The Most Common Baby Names Every Year Since 1925 – Did Yours Make the List?
Have you ever wondered what was the most popular baby name in the year you were born? Or when we landed on the moon? Or when the stock market crashed? Well, this in depth list takes us all way back to 1925, to explore which baby names were the most popular each year since the Roaring 20’s. What name was most popular the year you were born? Was your name the most popular in your birth year or decades before? Check it out in the list below!
1925
Top Female Names: Mary, Dorothy, Betty
Top Male Names: Robert, John, William
Highest Grossing Movie: Ben-Hur: A Tale of Christ. You might have seen the remake of this landmark cinematic masterpiece that came out this year…or maybe you didn’t, because it seems like no one really did.
1926
Top Female Names: Mary, Dorothy, Betty
Top Male Names: Robert, John, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Flesh and the Devil. This film is all about a tangled up love triangle in the German army with scandalous affairs and dramatic duels, all in dead silence.
1927
Top Female Names: Mary, Dorothy, Betty
Top Male Names: Robert, John, James
Highest Grossing Movie: The Jazz Singer, the first ever motion picture with sound, was released.
1928
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Dorothy
Top Male Names: Robert, John, James
High Grossing Movie: Another Al Jolson film, The Singing Fool, hits box offices to great success. Also, the first Mickey Mouse cartoon, “Steamboat Willie,” is released!
1929
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Dorothy
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The Broadway Melody continues the stream of movie-musical hits, despite the crash of the stock market that kicked off the Great Depression.
1930
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Dorothy
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: One of our favorite films, All Quiet on the Western Front, was released to rave reviews.
1931
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Mary Shelley’s classic novel was turned into the first motion picture of the horror film, Frankenstein.
1932
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The classic film, The Shanghai Express, competed against films like The Most Dangerous Game for the highest grossing spot.
1933
Top Female Names: Mary, Betty, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: An epic one! The original King Kong is released, not knowing that it was destined to inspired many, many sequels in the decades to come.
1934
Top Female Names: Mary, Shirley, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The heartthrob of the moment, Clark Gable, starred in the romantic comedy, It Happened One Night.
1935
Top Female Names: Mary, Shirley, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Needless to say, Clark Gable was a busy man in the 1930’s. Another famous film, Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Gable hit theaters this year.
1936
Top Female Names: Mary, Shirley, Barbara
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Another movie starring Gable! San Francisco focuses on the devastating 1906 earthquake which terrorized the California area.
1937
Top Female Names: Mary, Shirley, Patricia (a little change!)
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney fans, rejoice! We’ve finally gotten to the first ever animated Disney princess film with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
1938
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the most famous romantic comedies of all-time, You Can’t Take It With You, premiers.
1939
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: Robert, James, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen, Gone With the Wind was released in 1939, forever changing the cinematic playing field. (This is one of my favorite films in the world, fun fact.)
1940
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney films reigned this year, with Pinocchio and Fantasia tying for the highest grossing film.
1941
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Sergeant York follows the brave story of a World War I hero, who was one of the most decorated soldiers of the war.
1942
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney strikes again with the tear jerking film, Bambi.
1943
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The famous novel by Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls, is turned into a dramatic and beautiful feature film.
1944
Top Female Names: Mary, Barbara, Linda
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: All in gorgeous Technicolor, the jazzy film Meet Me in St. Louis has become one of the most iconic films of the 1940’s.
1945
Top Female Names: Mary, Linda, Barbara
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Bing Crosby’s classic film, The Bells of St. Mary’s, wins the top honor this year.
1946
Top Female Names: Mary, Linda, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: A very timely film, The Best Years of Our Lives, follows two World War II vets reentering society, right after WWII has actually ended.
1947
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: A comedy/musical/drama/action film, The Road to Rio, features the misadventures of two musical stowaways on a boat to Rio.
1948
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Barbara
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Good ol’ John Wayne starts in the hit Western, Red River.
1949
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: This action/drama follows the tormented path of these two famous, Biblical lovers in Samson and Delilah.
1950
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney’s favorite princess, Cinderella, makes her big screen debut.
1951
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The Latin phrase meaning “Where are you going?” was also the most popular epic of the year, called Quo Vadis.
1952
Top Female Names: Linda, Mary, Patricia
Top Male Names: James, Robert, John
Highest Grossing Movie: A dazzling glimpse into life behind-the-scenes of Barnum and Bailey’s Circus is captured in The Greatest Show on Earth.
1953
Top Female Names: Mary, Linda, Deborah
Top Male Names: Robert, James, Michael
Highest Grossing Movie: Audiences flew to Neverland with the release of Disney’s Peter Pan.
1954
Top Female Names: Mary, Linda, Deborah
Top Male Names: Michael, James, Robert
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the most famous thrillers of all time, Rear Window, keeps 1954 audiences on the edge of their seat.
1955
Top Female Names: Mary, Deborah, Linda
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Lady and the Tramp tugged on the heartstrings of adults and children alike.
