| 52 | Juan | 7,010 | ▼ 2 |
| 53 | Alex | 6,915 | ▼ 6 |
| 54 | Connor | 6,911 | ▲ 1 |
| 55 | Mark | 6,599 | ▼ 3 |
| 56 | Jeremy | 6,412 | ▼ 8 |
| 57 | Luis | 6,407 | ▲ 2 |
| 58 | Dakota | 6,067 | ▼ 2 |
| 59 | Stephen | 6,008 | ▼ 2 |
| 60 | Devin | 6,002 | ▼ 2 |
| 61 | Gabriel | 5,899 | ▲ 4 |
| 62 | Ethan | 5,853 | ▲ 13 |
| 63 | Trevor | 5,842 | ▼ 2 |
| 64 | Jared | 5,821 | ▼ 1 |
| 65 | Evan | 5,578 | ▼ 5 |
| 66 | Bryan | 5,560 | ▲ 4 |
| 67 | Carlos | 5,464 | ▲ 1 |
| 68 | Tristan | 5,458 | ▲ 53 |
| 69 | Nathaniel | 5,420 | ▲ 4 |
| 70 | Ian | 5,410 | ▼ 3 |
| 71 | Isaiah | 5,324 | ▲ 38 |
| 72 | Jeffrey | 5,263 | ▼ 8 |
| 73 | Travis | 5,159 | ▼ 7 |
| 74 | Jesus | 5,114 | ▲ 2 |
| 75 | Luke | 5,017 | ▲ 7 |
| 76 | Chase | 4,991 | ▲ 19 |
| 77 | Kenneth | 4,973 | ▼ 5 |
| 78 | Paul | 4,883 | ▼ 7 |
| 79 | Dustin | 4,874 | ▼ 17 |
| 80 | Antonio | 4,866 | ▲ 5 |
| 81 | Elijah | 4,818 | ▲ 12 |
| 82 | Taylor | 4,798 | ▼ 13 |
| 83 | Bradley | 4,756 | ▼ 5 |
| 84 | Blake | 4,747 | ▼ 7 |
| 85 | Garrett | 4,653 | ▼ 5 |
| 86 | Isaac | 4,565 | ▲ 12 |
| 87 | Marcus | 4,547 | ▼ 6 |
| 88 | Mitchell | 4,391 | ▼ 9 |
| 89 | Jack | 4,245 | ▲ 21 |
| 90 | Tanner | 4,180 | ▼ 4 |
| 91 | Miguel | 4,160 | ▲ 3 |
| 92 | Adrian | 4,109 | ▲ 4 |
| 93 | Lucas | 4,106 | ▼ 2 |
| 94 | Corey | 4,087 | ▼ 20 |
| 95 | Peter | 4,082 | ▼ 6 |
| 96 | Edward | 4,073 | ▼ 8 |
| 97 | Malik | 4,026 | ▲ 34 |
| 98 | Gregory | 3,994 | ▼ 14 |
| 99 | Dalton | 3,980 | ▼ 12 |
| 100 | Victor | 3,924 | ▼ 10 |
| Rank | Name | Babies | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emily | 25,150 | ▲ 2 |
| 2 | Jessica | 24,200 | ▼ 1 |
| 3 | Ashley | 23,678 | ▼ 1 |
| 4 | Sarah | 21,044 | ▲ 1 |
| 5 | Samantha | 20,551 | ▼ 1 |
| 6 | Taylor | 19,153 | – |
| 7 | Hannah | 18,596 | – |
| 8 | Alexis | 16,592 | ▲ 6 |
| 9 | Rachel | 16,120 | ▲ 3 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 16,004 | – |
| 11 | Kayla | 15,269 | – |
| 12 | Megan | 14,770 | ▲ 1 |
| 13 | Amanda | 13,980 | ▼ 4 |
| 14 | Brittany | 13,797 | ▼ 6 |
| 15 | Madison | 13,410 | ▲ 14 |
| 16 | Lauren | 12,594 | ▼ 1 |
| 17 | Brianna | 11,925 | ▲ 4 |
| 18 | Victoria | 11,859 | ▲ 2 |
| 19 | Jennifer | 11,729 | ▼ 1 |
| 20 | Stephanie | 11,644 | ▼ 4 |
| 21 | Courtney | 11,344 | ▼ 4 |
| 22 | Nicole | 11,134 | ▼ 3 |
| 23 | Alyssa | 11,024 | ▲ 4 |
| 24 | Rebecca | 10,626 | ▲ 4 |
| 25 | Morgan | 10,295 | ▼ 2 |
| 26 | Alexandra | 10,024 | – |
