Michael vs Jennifer

Side-by-side comparison of Michael and Jennifer — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Michael

Boy name · Rank #18

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Name B

Jennifer

Girl name · Rank #546

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Michael Jennifer
Current Rank #18 #546
Total Births (all years) 4,418,526 1,471,191
Peak Year 1957 1972
Peak Year Births 92,786 63,602
Peak Decade 1950ss 1970ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1919

Births by Decade

Decade Michael Jennifer
1880ss 3,558 —
1890ss 3,926 —
1900ss 5,220 —
1910ss 30,859 6
1920ss 37,894 86
1930ss 56,000 368
1940ss 336,564 10,685
1950ss 837,466 43,074
1960ss 833,070 164,414
1970ss 707,368 581,733
1980ss 663,824 440,916
1990ss 462,451 148,036
2000ss 250,702 63,506
2010ss 145,171 15,251
2020ss 44,453 3,116

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Michael Jennifer
2014 15,496 1,521
2015 14,497 1,286
2016 14,139 1,162
2017 12,723 1,052
2018 11,750 921
2019 10,614 788
2020 9,824 712
2021 9,136 638
2022 8,888 630
2023 8,416 584
2024 8,189 552

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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