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Baby names in Iowa in the 1970s

In Iowa in the 1970s the most given names were Jason (8,578 boys) and Jennifer (9,684 girls), of 387,307 births recorded.

Babies SSA recorded in Iowa each year, the 1970s shaded
Iowa births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
Iowa births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
Iowa births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
Iowa births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101950199020251970-1979BoysGirls

Births under names given to 5 or more babies of one sex in the state that year.

Iowa, 1970-1979: SSA state baby-name file, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s state data.

The top names in Iowa, 1970s

Girls, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Jennifer9,684
2Amy5,838
3Angela4,716
4Michelle4,051
5Heather4,002
6Melissa3,997
7Lisa3,203
8Sarah2,934
9Kimberly2,772
10Julie2,410
11Jessica2,387
12Stephanie2,340
13Nicole2,299
14Kelly2,080
15Sara2,016
16Amanda1,976
17Jill1,836
18Rebecca1,798
19Dawn1,787
20Laura1,654
Boys, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Jason8,578
2Michael8,192
3Matthew6,431
4Brian5,614
5Christopher5,610
6Chad5,236
7David5,002
8James4,374
9Scott4,172
10John4,155
11Ryan4,051
12Robert3,854
13Jeffrey3,648
14Daniel3,570
15Eric3,463
16Jeremy3,389
17Joshua3,171
18Mark3,020
19Timothy2,979
20Steven2,637

Births summed over 1970-1979, per sex.

The names most over-represented in Iowa in the 1970s

Each figure is the name’s births in the state in the decade against the births its national share, year by year, would predict (names with at least 100 births in the state).

Girls

Boys

Ratios: observed over predicted births, 1970-1979.

More about names in Iowa

  1. The 1970s across the U.S.The most given names of the decade nationally.
  2. Iowa: 2025 and every year since 1910The state’s top names now and its number ones by year.
  3. Iowa in the 1980sThe next decade in the state.
  4. The top names of 1970The first year of the decade, nationally.
  5. Every state’s most given namesEach state since 1910.
  6. Look up any nameIts rank, births since 1880 and the people alive with it.

Back to Iowa: 2025 and every year since 1910