| 27 | Amber | 9,771 | ▼ 5 |
| 28 | Jasmine | 9,707 | ▼ 3 |
| 29 | Danielle | 9,285 | ▼ 5 |
| 30 | Haley | 9,042 | ▲ 2 |
| 31 | Katherine | 8,878 | ▼ 1 |
| 32 | Abigail | 8,604 | ▲ 4 |
| 33 | Anna | 8,574 | ▼ 2 |
| 34 | Olivia | 8,125 | ▲ 5 |
| 35 | Shelby | 7,950 | ▲ 3 |
| 36 | Kelsey | 7,655 | ▼ 3 |
| 37 | Maria | 7,597 | ▲ 7 |
| 38 | Allison | 7,455 | ▼ 4 |
| 39 | Sydney | 7,259 | ▲ 4 |
| 40 | Kaitlyn | 7,241 | ▲ 2 |
| 41 | Kimberly | 7,175 | ▼ 4 |
| 42 | Melissa | 7,170 | ▼ 7 |
| 43 | Savannah | 7,000 | ▲ 25 |
| 44 | Mary | 6,967 | ▼ 4 |
| 45 | Brooke | 6,724 | ▲ 7 |
| 46 | Natalie | 6,693 | ▲ 5 |
| 47 | Michelle | 6,598 | ▼ 6 |
| 48 | Julia | 6,314 | ▲ 14 |
| 49 | Jordan | 6,299 | ▲ 1 |
| 50 | Sara | 6,288 | ▼ 2 |
| 51 | Erin | 6,256 | ▼ 2 |
| 52 | Tiffany | 6,158 | ▼ 6 |
| 53 | Emma | 6,150 | ▲ 14 |
| 54 | Gabrielle | 5,888 | ▲ 7 |
| 55 | Chelsea | 5,864 | ▼ 8 |
| 56 | Destiny | 5,856 | ▲ 10 |
| 57 | Christina | 5,804 | ▼ 12 |
| 58 | Sabrina | 5,774 | ▲ 37 |
| 59 | Marissa | 5,753 | ▼ 6 |
| 60 | Vanessa | 5,746 | ▲ 3 |
| 61 | Andrea | 5,671 | ▼ 6 |
| 62 | Sierra | 5,487 | ▼ 2 |
| 63 | Mariah | 5,446 | ▲ 8 |
| 64 | Katelyn | 5,421 | ▼ 5 |
| 65 | Paige | 5,342 | ▼ 7 |
| 66 | Laura | 5,227 | ▼ 10 |
| 67 | Madeline | 4,911 | ▲ 12 |
| 68 | Cheyenne | 4,866 | ▲ 18 |
| 69 | Jacqueline | 4,862 | ▲ 1 |
| 70 | Kristen | 4,851 | ▼ 5 |
| 71 | Heather | 4,759 | ▼ 17 |
| 72 | Briana | 4,735 | ▲ 2 |
| 73 | Kelly | 4,734 | ▼ 9 |
| 74 | Breanna | 4,701 | ▲ 2 |
| 75 | Mackenzie | 4,597 | ▲ 13 |
| 76 | Miranda | 4,568 | ▼ 19 |
| 77 | Alexandria | 4,562 | ▼ 5 |
| 78 | Caroline | 4,466 | ▲ 14 |
| 79 | Erica | 4,460 | ▼ 10 |
| 80 | Shannon | 4,337 | ▼ 7 |
| 81 | Katie | 4,328 | ▼ 4 |
| 82 | Monica | 4,326 | ▲ 5 |
| 83 | Jenna | 4,288 | ▲ 1 |
| 84 | Caitlin | 4,268 | ▼ 3 |
| 85 | Bailey | 4,192 | ▲ 11 |
| 86 | Lindsey | 4,112 | ▼ 4 |
| 87 | Kathryn | 4,102 | ▼ 4 |
| 88 | Amy | 4,067 | ▼ 13 |
| 89 | Cassandra | 4,017 | ▼ 11 |
| 90 | Angela | 3,867 | ▼ 5 |
| 91 | Alicia | 3,861 | ▼ 2 |
| 92 | Crystal | 3,786 | ▼ 12 |
| 93 | Hailey | 3,763 | ▲ 18 |
| 94 | Grace | 3,741 | ▲ 3 |
| 95 | Catherine | 3,739 | ▼ 5 |
| 96 | Jamie | 3,599 | ▼ 3 |
| 97 | Angelica | 3,404 | ▲ 4 |
| 98 | Leah | 3,327 | ▲ 5 |
| 99 | Molly | 3,312 | ▼ 1 |
| 100 | Alexa | 3,260 | – |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1996. 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.