Names that Peaked in 1978
Across 3 pages
of 3
The names
Michael
Hebrew
"who is like God?"
Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names , it's still widely used. How has Michael racked up this phenomenal…
Jason
Greek
"to heal"
Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…
Andrea
Feminine variation of Andrew, Greek
"strong and manly"
Andrea — a feminine form of Andrew (and a male name in several European cultures) — comes with a good selection of pronunciations — ANN-dree-a, AHN-dree-a, or ahn-DRAY-a — each with a slightly…
Damien
French from Greek
"to tame, subdue"
Converting Damian to Damien – or Julian to Julien or Lucian to Lucien – adds a certain je ne sais quoi to names. But most people in English speaking areas will still pronounce this the same as the…
Melissa
Greek
"honeybee"
Melissa derives from the Greek word mélissa , meaning "bee," which was taken from the word for honey, meli . In Greek mythology, Melissa was a nymph who nursed the infant god Zeus with honey. Melissa…
Jennifer
Cornish variation of Guinevere, Welsh
"white shadow, white wave"
Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. As such, it is connected to the queen of Arthurian legend, and sharees the same meaning of…
Aron
Hebrew and Spanish variation of Aaron
This shortened variation of Aaron—it was Elvis's middle name—is now a widely used choice.
Janelle
American, modern elaboration of Jane
It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.
Kenji
Japanese
"second son; healthy + second; wise + second; modest second"
A international feeling name of Japanese origin that could be used to refer to a child's place in the family, Kenji has attracted notice in the US as the name of The Food Lab chef, James Kenji…
Shanna
Shanna is a feminine name with multiple possible origins. Most commonly, it's considered an Americanized variation of the Irish name Shannah, meaning 'wise' or a feminine form of Shane, meaning 'God…
Qiana
Qiana is a feminine name that emerged in the United States during the 1970s, inspired by a silky nylon fabric of the same name that was popular during that era. The fabric was created by DuPont in…
Monika
Monika is a feminine name primarily of Latin origin, being a variant spelling of Monica. The name derives from the Latin 'moneo' meaning 'to advise' or 'to remind.' Monika is particularly popular in…
Cory
English variation of Corey, Irish, or diminutive of any Cor-beginning name
"from the hollow"
This Corey variation is getting a fresh shot of style juice thanks to young It Girl Cory Kennedy (not to be confused with RFK daughter, filmmaker Rory Kennedy).
Shanta
Indian
"peace"
This is the Indian version of the Hindi word meaning peace.
Christal
Christal is a feminine name that represents a variant spelling of Crystal. Derived from the English word for the clear, glass-like substance, it ultimately traces back to the Greek word 'krystallos,'…
Marlena
Marlena is a feminine name with various European origins, primarily formed as a blend of 'Maria' and 'Elena' or 'Magdalena.' The name carries a romantic, elegant quality while maintaining strength.…
Kristopher
Variation of Christopher
Not as familiar and easy as Christopher, not as unusual and interesting as Christoph or Krzysztof.
Lakeisha
Modern invented name
Perhaps the best known of the La names that peaked in the 1980s, it stems from the biblical Keziah, plus the gallic La prefix that rose to prominence centuries ago among the Creole people and Free…
Kristy
Diminutive of all variations of Kristina
"a Christian"
Kristy (and Kristi and Kristie) are the ultimate kool girl nicknames of the sixties and seventies, not kwite as kute any more.
Cedrick
Cedrick is a variant spelling of Cedric, a name created by Sir Walter Scott for his 1819 novel "Ivanhoe." Scott likely derived it from the Saxon name Cerdic, belonging to a 6th-century king. The name…