Birth year roster
Top names in 1996
The names most likely to appear on 1996 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Emily and Michael led the 1996 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — Emily, which rose to prominence in this era and Michael, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1996 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Emily25,150
- #2Jessica24,201
- #3Ashley23,678
- #4Sarah21,048
- #5Samantha20,552
- #6Taylor19,155
- #7Hannah18,596
- #8Alexis16,592
- #9Rachel16,121
- #10Elizabeth16,003
- #11Kayla15,269
- #12Megan14,770
- #13Amanda13,980
- #14Brittany13,797
- #15Madison13,412
- #16Lauren12,595
- #17Brianna11,925
- #18Victoria11,859
- #19Jennifer11,732
- #20Stephanie11,643
- #21Courtney11,344
- #22Nicole11,135
- #23Alyssa11,024
- #24Rebecca10,626
- #25Morgan10,295
Boys
- #1Michael38,373
- #2Matthew32,077
- #3Jacob31,925
- #4Christopher30,904
- #5Joshua29,175
- #6Nicholas27,724
- #7Tyler26,956
- #8Brandon25,847
- #9Austin25,663
- #10Andrew25,244
- #11Daniel25,128
- #12Joseph24,758
- #13David23,022
- #14Zachary22,369
- #15John22,188
- #16Ryan21,809
- #17James21,165
- #18William20,546
- #19Anthony20,508
- #20Justin20,015
- #21Jonathan18,602
- #22Alexander17,964
- #23Robert17,676
- #24Christian15,824
- #25Kyle15,600