Most popular boy names in the 70s in California

Written by:
July 2, 2022
PxHere

Most popular boy names in the 70s in California

Names can tell the story of a generation. To learn more about the culture of the 1970s, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for boys in the 70s in California using data from the Social Security Administration. Names are ranked by number of babies born.

So why were so many parents drawn to a few popular names during this groovy decade? The answers vary from name to name but make total sense when you consider the context of the era.

Bob Dylan's hits certainly put a spotlight on the name Dylan. Fans of Corey Baker on the late 1960s to early 1970s sitcom "Julia" might have been compelled to put Corey (or the other popular variation, Kory) on their son's birth certificates. People who came of age during the peace-and-love counterculture revolution may have been attracted to nature-inspired baby names, like Micah, while other newborns of the 1970s may have gotten their names from some of the biggest stars of the decade such as Jamey Sheridan or Ricky Nelson.

Keep reading to see if any familiar boys' names (or your own!) made our list.

You may also like: Best-performing California stocks last week
1 / 50
Africa Studio // Shutterstock

#50. Chad

Chad is a name of English origin meaning "from the warrior's town".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,439
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 238 (#927 (tie) most common name, -96.3% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #30
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 113,598

2 / 50
Pixabay

#49. Jesse

Jesse is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "the Lord exists".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,516
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 4,776 (#110 most common name, -26.7% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #66
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 44,910

3 / 50
Adrie Molco // Shutterstock

#48. Nicholas

Nicholas is a name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,605
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 9,006 (#53 most common name, +36.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #51
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 65,095

4 / 50
Alena Vostrikova // Shutterstock

#47. Ronald

Ronald is a name of English origin meaning "counsel rule".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,745
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 669 (#496 most common name, -90.1% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #43
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 81,778

5 / 50
Unsplash

#46. Jesus

Jesus is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "to deliver".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,772
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 9,435 (#48 most common name, +39.3% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #146
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 18,427

You may also like: These 10 car insurers have the highest market share in California
6 / 50
Pixabay

#45. Bryan

Bryan is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,313
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 4,911 (#106 most common name, -32.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #46
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 71,405

7 / 50
rSnapshotPhotos // Shutterstock

#44. Brandon

Brandon is a name of English origin meaning "beacon hill" or "crow".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,318
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 9,559 (#46 most common name, +30.6% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #52
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 65,085

8 / 50
PxHere

#43. Patrick

Patrick is a name of Latin origin meaning "nobleman".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,566
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,278 (#212 most common name, -69.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #37
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 91,309

9 / 50
Serenko Natalia // Shutterstock

#42. Benjamin

Benjamin is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of my days".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,611
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 17,591 (#16 most common name, +131.1% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #44
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 81,386

10 / 50
yifanjrb // Shutterstock

#41. Shawn

Shawn is a name of Irish origin meaning "God is gracious".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,825
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,043 (#354 most common name, -86.7% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #34
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 105,831

You may also like: How opioid prescriptions to Medicaid patients in California stack up
11 / 50
Pexels

#40. Carlos

Carlos is a name of Spanish origin meaning "free man".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 8,231
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 8,261 (#61 most common name, +0.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #76
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 36,750

12 / 50
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock

#39. Stephen

Stephen is a name of Greek origin meaning "wreath, crown".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 8,398
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,356 (#311 most common name, -83.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #33
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 107,880

13 / 50
Canva

#38. Adam

Adam is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 8,708
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 8,370 (#59 most common name, -3.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #36
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 91,829

14 / 50
Negative Space

#37. Edward

Edward is a name of English origin meaning "prosperous".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 8,709
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,626 (#143 most common name, -58.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #40
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 83,515

15 / 50
PxHere

#36. Jonathan

Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has given".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 9,093
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 13,779 (#32 most common name, +51.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #32
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 107,996

You may also like: Fastest-growing jobs in California
16 / 50
Min An // Pexels

#35. Kenneth

Kenneth is a name of Gaelic origin meaning "handsome".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 9,161
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,248 (#214 most common name, -75.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #31
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 111,551

17 / 50
Canva

#34. Justin

Justin is a name of Latin origin meaning "righteous".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 9,527
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 5,661 (#92 most common name, -40.6% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #38
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 86,581

18 / 50
Canva

#33. Gregory

Gregory is a name of Latin origin meaning "watchful, alert".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 10,209
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,067 (#349 (tie) most common name, -89.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #29
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 115,646

19 / 50
Pixabay

#32. Charles

Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning "free man".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 10,671
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 5,573 (#95 most common name, -47.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #23
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 163,117

20 / 50
Canva

#31. Sean

Sean is a name of Irish origin meaning "God is gracious".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 10,686
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,905 (#176 most common name, -72.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #39
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 83,945

You may also like: Best counties to raise a family in California
21 / 50
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock

#30. Andrew

Andrew is a name of Greek origin meaning "brave".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 11,564
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 17,277 (#17 most common name, +49.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #28
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 133,096

22 / 50
Pixabay

#29. Jeremy

Jeremy is a name of English origin meaning "appointed by God".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 11,665
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,534 (#147 most common name, -69.7% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #26
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 139,357

