Michael vs Linda

Side-by-side comparison of Michael and Linda — 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

Linda

Girl name · Rank #835

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Michael Linda
Current Rank #18 #835
Total Births (all years) 4,418,526 1,454,832
Peak Year 1957 1947
Peak Year Births 92,786 99,693
Peak Decade 1950ss 1950ss
Gender Boy Girl
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Michael Linda
1880ss 3,558 493
1890ss 3,926 872
1900ss 5,220 996
1910ss 30,859 2,395
1920ss 37,894 4,455
1930ss 56,000 29,358
1940ss 336,564 531,658
1950ss 837,466 564,363
1960ss 833,070 225,445
1970ss 707,368 45,899
1980ss 663,824 22,824
1990ss 462,451 12,815
2000ss 250,702 7,218
2010ss 145,171 4,383
2020ss 44,453 1,658

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Michael Linda
2014 15,496 475
2015 14,497 429
2016 14,139 443
2017 12,723 409
2018 11,750 398
2019 10,614 362
2020 9,824 334
2021 9,136 327
2022 8,888 352
2023 8,416 324
2024 8,189 321

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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