The 1978 Baby Name Report

3,173,870 babies, 16,627 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1978

👑 #1 girls: Jennifer (9 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (18 years running) 1,079 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jennifer56,318
  2. Melissa28,327
  3. Jessica26,103
  4. Amy23,214
  5. Heather22,270
  6. Amanda20,519
  7. Angela20,518
  8. Sarah19,976
  9. Michelle18,856
  10. Nicole17,280

Top boys

  1. Michael67,133
  2. Jason51,604
  3. Christopher47,236
  4. David40,684
  5. James39,902
  6. Matthew34,285
  7. John34,018
  8. Robert33,379
  9. Brian29,435
  10. Joseph26,667

Full top-50 rankings for 1978 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Aja #4,656 → #412 (+4,244)
  2. Kiley #2,638 → #620 (+2,018)
  3. Kylie #2,044 → #406 (+1,638)
  4. Meghann #1,892 → #572 (+1,320)
  5. Shavon #1,730 → #693 (+1,037)
  6. Krissy #1,746 → #765 (+981)
  7. Crissy #1,348 → #616 (+732)
  8. Chrissy #1,089 → #378 (+711)
  9. Devin #1,134 → #473 (+661)
  10. Brianne #1,359 → #763 (+596)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Kunta #572 → #1,247 (−675)
  2. Tennille #462 → #984 (−522)
  3. Shawnte #745 → #1,140 (−395)
  4. Farrah #177 → #539 (−362)
  5. Kizzie #598 → #927 (−329)
  6. Anitra #485 → #797 (−312)
  7. Salina #495 → #766 (−271)
  8. Layla #746 → #977 (−231)
  9. Danita #717 → #941 (−224)
  10. Trish #687 → #908 (−221)

✨ Never recorded before 1978

Mychal (59) Enjoli (35) Katiria (31) Arnetia (26) Shavonn (26) Astria (24) Kushana (23) Jarian (23) Sayward (22) Chivon (21)

1,079 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1978.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1978?
Jennifer was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1978, out of 3,173,870 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1978?
Aja made the biggest jump in 1978, climbing 4,244 spots to #412.
How many new baby names appeared in 1978?
1,079 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1978.