23 / 50
PxHere

#28. Juan

Juan is a name of Spanish origin meaning "God is gracious".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 11,927
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 8,602 (#56 most common name, -27.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #68
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 43,179

24 / 50
Iren_Geo // Shutterstock

#27. Aaron

Aaron is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "high mountain".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 12,483
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 14,606 (#25 most common name, +17.0% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #35
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 101,539

25 / 50
Pixabay

#26. Timothy

Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning "honouring God".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 13,046
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,704 (#187 most common name, -79.3% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #21
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 181,367

You may also like: Counties in California with more precipitation over the past year than average
26 / 50
Canva

#25. Thomas

Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning "twin".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 13,220
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 6,088 (#81 most common name, -53.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #20
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 186,901

27 / 50
Canva

#24. Paul

Paul is a name of Latin origin meaning "humble".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 14,168
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,212 (#217 (tie) most common name, -84.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #27
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 136,498

28 / 50
Yulia Sribna // Shutterstock

#23. Scott

Scott is a name of Scotland origin meaning "a Scotsman".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 16,546
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 752 (#445 most common name, -95.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #17
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 194,707

29 / 50
Unsplash

#22. Joshua

Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God Is my salvation".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 16,764
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 14,280 (#27 most common name, -14.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #24
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 140,406

30 / 50
Canva

#21. Kevin

Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 16,825
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 9,946 (#43 most common name, -40.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #13
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 212,422

You may also like: Airports using biometric facial recognition in California
31 / 50
Lipatova Maryna // Shutterstock

#20. Ryan

Ryan is a name of Irish origin meaning "little king" or "illustrious".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 16,865
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 12,557 (#35 most common name, -25.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #25
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 139,756

32 / 50
Canva

#19. Mark

Mark is a name of Latin origin meaning "God of war".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 16,916
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,871 (#179 most common name, -83.0% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #18
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 194,442

33 / 50
MIA Studio // Shutterstock

#18. Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a name of English origin meaning "pledge of peace".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 18,081
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,644 (#276 most common name, -90.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #15
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 202,965

34 / 50
Unsplash

#17. Anthony

Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning "praiseworthy".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 18,196
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 19,694 (#8 most common name, +8.2% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #22
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 174,951

35 / 50
Canva

#16. William

William is a name of Germanic origin meaning "vehement protector".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 18,651
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 14,227 (#29 most common name, -23.7% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #9
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 283,588

You may also like: States sending the most people to California
36 / 50
Canva

#15. Steven

Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning "crown".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 19,217
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 4,453 (#119 most common name, -76.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #19
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 188,214

37 / 50
Shutterstock

#14. Jose

Jose is a name of Spanish origin meaning "God will increase".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 19,957
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 13,032 (#34 most common name, -34.7% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #48
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 66,116

38 / 50
burlakova_anna // Shutterstock

#13. Joseph

Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 20,611
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 14,781 (#24 most common name, -28.3% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #11
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 244,939

39 / 50
Unsplash

#12. Eric

Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning "sole ruler".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 21,580
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 5,837 (#87 most common name, -73.0% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #14
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 211,608

40 / 50
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock

#11. Richard

Richard is a name of German origin meaning "dominant ruler".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 22,299
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 4,134 (#125 most common name, -81.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #16
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 202,920

You may also like: Counties receiving the most SBA loans in California
41 / 50
Tatiana Chekryzhova // Shutterstock

#10. Matthew

Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Gift of Yahweh".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 25,629
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 22,661 (#5 most common name, -11.6% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #10
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 278,010

42 / 50
Todd Trapani // Unsplash

#9. Brian

Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 27,472
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,874 (#131 most common name, -85.9% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #8
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 322,870

43 / 50
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock

#8. Daniel

Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 29,523
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 24,502 (#3 most common name, -17.0% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #12
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 244,582

44 / 50
My Good Images // Shutterstock

#7. James

James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 32,222
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 14,244 (#28 most common name, -55.8% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #5
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 444,982

45 / 50
DONOT6_STUDIO // Shutterstock

#6. John

John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh has been gracious".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 33,656
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 8,235 (#62 most common name, -75.5% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #6
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 402,879

You may also like: Best- and worst-run cities in California
46 / 50
Vasiuk Iryna // Shutterstock

#5. Robert

Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning "fame" or "bright".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 38,138
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 7,154 (#73 most common name, -81.2% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #7
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 397,452

47 / 50
Thammasak Lek // Shutterstock

#4. Christopher

Christopher is a name of English origin meaning "Christ-bearer".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 38,855
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 13,923 (#31 most common name, -64.2% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #2
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 475,669

48 / 50
Canva

#3. Jason

Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning "healer".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 43,084
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 8,514 (#57 most common name, -80.2% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #3
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 462,954

49 / 50
Canva

#2. David

David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 47,149
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 18,868 (#11 most common name, -60.0% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #4
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 446,004

50 / 50
Burst

#1. Michael

Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".

California
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 65,112
- Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 17,941 (#14 most common name, -72.4% compared to the 70s)

National
- Rank: #1
- Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 707,737

You may also like: Metros in California that are best for nurses

Trending Now