If you were around in the 1970s, chances are you knew more than a few friends or family members with the baby names listed below.
It's fascinating to watch how names rise and fall in popularity over time — and thanks to the list of records from the Social Security Administration over the years, we can track all the monikers for boys and girls as they make their way up and down the ranks during specific decades.
You might be surprised by some of the more popular names bouncing back from a few decades before. As you'll see, the influence of rock music that was all the rage back in the day is all over the newborns from that era.
Take a look to see if your own name made the cut — or a family member or friend who was born in the 1970s whose parents chose a trendy name.
And don't forget to SHARE the throwback baby names with your loved ones on Facebook!
1. Kevin
Meaning: Handsome
This Irish name ranked at #13 in popularity during the 1970s, but first got attention way back in the 7th Century with St. Kevin who established a scholastic monastery near Dublin.
2. Angela
Meaning: Angel
This heavenly name came into popularity in the mid-1960s and remained in the top 10 girl's names throughout the '70s, settling in at #7 overall.
3. Lisa
Meaning: Pledged to God
Just a couple years after Elvis gave his daughter the name Lisa Marie, it quickly became the #4 most popular name for girls in 1970, before coming in at #6 for the decade.
4. Jason
Meaning: To heal
The Biblical name was ranked as the #3 most popular boy's name of the entire decade, but has since been replaced with trendier options like Mason or Jaxon.
5. Tammy
Meaning: Diminutive of Tamara, which is based on the Hebrew term for a date palm tree
Debbie Reynolds popularized this name with her Tammy films back in the 1950s, but it was still hanging in at #23 throughout the 1970s.
6. Larry
Meaning: Diminutive of Lawrence, meaning from Laurentium
I have a feeling CHiPs actor Larry Wilcox helped this moniker crack into the ranks while starring as Officer Jon Baker on the hit show that premiered in 1977.
7. Travis
Meaning: Tollgate-keeper
Despite Robert De Niro's Taxi Driver character of the same name having some less admirable qualities, the name apparently appealed to enough parents following the 1976 premiere of the film for it to climb in overall popularity in the '70s.
8. Dennis
Meaning: Vernacular form of Dionysius, the Greek god of wine and revelry
With the TV series Dennis the Menace having gone off-air nearly a decade before the '70s, the boost in popularity that boosted this back up might stem from actor Dennis Hopper's rise in fame following his breakthrough role in the 1969 Easy Rider.
9. Lori
Meaning: Diminutive of Laura, meaning bay laurel
The cutesy spin on the classic Latin name held firm at #32 in the overall rankings for the decade and could definitely make a comeback with modern babies today.
10. Deborah
Meaning: Bee
Blondie front-woman Deborah Harry might have inspired this popular name from the 1950s to return to the top 100, especially after the success of the band's first major hit, "Heart of Glass," right at the end of the decade.
11. Keith
Meaning: Wood
Fans of the Who paying homage to the band's drummer, Keith Moon, who tragically passed away in 1978, likely helped keep this strong name for boys at the #45 spot for the decade overall.
12. Gina
Meaning: Diminutive of Regina, meaning queen
Despite Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida's waning popularity as the 1960s came to an end, this name remained in the top 100 throughout the 1970s.
13. Dawn
Meaning: The first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise
It's probably safe to say that Tony Orlando and Dawn, the popular music group, helped keep this naturalistic name at #26 on the charts for the decade.
14. Christine
Meaning: Anointed
Fleetwood Mac founding member Christine McVie likely gave this a bump in the ranks, clocking in at #22 for the decade, just before Stephen King debuted his spooky car novel of the same name in 1983.
Do you remember seeing these names pop up with friends and family throughout the 1970s? Or know someone whose name made the list?
Be sure to SHARE with your loved ones on Facebook!
