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Baby names in New York in the 1970s

In New York in the 1970s the most given names were Michael (62,252 boys) and Jennifer (44,349 girls), of 2,284,672 births recorded.

Babies SSA recorded in New York each year, the 1970s shaded
New York births by year and sex50k100k150k200k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
New York births by year and sex50k100k150k200k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
New York births by year and sex50k100k150k200k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
New York births by year and sex50k100k150k200k19101950199020251970-1979BoysGirls

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

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

The top names in New York, 1970s

Girls, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Jennifer44,349
2Lisa19,559
3Michelle18,792
4Melissa17,593
5Nicole15,521
6Amy14,398
7Christine13,681
8Kimberly13,473
9Jessica13,218
10Elizabeth12,774
11Heather11,405
12Kelly10,354
13Karen9,688
14Maria9,159
15Danielle9,043
16Laura8,623
17Christina8,367
18Mary8,322
19Dawn8,169
20Stephanie8,111
Boys, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Michael62,252
2Christopher35,666
3David34,711
4John34,662
5Robert31,791
6James29,823
7Jason27,998
8Joseph27,991
9Brian23,345
10Daniel21,898
11William20,724
12Matthew19,515
13Anthony19,438
14Thomas19,010
15Richard18,379
16Kevin16,147
17Eric15,523
18Scott15,380
19Jeffrey14,389
20Steven14,089

Births summed over 1970-1979, per sex.

The names most over-represented in New York 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 New York

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