Buzz
In the U.S., it’s highly likely you’ve encountered a Michael or two. This name reigned as the most popular choice for boys for 44 out of 45 years from 1954 to 1998. The only exception was 1960, when David briefly surpassed Michael to claim the top spot.
Michael’s reign came to an end in 1999, when Jacob took over as the leading name. From that year until 2012, Jacob was the most popular name for boys, while Michael held onto second place until 2008. After slipping to third for two years, it fell out of the top five entirely and hasn’t made a comeback since.
The Social Security Administration documents the rise and fall of Michael’s popularity, offering a treasure trove of baby name data for curious minds. On the girls’ side, no name matched Michael’s dominance, but Mary came close. It topped the charts from 1930 to 1946, was briefly overtaken by Linda from 1947 to 1952, and then reclaimed the top spot for nine more years. In 1962, Lisa took the lead and held it for the rest of the decade. The ’70s and ’80s saw a surge in J names, with Jennifer and Jessica leading the way.
One of the most notable trends in recent years is the popularity of girls’ names ending with -a. Names like Emma, Isabella, Sophia, or Olivia have consistently topped the charts since 2008. For boys, Noah and Liam are currently the most favored. (And don’t be shocked if your little one encounters a few Lokis or Wandas at the park.)
Discover the top names from your birth year below. Curious how your name stacks up against Michael or Mary? Use the SSA’s tool to explore a name’s popularity trends over the years.
1930: Mary, Robert1931: Mary, Robert1932: Mary, Robert1933: Mary, Robert1934: Mary, Robert1935: Mary, Robert1936: Mary, Robert1937: Mary, Robert1938: Mary, Robert1939: Mary, Robert1940: Mary, James1941: Mary, James1942: Mary, James1943: Mary, James1944: Mary, James1945: Mary, James1946: Mary, James1947: Linda, James1948: Linda, James1949: Linda, James1950: Linda, James1951: Linda, James1952: Linda, James1953: Mary, Robert1954: Mary, Michael1955: Mary, Michael1956: Mary, Michael1957: Mary, Michael1958: Mary, Michael1959: Mary, Michael1960: Mary, David1961: Mary, Michael1962: Lisa, Michael1963: Lisa, Michael1964: Lisa, Michael1965: Lisa, Michael1966: Lisa, Michael1967: Lisa, Michael1968: Lisa, Michael1969: Lisa, Michael1970: Jennifer, Michael1971: Jennifer, Michael1972: Jennifer, Michael1973: Jennifer, Michael1974: Jennifer, Michael1975: Jennifer, Michael1976: Jennifer, Michael1977: Jennifer, Michael1978: Jennifer, Michael1979: Jennifer, Michael1980: Jennifer, Michael1981: Jennifer, Michael1982: Jennifer, Michael1983: Jennifer, Michael1984: Jennifer, Michael1985: Jessica, Michael1986: Jessica, Michael1987: Jessica, Michael1988: Jessica, Michael1989: Jessica, Michael1990: Jessica, Michael1991: Ashley, Michael1992: Ashley, Michael1993: Jessica, Michael1994: Jessica, Michael1995: Jessica, Michael1996: Emily, Michael1997: Emily, Michael1998: Emily, Michael1999: Emily, Jacob2000: Emily, Jacob2001: Emily, Jacob2002: Emily, Jacob2003: Emily, Jacob2004: Emily, Jacob2005: Emily, Jacob2006: Emily, Jacob2007: Emily, Jacob2008: Emma, Jacob2009: Isabella, Jacob2010: Isabella, Jacob2011: Sophia, Jacob2012: Sophia, Jacob2013: Sophia, Noah2014: Emma, Noah2015: Emma, Noah2016: Emma, Noah2017: Emma, Liam2018: Emma, Liam2019: Olivia, Liam2020: Olivia, Liam2021: Olivia, Liam