1956
Top Female Names: Mary, Deborah, Linda
Top Male Names: Michael, James, Robert
Highest Grossing Movie: The first cinematic telling of Moses leading the exodus out of Egypt wows crowds in The Ten Commandments.
1957
Top Female Names: Mary, Susan, Linda
Top Male Names: Michael, James, David
Highest Grossing Movie: The Bridge on the River Kwai was a deeply moving historical drama about prisoners of war being held captive in Burma during World War II.
1958
Top Female Names: Mary, Susan, Linda
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the most prolific and romantic musicals of all time, South Pacific, hits the big screen.
1959
Top Female Names: Mary, Susan, Linda
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Ben-Hur makes another come back over three decades later!
1960
Top Female Names: Mary, Susan, Linda
Top Male Names: David, Michael, James
Highest Grossing Movie: The fun costume drama, Swiss Family Robinson, steals the hearts of audiences nationwide.
1961
Top Female Names: Mary, Lisa, Susan
Top Male Names: Michael, David, John
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney strikes again with 101 Dalmatians.
1962
Top Female Names: Lisa, Mary, Susan
Top Male Names: Michael, David, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The historical invasion of Normandy, France is brought to life in the film The Longest Day.
1963
Top Female Names: Lisa, Mary, Susan
Top Male Names: Michael, John, David
Highest Grossing Movie: Hollywood glamour was personified through Elizabeth Taylor’s iconic title role in Cleopatra.
1964
Top Female Names: Lisa, Mary, Susan
Top Male Names: Michael, John, David
Highest Grossing Movie: The marvelous Julie Andrews brings our favorite magical nanny to the screen in Mary Poppins.
1965
Top Female Names: Lisa, Mary, Karen
Top Male Names: Michael, John, David
Highest Grossing Movie: Andrews continues her streak of iconic roles in her next landmark film, The Sound of Music.
1966
Top Female Names: Lisa, Kimberly, Mary
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: One of Clint Eastwood’s most famous Westerns, The Good, Bad, and the Ugly, hits theaters.
1967
Top Female Names: Lisa, Kimberly, Michelle
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Disney shows us the story of Mowgli in The Jungle Book, which was just this year made into an amazing live-action film.
1968
Top Female Names: Lisa, Michelle, Kimberly
Top Male Names: Michael, David, John
Highest Grossing Movie: The two movies that shared the highest grossing spot are both amazing films! Both Barbara Streisand’s Funny Girl and the epic 2001: A Space Odyssey take the prize.
1969
Top Female Names: Lisa, Michelle, Jennifer
Top Male Names: Michael, David, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid continues to be one of the most famous Westerns of all time.
1970
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Lisa, Kimberly
Top Male Names: Michael, James, David
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the first modern romantic comedies is released in Love Story.
1971
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Michelle, Lisa
Top Male Names: Michael, James, David
Highest Grossing Movie: Sean Connery as James Bond makes a splash in Diamonds are Forever.
1972
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Michelle, Lisa
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, James
Highest Grossing Movie: Francis Ford Coppola’s famous mob drama, The Godfather, changes the cinematic world.
1973
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Amy, Michelle
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Jason
Highest Grossing Movie: Terrifying horror film, The Exorcist, shocks audiences everywhere. Trust us, it’s still horrifying today!
1974
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Amy, Michelle
Top Male Names: Michael, Jason, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: Mel Brooks’ comedy Blazing Saddles satirizes classic Westerns in this piece of comedic gold.
1975
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Amy, Heather
Top Male Names: Michael, Jason, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: The 70’s were a decade of classic films, like the iconic horror movie, Jaws. We’re gonna need a bigger boat, everyone.
1976
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Amy, Melissa
Top Male Names: Michael, Jason, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: The world found a hero to root for in Rocky.
1977
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Melissa, Amy
Top Male Names: Michael, Jason, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: No one could have predicted the cultural movement this underdog film could have caused. Maybe you’ve heard of it? It’s a little indie film called Star Wars.
1978
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Melissa, Jessica
Top Male Names: Michael, Jason, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: Everyone wanted to be a T-Bird or a Pink Lady thanks to (arguably) the best movie-musical of all time, Grease.
1979
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Melissa, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Jason
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the most popular movies of all time, the honest family drama Kramer vs. Kramer stole the hearts of millions.
1980
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Amanda, Jessica
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Jason
Highest Grossing Movie: This decade of excess starts out with a huge blockbuster, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
1981
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Jessica, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: The handsome professor, Indiana Jones, is introduced to the world in Raiders of the Lost Ark.
1982
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Jessica, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial gave us an…otherworldly experience.
1983
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Jessica, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: The sci-fi fandom goes nuts for the next installment of Star Wars in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
1984
Top Female Names: Jennifer, Jessica, Ashley
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Who ya gonna call? The highest grossing film of 1984, Ghostbusters. Duh.
1985
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Jennifer
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Audiences went back in time with the charming Marty McFly in Back to the Future.
1986
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: We got to follow the breathtaking action of Goose and Maverick in the flashy action film, Top Gun.
