State roster

Top names in California

The names most likely to appear on 1972 California birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 287,227 California births in 1972 across 3,199 distinct names.

Distinctively California

Names that rank far higher here than they do nationally — the ones that say California more than they say America.

#69Leticiaoutside the national top 200
#73Claudiaoutside the national top 200
#80Rosaoutside the national top 200
#67Francisco#182 nationally
#70Ruben#184 nationally
#81Jorge#194 nationally
#90Rauloutside the national top 200
#92Jaimeoutside the national top 200
#71Miguel#174 nationally
#59Jesus#161 nationally
#55Manuel#152 nationally
#83Roberto#176 nationally

Girls

#1Jennifer6,065US #1
#2Michelle2,881US #2
#3Lisa2,430US #3
#4Kimberly1,915US #4
#5Maria1,666US #32
#6Nicole1,546US #10
#7Heather1,517US #9
#8Amy1,462US #5
#9Christina1,404US #26
#10Julie1,404US #12
#11Stephanie1,403US #8
#12Elizabeth1,364US #15
#13Melissa1,288US #7
#14Cynthia1,284US #25
#15Angela1,238US #6
#16Laura1,213US #17
#17Shannon1,198US #22
#18Christine1,172US #16
#19Rebecca1,109US #14
#20Patricia1,026US #27
#21Sandra1,024US #31
#22Monica1,009US #47
#23Tina941US #18
#24Mary927US #13
#25Andrea843US #30
#26Karen808US #21
#27Denise804US #35
#28Tracy789US #19
#29Kelly771US #23
#30Veronica762US #82
#31Dawn743US #20
#32Rachel727US #40
#33Wendy719US #29
#34Tammy704US #11
#35Michele703US #36
#36Jessica699US #46
#37Teresa661US #39
#38Susan651US #24
#39Lori604US #28
#40Tiffany603US #61
#41April598US #48
#42Stacy590US #33
#43Gina588US #78
#44Tanya569US #54
#45Diana558US #83
#46Deborah542US #43
#47Sarah540US #49
#48Danielle539US #73
#49Anna536US #86
#50Carrie535US #53
#51Brenda523US #44
#52Linda503US #51
#53Kathleen485US #57
#54Nancy481US #63
#55Heidi469US #64
#56Katherine467US #69
#57Alicia460US #96
#58Tamara456US #84
#59Melanie444US #42
#60Renee438US #77
#61Erin424US #93
#62Catherine422US #65
#63Stacey410US #41
#64Theresa410US #68
#65Kristin400US #67
#66Tara400US #38
#67Deanna398US #107
#68Victoria393US #99
#69Leticia389
#70Robin388US #55
#71Dana386US #52
#72Kristina383US #112
#73Claudia380
#74Pamela374US #34
#75Cheryl371US #56
#76Crystal362US #59
#77Suzanne358US #92
#78Erica353US #87
#79Yolanda341US #89
#80Rosa337
#81Barbara333US #58
#82Erika332US #138
#83Monique332US #153
#84Donna330US #45
#85Cindy329US #80
#86Leslie329US #75
#87Gloria326US #175
#88Sonia322US #176
#89Brandi321US #141
#90Jill319US #62
#91Debra318US #66
#92Yvonne318US #149
#93Christy316US #74
#94Sharon316US #50
#95Valerie313US #100
#96Regina311US #104
#97Jacqueline310US #79
#98Amber306US #161
#99Melinda304US #81
#100Martha303US #151

Boys

#1Michael6,346US #1
#2David4,629US #4
#3Jason4,038US #7
#4Christopher4,017US #2
#5Robert3,969US #6
#6John3,542US #5
#7James3,344US #3
#8Brian2,937US #8
#9Daniel2,501US #15
#10Richard2,314US #14
#11Eric2,311US #16
#12Matthew2,240US #10
#13William1,931US #9
#14Steven1,909US #19
#15Jeffrey1,824US #17
#16Scott1,811US #11
#17Mark1,805US #18
#18Joseph1,765US #12
#19Anthony1,675US #22
#20Kevin1,623US #13
#21Jose1,573US #50
#22Paul1,505US #24
#23Thomas1,335US #20
#24Timothy1,254US #21
#25Ryan1,149US #39
#26Aaron1,120US #40
#27Gregory1,105US #26
#28Sean1,097US #33
#29Charles1,077US #23
#30Edward968US #34
#31Andrew944US #30
#32Kenneth942US #27
#33Chad865US #25
#34Joshua857US #59
#35Juan823US #73
#36Shawn790US #28
#37Patrick783US #35
#38Jeremy780US #42
#39Stephen771US #29
#40Jonathan763US #37
#41Ronald727US #32
#42Todd704US #31
#43Donald688US #36
#44Carlos684US #84
#45Justin674US #60
#46Bryan663US #45
#47Peter652US #48
#48Raymond626US #54
#49George620US #44
#50Frank615US #56
#51Adam609US #51
#52Brandon608US #63
#53Gary605US #41
#54Keith576US #38
#55Manuel528US #152
#56Erik523US #86
#57Douglas512US #43
#58Jesse509US #88
#59Jesus508US #161
#60Craig502US #46
#61Gabriel499US #139
#62Benjamin490US #64
#63Mario488US #138
#64Luis482US #124
#65Victor471US #107
#66Ricardo462US #153
#67Francisco449US #182
#68Dennis444US #52
#69Larry429US #47
#70Ruben428US #184
#71Miguel423US #174
#72Christian413US #96
#73Jerry412US #53
#74Shane411US #55
#75Antonio401US #93
#76Nathan393US #79
#77Samuel385US #66
#78Joel379US #78
#79Troy379US #49
#80Derek376US #67
#81Jorge375US #194
#82Phillip373US #75
#83Roberto369US #176
#84Jeffery359US #58
#85Joe351US #100
#86Albert343US #112
#87Marc339US #83
#88Travis331US #57
#89Martin328US #117
#90Raul327
#91Brett321US #80
#92Jaime319
#93Danny318US #87
#94Brent315US #77
#95Chris314US #82
#96Tony313US #68
#97Alexander312US #129
#98Johnny310US #74
#99Jon305US #89
#100Vincent294US #105

On the move since 1971

Rising

↑30Leticia#69
↑28Justin#45
↑21Claudia#73
↑20Sarah#47
↑20Brandon#52
↑19Erica#78
↑19Joel#78
↑18Melanie#59

Falling

↓25Dana#71
↓24Chris#95
↓23Debra#91
↓20Marc#87
↓18Donna#84
↓18Sharon#94
↓18Troy#79
↓17Pamela#74

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1971 rankings.