Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1997

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1997. 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 1997, 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 Emily 25,734
2 Jessica 21,043
3 Ashley 20,896
4 Sarah 20,711
5 Hannah 20,594
6 Samantha 20,169
7 Taylor 19,502
8 Alexis 17,170
9 Elizabeth 15,426
10 Madison 15,189
11 Megan 14,242
12 Kayla 13,885
13 Rachel 13,793
14 Lauren 13,245
15 Alyssa 12,648
16 Amanda 12,242
17 Brianna 12,007
18 Jennifer 11,839
19 Victoria 11,792
20 Brittany 11,528
21 Nicole 10,745
22 Morgan 10,341
23 Stephanie 9,778
24 Jasmine 9,678
25 Rebecca 9,631
26 Abigail 9,628
27 Olivia 9,477
28 Courtney 9,036
29 Amber 8,914
30 Alexandra 8,751
31 Haley 8,684
32 Katherine 8,516
33 Anna 8,341
34 Danielle 8,033
35 Sydney 8,032
36 Emma 7,746
37 Julia 7,339
38 Maria 7,313
39 Allison 7,274
40 Jordan 7,166
41 Kaitlyn 7,005
42 Destiny 6,727
43 Shelby 6,700
44 Melissa 6,679
45 Brooke 6,670
46 Mary 6,647
47 Savannah 6,578
48 Natalie 6,539
49 Kimberly 6,182
50 Sara 6,158
51 Gabrielle 5,943
52 Erin 5,939
53 Sabrina 5,815
54 Vanessa 5,796
55 Michelle 5,694
56 Sierra 5,688
57 Kelsey 5,573
58 Andrea 5,405
59 Madeline 5,313
60 Marissa 5,298
61 Tiffany 5,221
62 Christina 5,180
63 Katelyn 5,156
64 Paige 5,030
65 Bailey 5,023
66 Laura 4,850
67 Mariah 4,803
68 Cheyenne 4,764
69 Grace 4,638
70 Miranda 4,590
71 Mackenzie 4,491
72 Briana 4,475
73 Chelsea 4,460
74 Breanna 4,444
75 Caroline 4,439
76 Jenna 4,422
77 Jacqueline 4,278
78 Alexandria 4,234
79 Monica 4,223
80 Hailey 4,145
81 Cassandra 4,096
82 Kristen 4,085
83 Kelly 4,063
84 Erica 3,991
85 Shannon 3,914
86 Kathryn 3,873
87 Caitlin 3,862
88 Katie 3,862
89 Alicia 3,782
90 Heather 3,768
91 Autumn 3,740
92 Amy 3,690
93 Angela 3,652
94 Sophia 3,640
95 Lindsey 3,637
96 Catherine 3,591
97 Diana 3,583
98 Molly 3,449
99 Crystal 3,435
100 Michaela 3,398
101 Angelica 3,381
102 Makayla 3,345
103 Jamie 3,241
104 Leah 3,203
105 Cassidy 3,143
106 Alexa 3,090
107 Kaylee 3,055
108 Claire 3,039
109 Chloe 3,015
110 Margaret 2,967
111 Erika 2,898
112 Mikayla 2,873
113 Meghan 2,868
114 Isabella 2,862
115 Leslie 2,821
116 Kylie 2,745
117 Cynthia 2,714
118 Dominique 2,669
119 Kaitlin 2,668
120 Gabriela 2,629
121 Bethany 2,623
122 Jocelyn 2,621
123 Gabriella 2,613
124 Faith 2,577
125 Adriana 2,551
126 Veronica 2,543
127 Melanie 2,522
128 Mia 2,493
129 Jade 2,492
130 Brittney 2,483
131 Summer 2,480
132 Karina 2,373
133 Caitlyn 2,365
134 Bianca 2,362
135 Zoe 2,362
136 Hayley 2,353
137 Carly 2,335
138 Ana 2,319
139 Ariana 2,319
140 Daisy 2,303
141 Isabel 2,258
142 Valerie 2,224
143 Karen 2,223
144 Angel 2,214
145 Ariel 2,212
146 Casey 2,195
147 Desiree 2,185
148 Brenda 2,158
149 Lindsay 2,086
150 Mckenzie 2,068
151 Rebekah 2,057
152 Holly 2,056
153 Kendra 2,053
154 Rachael 2,039
155 Adrianna 2,007
156 Audrey 2,007
157 Selena 1,998
158 Whitney 1,961
159 Christine 1,941
160 Lydia 1,937
161 Kara 1,907
162 Alejandra 1,905
163 Kristina 1,865
164 Julie 1,864
165 Jada 1,856
166 Jillian 1,849
167 Alondra 1,837
168 Claudia 1,837
169 Patricia 1,781
170 Raven 1,781
171 Hope 1,770
172 Tara 1,768
173 Alison 1,763
174 Kristin 1,752
175 Kathleen 1,742
176 Aaliyah 1,739
177 Arianna 1,706
178 Hanna 1,699
179 Dana 1,683
180 Cierra 1,677
181 Diamond 1,676
182 Maya 1,675
183 Alexus 1,674
184 Riley 1,669
185 Kirsten 1,633
186 Kennedy 1,624
187 Jasmin 1,606
188 April 1,602
189 Natasha 1,594
190 Mallory 1,589
191 Evelyn 1,571
192 Abby 1,564
193 Kendall 1,559
194 Lisa 1,546
195 Asia 1,532
196 Nancy 1,525
197 Naomi 1,525
198 Kiana 1,507
199 Brandi 1,484
200 Marisa 1,477
201 Karla 1,470
202 Sandra 1,448
203 Kyra 1,444
204 Jordyn 1,437
205 Jazmin 1,429
206 Cindy 1,421
207 Katrina 1,411
208 Joanna 1,409
209 Tori 1,409
210 Guadalupe 1,406
211 Ciara 1,401
212 Kassandra 1,398
213 Jazmine 1,395
214 Esmeralda 1,393
215 Lillian 1,393
216 Deja 1,391
217 Ashlyn 1,367
218 Tessa 1,358
219 Julissa 1,355
220 Lily 1,355
221 Anne 1,346
222 Deanna 1,344
223 Daniela 1,340
224 Allyson 1,335
225 Payton 1,335
226 Mckenna 1,330
227 Brooklyn 1,328
228 Amelia 1,317
229 Yesenia 1,306
230 Peyton 1,303
231 Madeleine 1,301
232 Ashlee 1,288
233 Meagan 1,286
234 Nina 1,283
235 Bridget 1,281
236 Katelynn 1,281
237 Monique 1,272
238 Kiara 1,263
239 Celeste 1,252
240 Tatiana 1,246
241 Mercedes 1,244
242 Katlyn 1,232
243 Alissa 1,223
244 Tabitha 1,217
245 Serena 1,205
246 Savanna 1,196
247 Krystal 1,188
248 Imani 1,185
249 Sofia 1,183
250 Dakota 1,175

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 'Serena' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Emily' 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 'Sarah' 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 'Ashleys' 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 'Hannah' 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 'Samantha' 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 'Madison' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Taylor' 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 'Alexis' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Elizabeth' 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 1997". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1997/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1997". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1997/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1997. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1997/.