1987
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: The tie goes to comedy Three Men and a Baby and the sexy action/thriller, Fatal Attraction.
1988
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman gave extraordinary performances in the Oscar winning film, Rain Man.
1989
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Brittany
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Two heroes had to share the number one spot this year with Batman and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
1990
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Brittany
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Poor Kevin faces some trials and tribulations at Christmas time in the family comedy, Home Alone.
1991
Top Female Names: Ashley, Jessica, Brittany
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: He wasn’t lying – Arnold came back in Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
1992
Top Female Names: Ashley, Jessica, Amanda
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Our favorite street urchin goes on an incredible adventure in Disney’s Aladdin.
1993
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Sarah
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: They spared no expense in the most epic movie of the year, Jurassic Park.
1994
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Emily
Top Male Names: Michael, Christopher, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Two powerhouse films, Forest Gump and The Lion King, tie for first place.
1995
Top Female Names: Jessica, Ashley, Emily
Top Male Names: Michael, Matthew, Christopher
Highest Grossing Movie: Buzz and Woody capture our hearts in Toy Story.
1996
Top Female Names: Emily, Jessica, Ashley
Top Male Names: Michael, Matthew, Jacob
Highest Grossing Movie: Natural disasters (some of an extraterrestrial variety…) are popular this year in Independence Day and Twister.
1997
Top Female Names: Emily, Jessica, Ashley
Top Male Names: Michael, Jacob, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: We were all swept away in one of the greatest romances of our in Titanic.
1998
Top Female Names: Emily, Hannah, Samantha
Top Male Names: Michael, Jacob, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: One of the most traumatizing films of all time, Saving Private Ryan, moved the academy.
1999
Top Female Names: Emily, Hannah, Alexis
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: Naturally, the next installment of Star Wars – Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace – took the top spot this year.
2000
Top Female Names: Emily, Hannah, Madison
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Matthew
Highest Grossing Film: Jim Carey brought a Dr. Seuss classic to life in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
2001
Top Female Names: Emily, Madison, Hannah
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Matthew
Highest Grossing Movie: My personal favorite series of all-time, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone transported audiences to Hogwarts and back.
2002
Top Female Names: Emily, Madison, Hannah
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Joshua
Highest Grossing Movie: Peter Parker became the hero of New York City in the first ever Spiderman film.
2003
Top Female Names: Emily, Emma, Madison
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Joshua
Highest Grossing Movie: The end of the epic Lord of the Rings series concludes with Return of the King.
2004
Top Female Names: Emily, Emma, Madison
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Joshua
Highest Grossing Movie: Everyone’s favorite ogre returned to theaters in Shrek 2.
2005
Top Female Names: Emily, Emma, Madison
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Joshua
Highest Grossing Movie: Another Star Wars installment kills at the box office in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.
2006
Top Female Names: Emily, Emma, Madison
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Joshua
Highest Grossing Movie: The second installment of the pirate action series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, took the top spot this year.
2007
Top Female Names: Emily, Isabella, Emma
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Ethan
Highest Grossing Movie: Toby McGuire finishes his run as the web-slinger in Spiderman 3.
2008
Top Female Names: Emily, Isabella, Emma
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Ethan
Highest Grossing Movie: In this year of the second largest stock market crash in history, audiences had the hero Gotham needed to take their mind off real-life struggles in The Dark Knight.
2009
Top Female Names: Emma, Isabella, Emily
Top Male Names: Jacob, Michael, Ethan
Highest Grossing Movie: The multi-billion dollar film that started a new generation of film animation was found in the epic, Avatar.
2010
Top Female Names: Isabella, Sophia, Emma
Top Male Names: Jacob, Ethan, Michael
Highest Grossing Movie: 90’s kids everywhere feel the nostalgia with Toy Story 3.
2011
Top Female Names: Sophia, Isabella, Emma
Top Male Names: Jacob, Mason, William
Highest Grossing Movie: The epic Harry Potter series ends with the magical blockbuster Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2.
2012
Top Female Names: Sophia, Emma, Isabella
Top Male Names: Jacob, Mason, Ethan
Highest Grossing Movie: Marvel begins their cinematic reign with The Avengers.
2013
Top Female Names: Sophia, Emma, Olivia
Top Male Names: Noah, Liam, Jacob
Highest Grossing Movie: Audiences rooted for the brave Katiness Everdeen of District 12 in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
2014
Top Female Names: Emma, Olivia, Sophia
Top Male Names: Noah, Liam, Mason
Highest Grossing Movie: Iraq war movie American Sniper gave a gritty look inside the war in the Middle East.
2015
Top Female Names: Emma, Olivia, Sophia
Top Male Names: Noah, Liam, Ethan
Highest Grossing Movie: Star Wars made an epic comeback with Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens.
2016
Top Female Names: Emma, Olivia, Ava
Top Male Names: Noah, Liam, Mason
Highest Grossing Movie: The year may not be over, but so far, Finding Dory is the tentative winner of the 2016 box office!
What was the most popular name in your birth year? Share your thoughts on your favorite popular baby names in the comments section below.
