Was there ever an era as groovy as the '70s? We don't think so. The great rock music, the iconic movies, the hip style — the '70s gave us some of our most lasting cultural landmarks. No one can deny that it was a decade of experimentation. Some of these touchstones are things that we're still are talking about almost 50 years later like bell-bottom jeans, Led Zeppelin, and the wild and crazy hairstyles. Basically, the '70s were just plain cool. In fact, many expectant parents look to the '70s for baby name inspiration and there's good reason why.
The '70s really did give us some choice baby names, especially for baby boys. Most of the names from that decade are still popular today like Daniel, Matthew, Jason, and James, withĀ few clunkers — sorry Scott, Kenneth, and Chad. That's most likely because all of the top 20 boys names from the '70s are classic names that had already been popular throughout the 20th century and continued to ride high through the decade and beyond. Using data collected from the Social Security registry we found a treasure trove of the most popular boys' names in the country from that time and put together a list of the top names that parents might want to consider when naming their baby. Take a look!
MICHAEL
The first name on our list is a name that seems like its never been unpopular. Really, has there ever been a time when Michael wasn't a cool boy's name? The name is derived from the Hebrew mÄ«khÄ'Ä'l, which means "Who is like God?"
CHRISTOPHER
Another name that seems like it's always in fashion, Christopher was the second most popular name of the '70s. Taken from the Greek Christophoros it was composed of the elements Christos "Christ" and pherein "to bear." It's classic, regal and dependable.
JASON
Jason is a name from the English version of the Latin and Greek IÄson, which means "healer" and is a a name that is derived from the name iasthai, meaning "to heal." Although the name has dipped in popularity since the '70s, Jason is still a name that many people use today.
DAVID
For most of the 20th century, David was a top 10 baby boy name and there's no sign that this trend will stop as we go deeper into the 2020s. The name originated from the Hebrew dÄvÄ«dĀ and means "beloved." It's a strong biblical name that will always be in vogue.
JAMES
James has always been popular but that's most likely because it has Biblical connections. The name originated fromĀ a cognate of the Hebrew Yaakov, which means "supplanting" or "seizing by the heel." It's also the names of many kings past, so history is on its side.
JOHN
We all know someone named John — an uncle, a grandfather, a beloved neighbor.Ā John has some deep religious connections and is derived from the Hebrew derived from yehÅhÄnÄn, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." Whether parents go John or Jonathon, it's one of those names that will probably always be on the playground.
ROBERT
A name introduced to England by the Normans and taken from theĀ Old High German Hruodperht, RobertĀ isĀ a compound name composed of the elements hruod, meaning "fame" and perht, meaning "bright." And who can forget the dashing actor, Robert Redford?
BRIAN
Brian is not as popular as it once was, but it's still an all-time baby name favorite. The name is Irish and although it's not clear what the etymology is, it's believed to be derived from the root bri, meaning "force, strength," brƮgh, meaning "valor, strength," or bruaich, meaning "a hill, steep, high."
WILLIAM
A name that has endless possibilities, William was one of the most popular all throughout the 20th century and continues to be popular well into the 21st century. Taken from theĀ Old Norman French Willaume, the name loosely translates to "resolute protector." Thanks to Britain's future king, Prince William, the name is at an all-time high.
MATTHEW
It might seem likeĀ Matthew has always been a popular name, but in reality it took off throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s. The name comes from theĀ Hebrew Matityah, which is derived from mattÄ«thyÄh, meaning "gift of God."
JOSEPH
Another classic baby boy name that has trended all over the world over, there's no surprise that Joseph is on this '70s list. Taken from the Hebrew, yÅsÄf, Joseph means "may he add, God shall add." While it's dipped in popularity in recent years, it's still not ever going to leave the top baby name lists.
DANIEL
Whether it's Dan, Daniel, or Danny, this is a name with some serious longevity. An all-American boy's name to boot, Daniel is takenĀ from the Hebrew dÄni'Äl and it means "God is my judge."
KEVIN
KevinĀ came out of the '60s like a rocket ship and really took flight in the '70s when many people fell in love with it. Kevin comes the the Irish CaoimhĆn or Caomghin, which means "handsome, comely birth," and is derived from caomh, meaning "comely, beloved, and kind."
ERIC
This is a name with some strong origins, specifically theĀ Old Norse nameĀ EirƬkr. Of course, we don't really use the nameĀ EirƬkr anymore, but it might be helpful to know that the name Eric loosely translates to "eternal ruler."
JEFFREY
There's long been the debate between spelling the name with a J or a G, but we finally can put the battle to bed. Jeffrey comes from the Old French Geoffroi (with a G), but we won't hold it against anyone who likes to spell the name with a J.
RICHARD
A strong name with a powerful past, some people might not know that Richard originally came from theĀ High German name Richart. The name became the moniker of many rulers of England and loosely means "brave ruler."
SCOTT
Unfortunately, Scott has sort of fallen from its perch at the top of the baby name list, but when it was hot, it was really, really hot. Scott was actually taken from the Old English surname Scottas and now means "a Scotchman, a Gael from Scotland."
MARK
Mark is a name of battle and that's mostly because the root of the name is Mars — the Roman mythological god of war. One could take it to mean "war-like" but there are others who disregard its mythological connections completely and feel that it comes from the Greek malakoz, meaning "soft" or "tender."
STEVEN
Another name taken from Greece, most people might not know that Steven is also a hit name in Ireland. At first, the name wasĀ stephanos and means "a crown, a garland" in its original Greek.
THOMAS
Our final name on the list has always been — and always will be — popular. That's probably why things were no different in the '70s. Thomas is derived from the Aramaic tÄ'Åma and means "a twin." It's classic, strong and old-school appeal keeps it going throughout the decades.
