Birth year roster
Top names in 1997
The names most likely to appear on 1997 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Emily and Michael led the 1997 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 1997 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Emily25,734
- #2Jessica21,045
- #3Ashley20,897
- #4Sarah20,716
- #5Hannah20,597
- #6Samantha20,170
- #7Taylor19,504
- #8Alexis17,171
- #9Elizabeth15,430
- #10Madison15,189
- #11Megan14,244
- #12Kayla13,885
- #13Rachel13,798
- #14Lauren13,248
- #15Alyssa12,649
- #16Amanda12,243
- #17Brianna12,008
- #18Jennifer11,840
- #19Victoria11,795
- #20Brittany11,529
- #21Nicole10,744
- #22Morgan10,342
- #23Stephanie9,778
- #24Jasmine9,680
- #25Rebecca9,634
Boys
- #1Michael37,562
- #2Jacob34,163
- #3Matthew31,517
- #4Christopher29,108
- #5Joshua28,289
- #6Nicholas27,258
- #7Andrew25,208
- #8Brandon25,197
- #9Austin25,118
- #10Tyler24,879
- #11Daniel23,950
- #12Joseph23,604
- #13Zachary21,929
- #14David21,896
- #15John21,386
- #16Ryan20,527
- #17James20,408
- #18Anthony20,034
- #19William20,020
- #20Justin18,745
- #21Jonathan18,542
- #22Alexander17,112
- #23Robert16,304
- #24Kyle15,919
- #25Christian15,059