Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1973

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1973. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby girl names in 1973, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 Jennifer 62,446
2 Amy 26,965
3 Michelle 26,934
4 Kimberly 23,532
5 Lisa 22,671
6 Melissa 22,481
7 Angela 20,897
8 Heather 19,350
9 Stephanie 17,266
10 Rebecca 14,871
11 Nicole 13,924
12 Julie 12,787
13 Elizabeth 12,358
14 Mary 12,313
15 Tammy 11,245
16 Christina 10,889
17 Christine 10,550
18 Kelly 10,517
19 Laura 10,340
20 Tracy 9,913
21 Dawn 9,890
22 Shannon 9,805
23 Karen 9,355
24 Tina 9,309
25 Susan 9,282
26 Cynthia 8,744
27 Patricia 8,477
28 Lori 8,473
29 Wendy 7,812
30 Andrea 7,768
31 Maria 7,659
32 Stacy 7,339
33 April 7,263
34 Jessica 7,226
35 Sarah 7,216
36 Tonya 7,183
37 Tara 6,707
38 Denise 6,618
39 Sandra 6,585
40 Monica 6,376
41 Stacey 6,253
42 Rachel 6,106
43 Melanie 6,079
44 Michele 5,996
45 Teresa 5,988
46 Carrie 5,836
47 Pamela 5,814
48 Crystal 5,771
49 Danielle 5,649
50 Tanya 5,632
51 Amanda 5,627
52 Tiffany 5,500
53 Brenda 5,380
54 Holly 5,114
55 Donna 5,058
56 Deborah 4,981
57 Sharon 4,964
58 Kristen 4,937
59 Dana 4,933
60 Robin 4,806
61 Linda 4,730
62 Jill 4,539
63 Barbara 4,436
64 Katherine 4,420
65 Heidi 4,396
66 Tamara 4,286
67 Catherine 4,262
68 Kathleen 4,250
69 Theresa 4,179
70 Rhonda 4,162
71 Veronica 4,154
72 Melinda 4,144
73 Christy 4,121
74 Cheryl 4,010
75 Leslie 3,953
76 Sherry 3,953
77 Nancy 3,942
78 Kristin 3,905
79 Erin 3,877
80 Renee 3,847
81 Erica 3,797
82 Brandy 3,714
83 Gina 3,698
84 Debra 3,652
85 Diana 3,520
86 Anna 3,504
87 Paula 3,504
88 Jacqueline 3,499
89 Sara 3,479
90 Misty 3,475
91 Alicia 3,431
92 Cindy 3,283
93 Ann 3,256
94 Margaret 3,169
95 Victoria 3,071
96 Valerie 3,042
97 Kristina 3,038
98 Suzanne 3,035
99 Emily 3,029
100 Jodi 3,024
101 Sheila 2,999
102 Tracey 2,978
103 Jamie 2,953
104 Shelly 2,910
105 Allison 2,904
106 Laurie 2,895
107 Kathryn 2,884
108 Kristi 2,846
109 Brandi 2,843
110 Regina 2,843
111 Deanna 2,796
112 Bridget 2,764
113 Yolanda 2,751
114 Carla 2,686
115 Diane 2,602
116 Carolyn 2,568
117 Beth 2,564
118 Katrina 2,524
119 Janet 2,521
120 Katina 2,474
121 Carol 2,457
122 Anne 2,451
123 Tricia 2,386
124 Kathy 2,371
125 Colleen 2,307
126 Aimee 2,281
127 Traci 2,259
128 Shelley 2,258
129 Kim 2,194
130 Amber 2,181
131 Sonya 2,168
132 Erika 2,156
133 Kristine 2,148
134 Vanessa 2,145
135 Samantha 2,118
136 Julia 2,092
137 Terri 2,088
138 Felicia 2,070
139 Jenny 2,066
140 Natalie 2,060
141 Megan 2,022
142 Anita 1,985
143 Krista 1,954
144 Connie 1,938
145 Lynn 1,933
146 Alison 1,927
147 Kristy 1,891
148 Kerry 1,874
149 Sherri 1,852
150 Stacie 1,839
151 Cassandra 1,816
152 Virginia 1,816
153 Angel 1,815
154 Monique 1,802
155 Natasha 1,782
156 Carmen 1,756
157 Kelli 1,726
158 Martha 1,725
159 Yvonne 1,721
160 Nichole 1,720
161 Kristie 1,709
162 Joy 1,697
163 Bonnie 1,687
164 Jody 1,687
165 Sheri 1,667
166 Joanna 1,663
167 Kara 1,630
168 Tracie 1,625
169 Marie 1,619
170 Becky 1,612
171 Annette 1,605
172 Kari 1,601
173 Sabrina 1,601
174 Sonia 1,598
175 Leah 1,587
176 Claudia 1,564
177 Gloria 1,555
178 Meredith 1,522
179 Christie 1,513
180 Kerri 1,504
181 Belinda 1,499
182 Robyn 1,476
183 Janice 1,475
184 Penny 1,471
185 Cathy 1,436
186 Vicki 1,414
187 Wanda 1,412
188 Shawna 1,403
189 Toni 1,397
190 Jeanette 1,362
191 Gretchen 1,350
192 Beverly 1,347
193 Sylvia 1,347
194 Charlotte 1,330
195 Molly 1,328
196 Betty 1,322
197 Joanne 1,298
198 Trina 1,296
199 Nikki 1,292
200 Shawn 1,285
201 Ruth 1,273
202 Ginger 1,271
203 Yvette 1,267
204 Kendra 1,264
205 Rosa 1,260
206 Ashley 1,253
207 Catina 1,236
208 Debbie 1,232
209 Joyce 1,226
210 Keri 1,212
211 Charlene 1,207
212 Kelley 1,201
213 Latonya 1,195
214 Alice 1,187
215 Dorothy 1,174
216 Darlene 1,163
217 Frances 1,155
218 Shirley 1,155
219 Kellie 1,153
220 Peggy 1,144
221 Marsha 1,134
222 Candace 1,133
223 Helen 1,133
224 Melody 1,123
225 Staci 1,123
226 Tasha 1,121
227 Tonia 1,119
228 Mindy 1,117
229 Caroline 1,111
230 Jean 1,110
231 Karla 1,110
232 Lauren 1,097
233 Ana 1,095
234 Rose 1,093
235 Billie 1,092
236 Kimberley 1,092
237 Tammie 1,091
238 Christa 1,081
239 Leigh 1,078
240 Bobbie 1,076
241 Ellen 1,074
242 Bethany 1,043
243 Norma 1,043
244 Joann 1,039
245 Juanita 1,037
246 Maureen 1,033
247 Judy 1,032
248 Rita 1,031
249 Evelyn 1,015
250 Judith 1,012

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Juanita' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Jennifer' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'Kimberly' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Michelles' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Lisa' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Melissa' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Rebecca' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Angela' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Heather' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Stephanie' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1973". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 29, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1973/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1973". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1973/. Accessed 29 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1973. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1973/.