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Baby names in Kentucky in the 1970s

In Kentucky in the 1970s the most given names were James (12,353 boys) and Jennifer (9,885 girls), of 513,652 births recorded.

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

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

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

The top names in Kentucky, 1970s

Girls, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Jennifer9,885
2Melissa6,807
3Angela6,796
4Amy5,709
5Kimberly5,182
6Stephanie4,111
7Lisa4,002
8Mary3,553
9Heather3,544
10Rebecca3,543
11Michelle3,520
12Amanda3,324
13Tammy3,200
14Shannon2,832
15Crystal2,666
16Elizabeth2,485
17Tonya2,316
18Kelly2,284
19Jessica2,284
20Tina2,267
Boys, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1James12,353
2Michael12,221
3Christopher10,925
4Jason9,135
5David8,249
6William7,840
7Robert7,601
8John7,518
9Brian6,255
10Charles4,924
11Joseph4,535
12Kevin4,359
13Timothy4,152
14Matthew3,755
15Steven3,670
16Mark3,427
17Anthony3,396
18Jeremy3,370
19Jeffrey3,269
20Eric3,199

Births summed over 1970-1979, per sex.

The names most over-represented in Kentucky 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 Kentucky

  1. The 1970s across the U.S.The most given names of the decade nationally.
  2. Kentucky: 2025 and every year since 1910The state’s top names now and its number ones by year.
  3. Kentucky 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 Kentucky: 2025 and every year since 1910