What are the origins of this fun-filled festive custom?
The same names stayed strong in the top positions. The male names all have religious connotations, as well as one of the female ones. The top names were Michael, David, John, Lisa, Mary, and Susan.
Actor Michael J. Fox was born in 1961 and took one of the year's most popular names. Michael, James, Mary, Lisa, and Susan were the most chosen names that year.
Lisa Kudrow's mother was bang on the money when she chose the trendiest name of 1963 for her daughter. Other famous people who were also given the most popular names include Michael Jordan, Mike Myers, and Lisa Rinna. Mary, Susan, and John were also still top of the list.
Most of the popular names stayed at the top. They are Michael, John, David, Lisa, and Mary. However, a newbie joined: the name Karen became popular. It is Greek for "pure."
Actress Lisa Bonet was born in 1967. Her's was among the most given names of the year, along with Kimberly and newcomer Michelle. The boy names were Michael, David, and James.
For boys, the most popular names this year were David, Michael, and James. For the girls, it was Mary, Susan, and Linda.
Sources: (Good Housekeeping) (Social Security Administration)
The most given monikers in 1964 were still Michael, John, David, Lisa, Mary, and Susan. This may be why David Spade has his name.
Lisa Marie Presley, late singer and daughter of Elvis Presley, also rocked the popular girl's name. Michelle, Kimberly, John, Michael, and David also still topped the charts.
Yup, 1966 was the year actor John Cusack was born. He has one of the most popular names of the year. Alongside John and David stood the classics Michael, James, Mary, and Lisa. Kimberly also joined the list that year.
Jennifer Garner was given one of the most popular names of 1972. Jennifer, Mary, and Michelle were at the top for the girls. Christopher, James, and Michael were the most used for the boys.
Quite a few well-known figures were given the most used names in 1971. British comedian David Walliams and American actor Chris Tucker all don popular names. Besides Christopher and David, Michael, Jennifer, Michelle, and Lisa made the top cut.
A new name came in for the girls in 1973. Amy, meaning "beloved," entered the top three with Jennifer and Michelle. The boys had a newcomer with the name Jason. Michael and Christopher were also up there.
The name Jennifer means "the fair one." Perhaps that is why it stayed in the top three. In 1970, the same names of Lisa, Mary, John, David, and Michael were the most given.
Singer Michael Bublé was named this year with the most consistently popular name of all time. Jason, Christopher, Jennifer, Amy, and Michelle were also at the top of the list. What's more, Heather was now gaining in popularity.
Famed Coldplay front man Chris Martin is actually a Christopher. The other names of the year were, predictably, Jason, Jennifer, Amy, and Melissa.
Chris Pratt and Jason Momoa both took on names that were plentifully given. Other important names of the year were Michael, Jennifer, and Amy. There was also a new addition to the list: Amanda.
In 1978, the most popular names held on strong with Michael, Jason, Christopher, Amy, Melissa, and Jennifer taking the top spots.
Melissa Joan Hart's parents were on-trend when they named her. The other most popular names of 1976 were Amy, Jennifer, Christopher, Jason, and Michael.
In 1983, the most popular names for the girls were Jennifer, Amanda, and newbie Jessica. For the boys, it was Michael, Matthew, and Christopher. Chris Hemsworth, who was born in 1983, dons the name well.
Ashley Simpson was born in 1984. She was given one of the most popular names of her time. Jennifer, Jessica, Michael, Christopher, and Matthew were also the most given names.
Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all time, was born in 1985 and took the most popular name. Christopher, Matthew, Jessica, Ashley, and Jennifer also stood their ground at the top of the names list.
Brilliant actor Michael B. Jordan kept on the Michael name train. The other most given names were Matthew, Christopher, Amanda, Ashley, and Jessica.
Actor Chris Evans and singer Jennifer Hudson were both born in 1981 and given the most used names of the day. Among them were also Jason, Amy, and Amanda.
The stage name Jessie J comes from the star's birth name, Jessica. Jessica was one of the most popular names of 1988, alongside Ashley, Amanda, Michael, Christopher, and Matthew.
The trendy names of Ashley, Brittany, and Jessica stayed up in the top three for the girls. The boy names remained classic with Michael, Christopher, and Matthew.
When Britney Spears was not even a teenager, she sang on the show 'Star Search.' Perhaps her performances influenced parents around the world, because Brittany was once again a very popular name (never mind that the spelling is different...).
Chris Brown also has a pretty common name. The most popular names in 1989 were Christopher, Matthew, Michael, Jessica, Ashley, and newbie Brittany.
This year saw the reintroduction of the name Amanda onto parents' baby name lists. Amanda means "worthy of love." Ashley, Jessica, Michael, Christopher, and Matthew also remained popular.
In 1994, the name trend changed again in the girl section. Emily joined the team. The usual suspects were also on the list: Christopher, Michael, Matthew, Jessica, and Ashley.
The '90s saw the same popular names continue their streak. The most given monikers were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Ashley, Jessica, and Brittany.
In 1993, a new name came on the scene. It was Sarah, which means "Lady" or "Princess." The other most used names were Michael, Christopher, Matthew, Jessica, and Ashley.
A lot of parents must have been watching 'Sex and the City' in 1998, because the name Samantha jumped into the top three. Also at the top of the list were fellow newbie Hannah, as well as Emily, Jacob, Matthew, and Michael.
At the end of the millennium, a new name hopped in. Alexis was one of the most popular girls names. Other popular names were Hannah, Emily, Matthew, Michael, and Jacob.
A new boy's name became more popular in 1996. Jacob means "to follow" or "to supplant." Jacob was joined by the names Michael, Matthew, Emily, Jessica, and Ashley.
Jacob Elordi from the series 'Euphoria' was born in 1997 and was given one of the most popular names of the year.
It's possible that Michael Jordan may have something to do with so many parents naming their sons Michael in 1995. This was the year that Jordan returned to the NBA in glorious fashion. Many boys were also called Christopher and Matthew. The girls had Emily, Jessica, and Ashley.
Chris Pine was born in 1980. His parents used the common yet classy moniker of Christopher. Other popular boy names were Jason and Michael. The girls had Jennifer, Amy, and Amanda.
It is no coincidence that both of these iconic ladies were named Jennifer in 1969. The name was in the top three alongside Lisa and Michelle. The boys stayed original with the classics Michael, James, and David.
There might have been some extra inspiration for parents to call their children Michael in 1982. It was the year that Michael Jackson (1958-2009) released Thriller.' Other names at the top were Christopher, Jennifer, Amy, Amanda, and newbie Matthew.
The new millennium brought with it some new names. For the girls, the most popular names were Madison, Emily, and Jessica. For the boys, top names included Andrew and Joseph.
From a young age, many of us thought about what kind of names we would like to call our children. Most of our ideas have roots in the culture we grew up in and the social climate of the time. The most popular names through history slowly change depending on famous people and what role religion plays in society. Many of the boys names have consistently come from the Christian Bible, whereas girls names have changed more. The data used for this gallery was collected mainly in Western countries.
The most popular names over the past 100 years have been Michael and Mary. To discover the most popular names of your birth year, click through this gallery.
The most popular names the year you were born
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LIFESTYLE Baby names
From a young age, many of us thought about what kind of names we would like to call our children. Most of our ideas have roots in the culture we grew up in and the social climate of the time. The most popular names through history slowly change depending on famous people and what role religion plays in society. Many of the boys names have consistently come from the Christian Bible, whereas girls names have changed more. The data used for this gallery was collected mainly in Western countries.
The most popular names over the past 100 years have been Michael and Mary. To discover the most popular names of your birth year, click through this gallery.