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Baby names in West Virginia in the 1970s

In West Virginia in the 1970s the most given names were Michael (6,493 boys) and Jennifer (4,367 girls), of 255,744 births recorded.

Babies SSA recorded in West Virginia each year, the 1970s shaded
West Virginia births by year and sex10k20k30k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
West Virginia births by year and sex10k20k30k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
West Virginia births by year and sex10k20k30k19101930195019701990201020251970-1979BoysGirls
West Virginia births by year and sex10k20k30k19101950199020251970-1979BoysGirls

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

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

The top names in West Virginia, 1970s

Girls, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Jennifer4,367
2Melissa3,899
3Angela3,280
4Amy3,192
5Lisa2,512
6Kimberly2,435
7Heather2,381
8Michelle2,316
9Stephanie2,045
10Rebecca2,018
11Amanda1,791
12Crystal1,758
13Mary1,708
14Christina1,650
15Tammy1,591
16Kelly1,320
17April1,235
18Tina1,217
19Elizabeth1,214
20Jessica1,159
Boys, 1970-1979
#NameBirths
1Michael6,493
2James5,856
3Jason4,890
4Christopher4,822
5David4,720
6John4,344
7Robert4,189
8William3,707
9Brian3,455
10Charles2,655
11Matthew2,508
12Joseph2,338
13Timothy2,157
14Richard2,140
15Kevin2,110
16Steven2,032
17Eric2,007
18Mark1,932
19Thomas1,891
20Jeffrey1,792

Births summed over 1970-1979, per sex.

The names most over-represented in West Virginia 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 West Virginia

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