Michael vs Jessica

Side-by-side comparison of Michael and Jessica — 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

Jessica

Girl name · Rank #574

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Michael Jessica
Current Rank #18 #574
Total Births (all years) 4,418,526 1,050,306
Peak Year 1957 1987
Peak Year Births 92,786 55,996
Peak Decade 1950ss 1980ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Michael Jessica
1880ss 3,558 94
1890ss 3,926 135
1900ss 5,220 159
1910ss 30,859 411
1920ss 37,894 410
1930ss 56,000 499
1940ss 336,564 2,204
1950ss 837,466 4,560
1960ss 833,070 13,671
1970ss 707,368 143,498
1980ss 663,824 469,518
1990ss 462,451 303,129
2000ss 250,702 90,665
2010ss 145,171 18,222
2020ss 44,453 3,131

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Michael Jessica
2014 15,496 1,802
2015 14,497 1,591
2016 14,139 1,392
2017 12,723 1,291
2018 11,750 1,066
2019 10,614 969
2020 9,824 779
2021 9,136 656
2022 8,888 620
2023 8,416 550
2024 8,189 526

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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