The 1977 Baby Name Report

3,176,494 babies, 16,563 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1977

👑 #1 girls: Jennifer (8 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (17 years running) 1,246 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jennifer58,964
  2. Melissa26,880
  3. Amy26,730
  4. Jessica24,845
  5. Heather23,773
  6. Angela20,999
  7. Michelle19,540
  8. Kimberly18,285
  9. Amanda18,280
  10. Kelly18,234

Top boys

  1. Michael67,588
  2. Jason55,636
  3. Christopher46,725
  4. David40,516
  5. James40,043
  6. Robert34,217
  7. John34,199
  8. Brian32,494
  9. Matthew31,967
  10. Joseph26,485

Full top-50 rankings for 1977 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Lavar #6,107 → #486 (+5,621)
  2. Shawnte #2,532 → #745 (+1,787)
  3. Talia #1,498 → #710 (+788)
  4. Haley #1,050 → #442 (+608)
  5. Raven #1,158 → #579 (+579)
  6. Hayley #1,239 → #712 (+527)
  7. Devon #1,017 → #543 (+474)
  8. Qiana #1,077 → #651 (+426)
  9. Sommer #853 → #441 (+412)
  10. Jaclyn #539 → #148 (+391)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Liberty #543 → #1,589 (−1,046)
  2. Luciana #545 → #1,010 (−465)
  3. Lola #737 → #1,016 (−279)
  4. Tamiko #625 → #900 (−275)
  5. Tiana #595 → #854 (−259)
  6. Bernice #613 → #824 (−211)
  7. Buffy #696 → #905 (−209)
  8. Liliana #704 → #909 (−205)
  9. Spring #623 → #827 (−204)
  10. Trudy #708 → #902 (−194)

✨ Never recorded before 1977

Kizzy (1117) Levar (523) Kunta (215) Riann (76) Fanta (66) Meghann (53) Kissy (44) Kissie (34) Kinta (32) Shakonda (27)

1,246 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1977.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1977?
Jennifer was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1977, out of 3,176,494 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1977?
Lavar made the biggest jump in 1977, climbing 5,621 spots to #486.
How many new baby names appeared in 1977?
1,246 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1977.