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Most popular boy names in the 70s in Alabama

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 Alabama 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.

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#50. Benjamin

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,222
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,453 (#25 most common name, +18.9% compared to the 70s)

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

Yulia Sribna // Shutterstock

#49. Keith

Keith is a name of Celtic origin meaning “wood, forest”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,269
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 122 (#369 (tie) most common name, -90.4% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #45
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 76,737

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#48. Jimmy

Jimmy is a name of English origin meaning “supplanter”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,288
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 109 (#403 most common name, -91.5% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #99
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 26,888

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#47. Bobby

Bobby is a name of German origin meaning “bright fame”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,348
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 72 (#536 most common name, -94.7% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #93
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 28,888

PxHere

#46. Gary

Gary is a name of English origin meaning “spearman”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,349
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 99 (#440 most common name, -92.7% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #47
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 68,301

PxHere

#45. Billy

Billy is a name of English origin meaning “resolute protection”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,381
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 90 (#474 most common name, -93.5% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #82
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 33,077

PxHere

#44. Scott

Scott is a name of Scotland origin meaning “a Scotsman”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,415
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 47 (#657 most common name, -96.7% compared to the 70s)

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

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#43. Phillip

Phillip is a name of Greek origin meaning “fond of horses”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,427
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 208 (#255 most common name, -85.4% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #70
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 39,785

Pixabay

#42. Johnny

Johnny is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,441
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 179 (#287 (tie) most common name, -87.6% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #87
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 31,836

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#41. Paul

Paul is a name of Latin origin meaning “humble”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,517
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 255 (#217 most common name, -83.2% compared to the 70s)

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

Pixabay

#40. Rodney

Rodney is a name of English origin meaning “island near the clearing”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,565
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 113 (#390 most common name, -92.8% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #73
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 37,409

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#39. Brandon

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,592
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 792 (#76 most common name, -50.3% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #51
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 65,085

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#38. Ronald

Ronald is a name of English origin meaning “counsel rule”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,628
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 133 (#349 most common name, -91.8% compared to the 70s)

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

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#37. Derrick

Derrick is a name of Danish origin meaning “the people’s ruler”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,632
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 229 (#239 most common name, -86.0% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #84
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 32,719

PxHere

#36. Jeffery

Jeffery is a name of German origin meaning “pledge of peace”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,635
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 140 (#336 most common name, -91.4% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #66
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 44,551

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#35. Willie

Willie is a name of English origin meaning “resolute”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,636
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 139 (#338 (tie) most common name, -91.5% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #116
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 23,716

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#34. Donald

Donald is a name of Gaelic origin meaning “world ruler”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,664
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 128 (#358 (tie) most common name, -92.3% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #42
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 82,475

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#33. Terry

Terry is a name of German origin meaning “power of the tribe”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,708
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 132 (#351 most common name, -92.3% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #68
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 42,358

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#32. Jerry

Jerry is a name of English origin meaning “exalted of the Lord”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,733
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 141 (#335 most common name, -91.9% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #62
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 48,306

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#31. Larry

Larry is a name of Latin origin meaning “from the place of the laurel leaves”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,846
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 98 (#445 (tie) most common name, -94.7% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #57
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 58,112

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#30. Marcus

Marcus is a name of Latin origin meaning “God of war”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,862
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 413 (#134 most common name, -77.8% compared to the 70s)

National
– Rank: #71
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 39,349

Pshenina_m // Shutterstock

#29. Patrick

Patrick is a name of Latin origin meaning “nobleman”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,978
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 336 (#169 most common name, -83.0% compared to the 70s)

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

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#28. Joshua

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 1,992
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,750 (#14 most common name, -12.1% compared to the 70s)

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

Unsplash

#27. Stephen

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,006
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 291 (#194 (tie) most common name, -85.5% compared to the 70s)

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

PxHere

#26. Gregory

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,308
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 206 (#257 (tie) most common name, -91.1% compared to the 70s)

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

PxHere

#25. Mark

Mark is a name of Latin origin meaning “God of war”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,404
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 218 (#247 (tie) most common name, -90.9% compared to the 70s)

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

PxHere

#24. Matthew

Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “Gift of Yahweh”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,609
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,273 (#38 most common name, -51.2% compared to the 70s)

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

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#23. Jeffrey

Jeffrey is a name of English origin meaning “pledge of peace”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,640
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 187 (#274 most common name, -92.9% compared to the 70s)

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

Peakpx

#22. Daniel

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,693
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,297 (#35 most common name, -51.8% compared to the 70s)

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

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#21. Kenneth

Kenneth is a name of Gaelic origin meaning “handsome”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,732
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 415 (#131 most common name, -84.8% compared to the 70s)

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

Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock

#20. Jonathan

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,876
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,059 (#53 most common name, -63.2% compared to the 70s)

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

morrowlight // Shutterstock

#19. Steven

Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning “crown”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,905
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 370 (#149 (tie) most common name, -87.3% compared to the 70s)

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

Min An // Pexels

#18. Richard

Richard is a name of German origin meaning “dominant ruler”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 2,967
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 413 (#134 most common name, -86.1% compared to the 70s)

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

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#17. Thomas

Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning “twin”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,049
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,316 (#33 most common name, -56.8% compared to the 70s)

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

rSnapshotPhotos // Shutterstock

#16. Eric

Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning “sole ruler”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,126
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 435 (#126 most common name, -86.1% compared to the 70s)

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

Pixabay

#15. Jeremy

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,586
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 350 (#161 most common name, -90.2% compared to the 70s)

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

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#14. Anthony

Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning “praiseworthy”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,595
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 957 (#60 (tie) most common name, -73.4% compared to the 70s)

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

Philippe Put // Flickr

#13. Kevin

Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning “noble”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,703
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 514 (#104 most common name, -86.1% compared to the 70s)

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

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#12. Timothy

Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning “honouring God”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,729
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 645 (#90 most common name, -82.7% compared to the 70s)

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

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#11. Joseph

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 3,755
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,522 (#19 most common name, -59.5% compared to the 70s)

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

Burst

#10. Brian

Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning “noble”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 4,236
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 300 (#190 (tie) most common name, -92.9% compared to the 70s)

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

PxHere

#9. Charles

Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 4,268
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,465 (#23 most common name, -65.7% compared to the 70s)

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

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#8. Robert

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,337
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,265 (#41 most common name, -80.0% compared to the 70s)

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

burlakova_anna // Shutterstock

#7. David

David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “beloved”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 6,463
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,602 (#18 most common name, -75.2% compared to the 70s)

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

Unsplash

#6. William

William is a name of Germanic origin meaning “vehement protector”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,020
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 4,239 (#1 most common name, -39.6% compared to the 70s)

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

Min An // Pexels

#5. John

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,405
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,986 (#3 most common name, -59.7% compared to the 70s)

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

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#4. Jason

Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning “healer”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 7,850
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 601 (#94 most common name, -92.3% compared to the 70s)

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

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#3. Christopher

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 10,667
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,776 (#12 most common name, -83.4% compared to the 70s)

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

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#2. James

James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “supplanter”.

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 10,943
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,195 (#2 most common name, -70.8% compared to the 70s)

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

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#1. Michael

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

Alabama
– Number of babies from 1970 to 1979: 11,383
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,969 (#9 most common name, -82.7% compared to the 70s)

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