State roster

Top names in Massachusetts

The names most likely to appear on 1972 Massachusetts birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 71,893 Massachusetts births in 1972 across 1,043 distinct names.

Distinctively Massachusetts

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

#63Danaoutside the national top 200
#78Maureenoutside the national top 200
#79Francisoutside the national top 200
#71Kerri#190 nationally
#86Joanneoutside the national top 200
#89Brendanoutside the national top 200
#37Kerry#148 nationally
#90Shaunoutside the national top 200
#93Laurenoutside the national top 200
#90Kara#196 nationally
#98Jeanoutside the national top 200
#92Neil#185 nationally

Girls

#1Jennifer2,077US #1
#2Lisa900US #3
#3Michelle900US #2
#4Kimberly733US #4
#5Amy684US #5
#6Christine605US #16
#7Nicole592US #10
#8Melissa583US #7
#9Heather554US #9
#10Karen462US #21
#11Julie455US #12
#12Susan411US #24
#13Elizabeth403US #15
#14Kelly371US #23
#15Rebecca363US #14
#16Dawn352US #20
#17Kathleen337US #57
#18Laura323US #17
#19Stephanie312US #8
#20Mary304US #13
#21Kristin302US #67
#22Jessica295US #46
#23Patricia294US #27
#24Tracy290US #19
#25Kristen283US #85
#26Tara280US #38
#27Tammy262US #11
#28Lori253US #28
#29Cheryl250US #56
#30Andrea247US #30
#31Deborah233US #43
#32Wendy229US #29
#33Tina221US #18
#34Christina219US #26
#35Laurie218US #98
#36Heidi216US #64
#37Kerry213US #148
#38Sandra205US #31
#39Denise202US #35
#40Sarah201US #49
#41Erin200US #93
#42Donna199US #45
#43Pamela198US #34
#44Michele187US #36
#45Cynthia185US #25
#46Sharon185US #50
#47Rachel182US #40
#48Shannon182US #22
#49Suzanne180US #92
#50Angela177US #6
#51Debra177US #66
#52Danielle176US #73
#53Stacey176US #41
#54Jill175US #62
#55Linda168US #51
#56Colleen164US #123
#57Melanie164US #42
#58Catherine162US #65
#59Maria162US #32
#60Nancy162US #63
#61Katherine156US #69
#62Brenda147US #44
#63Renee146US #77
#64Lynn145US #135
#65Ann144US #91
#66Robin142US #55
#67Paula138US #72
#68Holly130US #71
#69Stacy130US #33
#70Diane126US #105
#71Kerri123US #190
#72Tanya121US #54
#73Tracey118US #88
#74Beth115US #113
#75Carrie113US #53
#76Kathryn113US #103
#77Margaret112US #95
#78Maureen111
#79Theresa108US #68
#80Barbara106US #58
#81Alison104US #162
#82Gina101US #78
#83Kim101US #118
#84Carolyn100US #110
#85April99US #48
#86Joanne99
#87Erica93US #87
#88Anne88US #134
#89Jodi87US #97
#90Kara87US #196
#91Amanda85US #76
#92Allison84US #115
#93Lauren84
#94Sheila82US #90
#95Emily80US #131
#96Kristine79US #127
#97Jacqueline76US #79
#98Jean76
#99Marie76US #167
#100Janet75US #111

Boys

#1Michael2,223US #1
#2Christopher1,631US #2
#3David1,429US #4
#4John1,330US #5
#5Robert1,205US #6
#6James1,155US #3
#7Brian1,107US #8
#8Jason943US #7
#9Scott878US #11
#10Matthew817US #10
#11William800US #9
#12Mark762US #18
#13Joseph760US #12
#14Richard745US #14
#15Daniel736US #15
#16Eric694US #16
#17Kevin694US #13
#18Jeffrey655US #17
#19Paul627US #24
#20Thomas602US #20
#21Steven530US #19
#22Stephen528US #29
#23Sean502US #33
#24Peter498US #48
#25Timothy450US #21
#26Keith398US #38
#27Derek383US #67
#28Jonathan378US #37
#29Shawn368US #28
#30Anthony355US #22
#31Edward343US #34
#32Gregory332US #26
#33Todd330US #31
#34Kenneth328US #27
#35Andrew300US #30
#36Patrick281US #35
#37Charles279US #23
#38Adam236US #51
#39Craig233US #46
#40Joshua216US #59
#41Marc207US #83
#42George202US #44
#43Douglas188US #43
#44Ronald181US #32
#45Donald170US #36
#46Dennis163US #52
#47Jeremy154US #42
#48Gary151US #41
#49Chad140US #25
#50Frank140US #56
#51Aaron131US #40
#52Ryan130US #39
#53Benjamin127US #64
#54Jose122US #50
#55Justin122US #60
#56Erik121US #86
#57Philip115US #104
#58Christian114US #96
#59Wayne114US #103
#60Raymond107US #54
#61Bryan106US #45
#62Jamie102US #72
#63Dana100
#64Shane90US #55
#65Brett89US #80
#66Alexander83US #129
#67Nicholas83US #99
#68Randy83US #70
#69Joel80US #78
#70Jon80US #89
#71Alan79US #110
#72Lawrence76US #101
#73Russell75US #69
#74Troy75US #49
#75Arthur74US #119
#76Walter72US #98
#77Bruce69US #121
#78Roger69US #76
#79Francis68
#80Carl67US #85
#81Louis64US #130
#82Luis64US #124
#83Glenn63US #134
#84Nathan63US #79
#85Frederick62US #116
#86Jay62US #115
#87Albert60US #112
#88Corey60US #95
#89Brendan59
#90Shaun59
#91Victor58US #107
#92Neil57US #185
#93Vincent57US #105
#94Jesse55US #88
#95Brandon54US #63
#96Antonio52US #93
#97Darren52US #106
#98Gerald52US #102
#99Kurt52US #164
#100Henry51US #118

On the move since 1971

Rising

↑25Tara#26
↑22Kathryn#76
↑21Shane#64
↑18Melanie#57
↑17Troy#74
↑16Christina#34
↑16Renee#63
↑15Danielle#52

Falling

↓23Nancy#60
↓23Gerald#98
↓19Pamela#43
↓16Linda#55
↓16Alan#71
↓15Theresa#79
↓15Kim#83
↓14Angela#50

Every state

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