The 1974 Baby Name Report

3,039,999 babies, 14,745 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1974

👑 #1 girls: Jennifer (5 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (14 years running) 1,110 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jennifer63,106
  2. Amy29,564
  3. Michelle25,828
  4. Heather23,180
  5. Angela22,803
  6. Kimberly22,427
  7. Melissa22,166
  8. Lisa19,777
  9. Stephanie16,983
  10. Rebecca15,165

Top boys

  1. Michael67,535
  2. Jason54,751
  3. Christopher48,590
  4. David41,793
  5. James41,336
  6. John37,618
  7. Robert37,009
  8. Brian34,451
  9. Matthew27,197
  10. William26,977

Full top-50 rankings for 1974 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Nakia #7,177 → #226 (+6,951)
  2. Nia #1,903 → #674 (+1,229)
  3. Telly #1,326 → #469 (+857)
  4. Lindsey #1,115 → #650 (+465)
  5. Sunshine #1,026 → #611 (+415)
  6. Lindsay #1,019 → #691 (+328)
  7. Jolene #562 → #245 (+317)
  8. Anitra #772 → #456 (+316)
  9. Christen #920 → #605 (+315)
  10. Jasmine #863 → #572 (+291)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Tracee #536 → #918 (−382)
  2. Catina #207 → #516 (−309)
  3. Anissa #670 → #908 (−238)
  4. Rosie #662 → #862 (−200)
  5. Alethea #522 → #716 (−194)
  6. Garrick #511 → #702 (−191)
  7. Katina #120 → #307 (−187)
  8. Shane #678 → #841 (−163)
  9. Debora #709 → #868 (−159)
  10. Tonja #530 → #667 (−137)

✨ Never recorded before 1974

Shalawn (70) Tavares (60) Toshiba (58) Nekia (46) Dayanara (41) Passion (34) Charnissa (32) Savalas (30) Kidada (28) Saresa (26)

1,110 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1974.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1974?
Jennifer was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1974, out of 3,039,999 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1974?
Nakia made the biggest jump in 1974, climbing 6,951 spots to #226.
How many new baby names appeared in 1974?
1,110 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1974.