State roster

Top names in West Virginia

The names most likely to appear on 1972 West Virginia birth certificates, ranked by SSA state records. The SSA recorded 26,013 West Virginia births in 1972 across 657 distinct names.

Distinctively West Virginia

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

#76Bettyoutside the national top 200
#82Franklinoutside the national top 200
#94Loraoutside the national top 200
#99Lorettaoutside the national top 200
#100Marshaoutside the national top 200
#91Beverly#185 nationally
#100Harry#183 nationally
#87Cathy#169 nationally
#88Kristie#168 nationally
#71Kelli#150 nationally
#84Ralph#159 nationally
#54Misty#125 nationally

Girls

#1Melissa457US #7
#2Jennifer425US #1
#3Angela351US #6
#4Lisa345US #3
#5Michelle309US #2
#6Kimberly291US #4
#7Amy290US #5
#8Tammy242US #11
#9Rebecca225US #14
#10Stephanie215US #8
#11Mary189US #13
#12Heather166US #9
#13Tina158US #18
#14Teresa155US #39
#15Christina142US #26
#16Crystal132US #59
#17Lori132US #28
#18Elizabeth119US #15
#19Susan116US #24
#20Tracy115US #19
#21April113US #48
#22Kelly111US #23
#23Cynthia110US #25
#24Pamela110US #34
#25Patricia102US #27
#26Julie93US #12
#27Laura93US #17
#28Donna90US #45
#29Karen85US #21
#30Sherry85US #70
#31Tonya83US #37
#32Rhonda80US #60
#33Robin77US #55
#34Wendy75US #29
#35Andrea74US #30
#36Linda72US #51
#37Shannon72US #22
#38Nicole71US #10
#39Brenda70US #44
#40Stacy70US #33
#41Deborah68US #43
#42Paula67US #72
#43Dawn66US #20
#44Michele66US #36
#45Tara65US #38
#46Kathy63US #108
#47Sarah63US #49
#48Sandra60US #31
#49Christy59US #74
#50Barbara58US #58
#51Leslie58US #75
#52Melanie58US #42
#53Melinda58US #81
#54Misty56US #125
#55Rachel56US #40
#56Cheryl51US #56
#57Christine51US #16
#58Debra51US #66
#59Sharon51US #50
#60Denise50US #35
#61Shelly48US #94
#62Kristi45US #102
#63Carla43US #106
#64Diana43US #83
#65Stacey43US #41
#66Carrie42US #53
#67Terri41US #124
#68Traci41US #121
#69Catherine40US #65
#70Cindy40US #80
#71Kelli38US #150
#72Sherri38US #129
#73Erica37US #87
#74Regina37US #104
#75Sheila37US #90
#76Betty36
#77Connie36US #130
#78Katherine36US #69
#79Nancy36US #63
#80Anna35US #86
#81Holly35US #71
#82Margaret34US #95
#83Deanna33US #107
#84Angel32US #145
#85Anita32US #136
#86Carol32US #109
#87Cathy32US #169
#88Kristie32US #168
#89Victoria32US #99
#90Alicia31US #96
#91Beverly31US #185
#92Gina31US #78
#93Janet31US #111
#94Lora31
#95Julia30US #132
#96Virginia29US #164
#97Jenny28US #119
#98Jessica28US #46
#99Loretta28
#100Marsha28

Boys

#1Michael717US #1
#2James608US #3
#3Christopher533US #2
#4David506US #4
#5John505US #5
#6Robert492US #6
#7Brian441US #8
#8William378US #9
#9Charles294US #23
#10Jason259US #7
#11Steven254US #19
#12Mark248US #18
#13Kevin241US #13
#14Richard240US #14
#15Jeffrey217US #17
#16Eric216US #16
#17Timothy213US #21
#18Thomas207US #20
#19Joseph202US #12
#20Matthew173US #10
#21Scott171US #11
#22Gregory165US #26
#23Ronald149US #32
#24Gary140US #41
#25Shawn138US #28
#26Kenneth137US #27
#27Daniel136US #15
#28Larry136US #47
#29Stephen135US #29
#30Chad130US #25
#31Anthony127US #22
#32Paul127US #24
#33Donald117US #36
#34Roger111US #76
#35Jonathan98US #37
#36Jerry95US #53
#37Edward83US #34
#38Todd83US #31
#39Aaron79US #40
#40Douglas77US #43
#41Bryan74US #45
#42George72US #44
#43Billy70US #81
#44Rodney70US #65
#45Danny69US #87
#46Keith69US #38
#47Patrick66US #35
#48Terry65US #62
#49Samuel62US #66
#50Raymond57US #54
#51Jeffery53US #58
#52Jamie52US #72
#53Randall52US #120
#54Carl51US #85
#55Craig51US #46
#56Andrew49US #30
#57Bobby49US #90
#58Russell49US #69
#59Dennis48US #52
#60Jeremy47US #42
#61Ryan47US #39
#62Bradley46US #61
#63Harold43US #132
#64Sean43US #33
#65Phillip42US #75
#66Randy42US #70
#67Roy42US #114
#68Troy42US #49
#69Benjamin41US #64
#70Frank40US #56
#71Johnny40US #74
#72Shane40US #55
#73Tracy40US #111
#74Brent39US #77
#75Shannon39US #94
#76Travis39US #57
#77Jimmy37US #97
#78Darrell36US #122
#79Allen35US #123
#80Walter35US #98
#81Curtis34US #92
#82Franklin34
#83Joshua34US #59
#84Ralph33US #159
#85Jack32US #142
#86Ricky32US #127
#87Tony31US #68
#88Brandon30US #63
#89Ronnie29US #133
#90Adam28US #51
#91Micheal28US #108
#92Nathan28US #79
#93Tommy27US #146
#94Bruce26US #121
#95Wayne26US #103
#96Gerald25US #102
#97Barry24US #148
#98Brett24US #80
#99Frederick24US #116
#100Harry24US #183

On the move since 1971

Rising

↑44Nicole#38
↑34Wendy#34
↑34Ryan#61
↑33Melanie#52
↑27Misty#54
↑27Shelly#61
↑25Christy#49
↑24Harold#63

Falling

↓27Loretta#99
↓25Cindy#70
↓25Nancy#79
↓22Marsha#100
↓19Ronnie#89
↓17Barbara#50
↓17Ricky#86
↓16Johnny#71

Every state

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