Most popular baby names of 1976

Looking at baby name trends between 1975 and 1976 reveals some interesting patterns across the US and UK. The 1976 data shows remarkable stability among the most popular names, with a few notable shifts worth examining.

In the United States, the top three girls' names held completely steady from 1975 to 1976, with Jennifer, Amy, and Melissa maintaining their positions at the summit of popularity. For boys, Michael and Jason likewise remained firmly planted in the top two spots, while Christopher held onto third place. This consistency suggests these names had achieved a cultural staying power that weathered changing trends during this period.

Among the top 10 American girls' names in 1976, Jessica made an impressive climb from 13th place in 1975 to 8th place in 1976, reflecting its growing appeal. Angela, Michelle, Kimberly, and Lisa remained comfortably positioned in the top 10, showing little movement. Heather, which ranked 3rd in 1975, dropped out of the top 5 in 1976, signaling a slight cooling of its popularity. Names ending with the "er" sound like Jennifer, Heather, and Kimberly maintained their appeal, while shorter names like Amy and Lisa continued to charm parents.

For American boys in 1976, the top 10 showed remarkable stability with no newcomers breaking into this elite group. The names Michael, Jason, Christopher, David, James, John, Robert, Brian, Matthew, and Daniel formed a solid phalanx of traditional masculine choices. Matthew showed the most significant movement, climbing from 9th to 8th place, while Brian dropped from 8th to 9th. Traditional biblical names like Michael, David, James, John, Matthew, and Daniel represented more than half of the top 10, highlighting parents' enduring preference for these time-honored choices.

Looking at broader patterns, shorter names appeared to gain favor in 1976, with Amy, Lisa, and John maintaining strong positions. Names with two syllables dominated both boys' and girls' lists. Interestingly, while the US and UK shared some popular names like Jennifer, David, and James, their overall preferences showed distinct cultural differences. In the UK, Nicola topped the girls' chart while David led for boys, reflecting regional naming traditions. The letter "J" proved particularly popular for both genders across both countries, appearing in multiple top names like Jennifer, Jessica, James, John, and Jason.

Top baby names of 1976