State roster

Top names in South Dakota

The names most likely to appear on 1981 South Dakota birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 9,918 South Dakota births in 1981 across 413 distinct names.

Distinctively South Dakota

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

#69Abbyoutside the national top 200
#63Lacey#194 nationally
#71Jessieoutside the national top 200
#80Bobbioutside the national top 200
#82Grantoutside the national top 200
#83Kellyoutside the national top 200
#86Bradyoutside the national top 200
#38Kari#145 nationally
#95Beckyoutside the national top 200
#98Drewoutside the national top 200
#96Jenna#197 nationally
#100Callieoutside the national top 200

Girls

#1Jennifer202US #1
#2Jessica187US #2
#3Sarah130US #4
#4Amanda122US #3
#5Melissa114US #5
#6Nicole93US #7
#7Amber92US #20
#8Sara89US #26
#9Amy80US #6
#10Heather80US #10
#11Rebecca76US #12
#12Erin73US #19
#13Elizabeth72US #9
#14Angela67US #15
#15Stephanie61US #8
#16Laura58US #21
#17Lisa57US #18
#18Jamie50US #28
#19Katie50US #44
#20Michelle49US #11
#21Heidi47US #84
#22April46US #25
#23Kimberly46US #13
#24Andrea45US #24
#25Kristin45US #31
#26Tiffany42US #14
#27Emily41US #29
#28Megan41US #33
#29Jill39US #78
#30Tara38US #45
#31Brooke36US #52
#32Rachel36US #22
#33Mary34US #27
#34Crystal33US #16
#35Lindsey33US #58
#36Kristen30US #38
#37Julie28US #37
#38Kari28US #145
#39Christina27US #17
#40Kelly27US #23
#41Leah27US #81
#42Carrie26US #55
#43Lindsay26US #47
#44Stacy25US #65
#45Katherine24US #39
#46Ashley23US #34
#47Danielle23US #30
#48Kelli23US #126
#49Shannon23US #32
#50Dawn22US #79
#51Samantha22US #51
#52Stacey21US #83
#53Alicia20US #46
#54Brandi20US #50
#55Erica20US #36
#56Mandy20US #136
#57Nichole20US #109
#58Beth19US #125
#59Karen19US #64
#60Misty19US #61
#61Holly18US #63
#62Kathryn18US #48
#63Lacey18US #194
#64Leslie18US #56
#65Melanie18US #66
#66Brandy17US #41
#67Tammy17US #117
#68Tracy17US #77
#69Abby16
#70Anne16US #105
#71Jessie16
#72Theresa16US #100
#73Allison15US #57
#74Ann15US #133
#75Christine15US #42
#76Jodi15US #173
#77Tanya15US #92
#78Wendy15US #90
#79Anna14US #54
#80Bobbi14
#81Cassandra14US #104
#82Kara14US #121
#83Molly14US #135
#84Pamela14US #76
#85Susan14US #71
#86Tina14US #80
#87Tonya14US #110
#88Autumn13US #184
#89Brenda13US #112
#90Catherine13US #73
#91Jenny13US #123
#92Robin13US #102
#93Sandra13US #74
#94Teresa13US #97
#95Becky12
#96Jenna12US #197
#97Lori12US #91
#98Meghan12US #116
#99Miranda12US #128
#100Callie11

Boys

#1Joshua202US #6
#2Matthew189US #3
#3Michael184US #1
#4Christopher166US #2
#5Justin164US #12
#6Ryan153US #13
#7Jason150US #4
#8Eric112US #17
#9Jesse109US #37
#10Daniel103US #10
#11Dustin102US #42
#12John102US #8
#13Joseph102US #11
#14Jeremy100US #22
#15David97US #5
#16Adam94US #20
#17Nicholas92US #21
#18Travis92US #40
#19Brian91US #14
#20Andrew88US #18
#21James88US #7
#22Nathan80US #36
#23Robert75US #9
#24Thomas69US #26
#25Chad68US #47
#26Aaron67US #30
#27Timothy58US #24
#28Benjamin54US #32
#29Scott54US #34
#30Brandon52US #19
#31Jeffrey52US #29
#32William52US #15
#33Jonathan50US #16
#34Anthony48US #23
#35Tyler47US #96
#36Steven46US #28
#37Cody44US #119
#38Mark42US #33
#39Jacob41US #43
#40Paul41US #35
#41Richard41US #27
#42Derek38US #53
#43Jared37US #57
#44Kevin36US #25
#45Lucas34US #89
#46Patrick33US #38
#47Casey32US #85
#48Bradley29US #50
#49Kyle29US #52
#50Brett28US #79
#51Todd28US #74
#52Charles25US #31
#53Seth25US #95
#54Brent24US #88
#55Craig24US #72
#56Kenneth24US #41
#57Corey23US #69
#58Gregory23US #46
#59Zachary23US #63
#60Cory22US #90
#61Douglas21US #64
#62Jeremiah21US #77
#63Sean21US #44
#64Keith20US #58
#65Jay19US #153
#66Jon19US #132
#67Shane18US #81
#68Shawn18US #49
#69Donald17US #56
#70Edward17US #51
#71Jordan17US #102
#72Lance17US #160
#73Luke17US #100
#74Samuel17US #54
#75Troy17US #114
#76Joel16US #65
#77Lee16US #123
#78Tony16US #111
#79Alan15US #112
#80Bryan15US #48
#81Gary15US #62
#82Grant15
#83Kelly15
#84Trevor15US #155
#85Austin14US #173
#86Brady14
#87Shaun14US #86
#88Jamie13US #118
#89Raymond13US #68
#90Rodney13US #135
#91Gabriel12US #87
#92Isaac12US #150
#93Jeffery12US #93
#94Levi12US #182
#95Brad11US #143
#96Clinton11US #124
#97Curtis11US #94
#98Drew11
#99Mitchell11US #140
#100Stephen11US #39

On the move since 1980

Rising

↑38Samantha#51
↑36Brooke#31
↑28Lindsay#43
↑27Lindsey#35
↑27Mandy#56
↑25Sean#63
↑25Donald#69
↑24Jessie#71

Falling

↓47Miranda#99
↓32Anna#79
↓28Kara#82
↓28Pamela#84
↓28Clinton#96
↓25Becky#95
↓24Troy#75
↓23Jamie#88

Every state

State-level SSA records cover 1910–2024 — a shorter window than the national archive, which runs back to 1880. See 1980 rankings.