The 1996 Baby Name Report

3,647,195 babies, 24,308 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1996

👑 #1 girls: Emily 👑 #1 boys: Michael (36 years running) 1,487 debuts

Top girls

  1. Emily25,150
  2. Jessica24,200
  3. Ashley23,678
  4. Sarah21,044
  5. Samantha20,551
  6. Taylor19,153
  7. Hannah18,596
  8. Alexis16,592
  9. Rachel16,120
  10. Elizabeth16,004

Top boys

  1. Michael38,373
  2. Matthew32,077
  3. Jacob31,924
  4. Christopher30,902
  5. Joshua29,174
  6. Nicholas27,722
  7. Tyler26,955
  8. Brandon25,847
  9. Austin25,663
  10. Andrew25,244

Full top-50 rankings for 1996 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Odalys #2,868 → #681 (+2,187)
  2. Tamia #2,047 → #498 (+1,549)
  3. Jaycie #2,500 → #963 (+1,537)
  4. Odalis #2,412 → #915 (+1,497)
  5. Zaria #2,188 → #729 (+1,459)
  6. Xena #1,919 → #758 (+1,161)
  7. Jailene #1,792 → #946 (+846)
  8. Amari #1,731 → #890 (+841)
  9. Sarahi #1,725 → #930 (+795)
  10. Estefania #1,324 → #591 (+733)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Unknown #866 → #2,450 (−1,584)
  2. Unknown #667 → #1,763 (−1,096)
  3. Iridian #887 → #1,611 (−724)
  4. Salina #839 → #1,236 (−397)
  5. Chelsi #697 → #1,036 (−339)
  6. Forest #749 → #1,060 (−311)
  7. Corey #915 → #1,223 (−308)
  8. Kristie #817 → #1,096 (−279)
  9. Adonis #578 → #832 (−254)
  10. Celena #935 → #1,189 (−254)

✨ Never recorded before 1996

Moesha (426) Quindon (67) Monifah (61) Keyshaun (27) Moeshia (24) Maribi (23) Rebeccalynn (20) Jaekwon (20) Accacia (19) Marivi (19)

1,487 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1996.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1996?
Emily was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1996, out of 3,647,195 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1996?
Odalys made the biggest jump in 1996, climbing 2,187 spots to #681.
How many new baby names appeared in 1996?
1,487 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1996.