State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1972 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 36,587 Iowa births in 1972 across 757 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#87Darinoutside the national top 200
#60Jody#172 nationally
#93Mindyoutside the national top 200
#80Kari#186 nationally
#95Mollyoutside the national top 200
#100Wadeoutside the national top 200
#95Heath#190 nationally
#78Jeff#167 nationally
#78Becky#165 nationally
#80Dustin#165 nationally
#76Stacie#159 nationally
#54Cory#136 nationally

Girls

#1Jennifer1,068US #1
#2Amy564US #5
#3Michelle492US #2
#4Angela441US #6
#5Lisa359US #3
#6Melissa332US #7
#7Kimberly328US #4
#8Julie311US #12
#9Heather293US #9
#10Nicole259US #10
#11Stephanie257US #8
#12Dawn231US #20
#13Tammy188US #11
#14Lori182US #28
#15Brenda172US #44
#16Tracy171US #19
#17Jill166US #62
#18Wendy157US #29
#19Mary156US #13
#20Laura155US #17
#21Sarah155US #49
#22Stacy155US #33
#23Rebecca153US #14
#24Tina152US #18
#25Christine150US #16
#26Kelly142US #23
#27Shannon138US #22
#28Susan133US #24
#29Sara126US #101
#30Teresa124US #39
#31Jodi123US #97
#32Heidi121US #64
#33Christina118US #26
#34Carrie117US #53
#35Michele113US #36
#36Andrea110US #30
#37Denise106US #35
#38Karen96US #21
#39Stacey96US #41
#40Elizabeth95US #15
#41Kristin93US #67
#42Tonya89US #37
#43Robin87US #55
#44Tara87US #38
#45Dana85US #52
#46Rachel85US #40
#47Ann84US #91
#48Melanie81US #42
#49Cynthia79US #25
#50Jessica78US #46
#51Deborah76US #43
#52Patricia76US #27
#53Barbara75US #58
#54Renee75US #77
#55Shelly74US #94
#56Melinda72US #81
#57Kristine71US #127
#58Pamela68US #34
#59Debra66US #66
#60Jody66US #172
#61Sheila66US #90
#62Beth65US #113
#63Erin63US #93
#64Kristi63US #102
#65Holly61US #71
#66Rhonda61US #60
#67Cindy60US #80
#68Tamara60US #84
#69Tricia59US #120
#70Kathleen58US #57
#71Theresa57US #68
#72Amanda56US #76
#73Lynn56US #135
#74Linda54US #51
#75Kelli53US #150
#76Stacie53US #159
#77Traci53US #121
#78Becky52US #165
#79Gina51US #78
#80Kari51US #186
#81Sandra51US #31
#82Tanya51US #54
#83Jenny50US #119
#84Kathryn50US #103
#85Kristina50US #112
#86Monica50US #47
#87Nancy50US #63
#88Danielle48US #73
#89Kathy48US #108
#90Deanna47US #107
#91Diane46US #105
#92Krista46US #142
#93Mindy45
#94Sherry45US #70
#95Molly44
#96Nichole44US #146
#97Leslie43US #75
#98Shelley43US #126
#99Tiffany43US #61
#100Anne42US #134

Boys

#1Jason849US #7
#2Michael828US #1
#3Chad669US #25
#4Brian659US #8
#5Christopher620US #2
#6David535US #4
#7Matthew510US #10
#8Scott493US #11
#9James471US #3
#10Jeffrey427US #17
#11John419US #5
#12Robert415US #6
#13Eric316US #16
#14Daniel302US #15
#15Mark300US #18
#16Steven275US #19
#17Ryan273US #39
#18Todd265US #31
#19William260US #9
#20Timothy256US #21
#21Kevin252US #13
#22Troy243US #49
#23Thomas218US #20
#24Joseph196US #12
#25Aaron193US #40
#26Shawn187US #28
#27Jeremy182US #42
#28Bradley179US #61
#29Richard177US #14
#30Travis169US #57
#31Shane154US #55
#32Douglas149US #43
#33Paul149US #24
#34Anthony147US #22
#35Andrew143US #30
#36Patrick127US #35
#37Gregory118US #26
#38Charles110US #23
#39Jamie109US #72
#40Justin109US #60
#41Craig108US #46
#42Donald108US #36
#43Brent104US #77
#44Sean101US #33
#45Kenneth100US #27
#46Gary90US #41
#47Nathan90US #79
#48Joel89US #78
#49Ronald88US #32
#50Terry88US #62
#51Dennis87US #52
#52Chris83US #82
#53Tony83US #68
#54Cory82US #136
#55Jonathan81US #37
#56Joshua81US #59
#57Jon78US #89
#58Stephen77US #29
#59Corey76US #95
#60Bryan75US #45
#61Jeffery74US #58
#62Adam72US #51
#63Brandon72US #63
#64Brett68US #80
#65Kyle68US #113
#66Rodney68US #65
#67Randy65US #70
#68Larry64US #47
#69Benjamin61US #64
#70Brad60US #149
#71Jay59US #115
#72Keith58US #38
#73Kelly57US #140
#74Derek55US #67
#75Edward55US #34
#76Curtis54US #92
#77Nicholas53US #99
#78Jeff52US #167
#79Shannon52US #94
#80Dustin51US #165
#81Jerry50US #53
#82Lance50US #126
#83Erik49US #86
#84Russell49US #69
#85Kurt46US #164
#86Darren45US #106
#87Darin44
#88Tracy43US #111
#89Dean41US #156
#90Martin41US #117
#91Peter40US #48
#92Roger40US #76
#93Alan39US #110
#94Danny39US #87
#95Heath38US #190
#96Micheal38US #108
#97Allen37US #123
#98Bruce37US #121
#99Kirk36US #180
#100Wade36

On the move since 1971

Rising

↑57Justin#40
↑33Tara#44
↑32Jessica#50
↑27Brandon#63
↑25Melanie#48
↑25Joshua#56
↑23Nicole#10
↑23Nathan#47

Falling

↓28Linda#74
↓25Sandra#81
↓25Keith#72
↓22Tricia#69
↓20Russell#84
↓19Stacie#76
↓17Kathryn#84
↓17Nancy#87

Every state

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