Groovy baby names that rocked the 1970s

The 1970s were a decade that saw peace and love disintegrate into disillusionment and distrust. It was a time when the president was found to be a crook and the government was exposed as too proud to admit defeat in Vietnam. American film peaked in the 1970s, and the decade was the era of punk, funk, and the last album from Thelonious Monk. People wore bell-bottoms and platform shoes, and, somehow, disco was a thing for a while. And of course, through all of those strange years, people had children and named them all sorts of things. The kids grew up to be dubbed Generation X (flannel, MTV, indie film renaissance, hip-hop)—they started Google, YouTube, and Tesla.

With The Post in theaters, Slow Burn on the podcast charts, and another presidential scandal raging, the 1970s feel newly relevant. So the wonks at Stacker have poured through Social Security’s historical archives to calculate the most popular baby names of the decade. Unsurprisingly, Richard, Millhouse, and Nixon all didn’t make the list.   

Name rank in the 1970s: #50 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 5,696 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #152 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #50 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 244 (peaking in 1973)

Rank today: #454 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #49 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 5,779 (peaking in 1972)

Rank today: #6,837 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #49 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 247 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #3,837 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #48 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 5,805 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,304 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #48 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 249 (peaking in 1974)

Rank today: #2,512 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #47 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 5,922 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #1,744 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #47 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 253 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #2,011 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #46 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,092 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #333 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #46 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 258 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #5,977 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #45 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,168 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #589 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #45 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 267 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #387 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #44 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,434 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #877 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #44 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 276 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #3,153 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #43 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,507 (peaking in 1972)

Rank today: #1,002 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #43 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 296 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #708 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #42 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,516 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #558 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #42 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 315 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #187 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #41 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,684 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #1,572 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #41 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 316 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #1,158 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #40 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,785 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #499 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #40 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 316 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #3,435 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #39 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,791 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #355 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #39 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 326 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #1,146 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #38 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 6,991 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #1,207 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #38 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 342 (peaking in 1976)

Rank today: #4,976 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #37 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,377 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #572 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #37 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 345 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #9,468 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #36 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,419 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #854 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #36 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 365 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #2,951 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #35 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,618 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #113 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #35 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 367 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #935 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #34 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,694 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #402 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #34 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 369 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,305 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #33 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,777 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #173 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #33 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 391 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #3,413 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #32 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 7,778 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,567 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #32 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 404 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #32 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #31 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,021 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #561 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #31 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 415 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,281 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #30 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,111 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #745 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #30 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 426 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,638 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #29 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,476 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,730 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #29 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 469 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #696 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #28 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,643 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #128 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #28 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 523 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,888 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #27 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,833 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #922 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #27 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 554 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #3,349 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #26 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 9,244 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,275 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #26 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 568 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #482 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #25 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 9,519 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #504 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #25 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 617 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,112 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #24 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 9,554 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,114 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #24 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 628 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #300 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #23 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 9,883 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,773 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #23 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 643 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #279 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #22 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 10,324 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #729 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #22 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 664 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #642 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #21 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 11,381 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #1,258 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #21 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 667 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,411 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #20 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 11,822 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #346 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #20 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 672 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #2,832 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #19 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 11,884 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #57 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #19 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 694 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,243 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #18 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 12,195 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #482 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #18 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 698 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #115 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #17 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 12,394 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #329 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #17 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 909 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #2,021 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #16 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 12,574 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #390 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #16 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 1,045 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #236 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #15 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 12,627 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #127 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #15 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 1,353 (peaking in 1973)

Rank today: #840 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #14 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 13,357 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #514 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #14 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 1,389 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #710 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #13 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 13,731 (peaking in 1974)

Rank today: #207 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #13 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 1,932 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #898 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #12 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 14,286 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #13 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #12 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 2,207 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #603 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #11 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 14,349 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #233 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #11 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 2,259 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #548 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #10 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 14,467 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #163 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #10 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 2,752 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #758 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #9 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 16,048 (peaking in 1973)

Rank today: #235 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #9 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 2,895 (peaking in 1972)

Rank today: #729 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #8 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 20,394 (peaking in 1975)

Rank today: #982 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #8 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 3,287 (peaking in 1978)

Rank today: #418 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #7 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 22,523 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #214 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #7 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 3,836 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #226 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #6 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 22,868 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #833 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #6 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 4,103 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #415 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #5 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 22,911 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #132 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #5 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 5,030 (peaking in 1973)

Rank today: #325 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #4 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 24,914 (peaking in 1970)

Rank today: #208 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #4 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 8,394 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #233 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #3 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 25,329 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #257 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #3 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 10,154 (peaking in 1979)

Rank today: #49 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #2 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 26,901 (peaking in 1975)

Rank today: #176 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #2 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 10,583 (peaking in 1971)

Rank today: #355 for boys

Name rank in the 1970s: #1 for girls

Average annual births in the 1970s: 58,179 (peaking in 1972)

Rank today: #273 for girls

Name rank in the 1970s: #1 for boys

Average annual births in the 1970s: 13,936 (peaking in 1977)

Rank today: #184 for boys