State roster

Top names in Iowa

The names most likely to appear on 1978 Iowa birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 39,675 Iowa births in 1978 across 805 distinct names.

Distinctively Iowa

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

#59Mindy#170 nationally
#92Heathoutside the national top 200
#83Mitchell#186 nationally
#45Molly#142 nationally
#57Kari#137 nationally
#63Lucas#136 nationally
#66Luke#139 nationally
#100Trisha#171 nationally
#81Tyler#150 nationally
#61Kara#127 nationally
#52Nichole#116 nationally
#65Ann#125 nationally

Girls

#1Jennifer937US #1
#2Amy517US #4
#3Sarah490US #8
#4Jessica471US #3
#5Melissa444US #2
#6Angela441US #7
#7Heather423US #5
#8Amanda351US #6
#9Nicole305US #10
#10Michelle297US #9
#11Sara289US #28
#12Kelly283US #12
#13Stephanie277US #16
#14Lisa250US #11
#15Elizabeth225US #14
#16Jill224US #46
#17Rebecca217US #17
#18Andrea215US #23
#19Erin200US #21
#20Amber195US #30
#21Emily193US #33
#22Laura189US #19
#23Jamie188US #20
#24Kimberly185US #13
#25Rachel169US #25
#26Julie168US #26
#27Carrie165US #35
#28Christina160US #15
#29Megan157US #41
#30Shannon136US #22
#31Mary133US #24
#32Tara128US #40
#33Katie122US #90
#34Crystal116US #18
#35Stacy114US #44
#36Holly113US #55
#37April110US #27
#38Kathryn102US #57
#39Dawn100US #52
#40Heidi99US #83
#41Danielle95US #31
#42Wendy95US #56
#43Katherine93US #38
#44Tracy87US #47
#45Molly85US #142
#46Tina85US #45
#47Christine82US #29
#48Kristin82US #78
#49Misty81US #43
#50Susan79US #49
#51Erica78US #34
#52Nichole78US #116
#53Melanie76US #54
#54Melinda75US #84
#55Stacey75US #53
#56Brandi73US #61
#57Kari73US #137
#58Alicia72US #58
#59Mindy72US #170
#60Lori70US #60
#61Kara69US #127
#62Kristina68US #64
#63Brandy67US #37
#64Tiffany66US #32
#65Ann65US #125
#66Brenda65US #103
#67Kristy64US #51
#68Anna63US #65
#69Allison62US #75
#70Karen62US #39
#71Tonya62US #77
#72Brooke61US #115
#73Jodi61US #128
#74Tammy61US #67
#75Beth60US #107
#76Courtney59US #68
#77Jenny59US #111
#78Valerie59US #92
#79Kelli58US #124
#80Kristi58US #98
#81Lindsay58US #95
#82Jaime56US #70
#83Mandy56US #96
#84Anne55US #119
#85Dana54US #71
#86Teresa53US #88
#87Leslie52US #63
#88Leah50US #108
#89Monica50US #42
#90Patricia49US #48
#91Samantha49US #74
#92Gina48US #93
#93Renee48US #99
#94Cynthia45US #50
#95Kathleen45US #79
#96Lindsey45US #153
#97Catherine44US #72
#98Christy43US #59
#99Natalie43US #66
#100Trisha43US #171

Boys

#1Jason815US #2
#2Matthew777US #6
#3Michael747US #1
#4Ryan636US #14
#5Joshua620US #12
#6Christopher572US #3
#7Brian514US #9
#8David446US #4
#9Nicholas446US #25
#10James432US #5
#11Jeremy407US #18
#12Chad388US #35
#13John377US #7
#14Eric376US #16
#15Andrew373US #22
#16Daniel368US #11
#17Joseph350US #10
#18Adam342US #29
#19Nathan340US #36
#20Justin330US #28
#21Timothy325US #17
#22Robert318US #8
#23Aaron293US #32
#24Scott290US #30
#25Jeffrey283US #19
#26Benjamin274US #34
#27Travis236US #46
#28Kevin228US #15
#29Mark228US #26
#30Steven204US #24
#31Thomas204US #23
#32William201US #13
#33Anthony179US #20
#34Bradley166US #53
#35Shawn162US #39
#36Brandon156US #40
#37Cory147US #73
#38Dustin143US #68
#39Jonathan143US #31
#40Richard138US #21
#41Shane132US #65
#42Jacob130US #50
#43Patrick130US #42
#44Paul129US #33
#45Todd128US #56
#46Kyle124US #63
#47Jesse118US #51
#48Troy118US #88
#49Charles117US #27
#50Corey114US #61
#51Douglas103US #59
#52Gregory101US #38
#53Bryan96US #43
#54Brent93US #87
#55Kenneth81US #41
#56Jared80US #72
#57Shaun80US #52
#58Jeremiah79US #81
#59Joel78US #74
#60Zachary76US #89
#61Seth75US #106
#62Casey74US #92
#63Lucas73US #136
#64Craig71US #66
#65Curtis70US #96
#66Luke69US #139
#67Derek65US #75
#68Donald65US #48
#69Jamie63US #95
#70Jay62US #119
#71Stephen60US #37
#72Brett58US #112
#73Sean58US #45
#74Brad57US #123
#75Peter56US #54
#76Keith54US #49
#77Terry53US #91
#78Samuel51US #57
#79Wesley51US #83
#80Jon50US #108
#81Tyler50US #150
#82Tony49US #97
#83Mitchell47US #186
#84Randy47US #86
#85Ronald47US #55
#86Jeffery46US #80
#87Nathaniel45US #94
#88Lance43US #134
#89Jerry41US #82
#90Dennis40US #71
#91Erik40US #85
#92Heath39
#93Phillip39US #67
#94Larry36US #64
#95Cody35US #152
#96Clinton34US #148
#97Russell34US #93
#98Alan32US #122
#99Lee32US #133
#100Marc32US #107

On the move since 1977

Rising

↑39Nichole#52
↑34Shaun#57
↑31Luke#66
↑28Nicholas#9
↑27Kathryn#38
↑27Kristin#48
↑26Mindy#59
↑25Anna#68

Falling

↓38Jaime#82
↓37Jodi#73
↓25Teresa#86
↓23Renee#93
↓21Tiffany#64
↓20Kari#57
↓20Beth#75
↓20Clinton#96

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1977 rankings.