Most popular baby names in Ireland, 1978

The top girls’ name was Mary, given to 1,005 babies. The top boys’ name was John, given to 2,280 babies.

The official ranking as published, with the number of babies given each name. Names with the same count share a rank.

Top 100 girls’ names

Rank	Name	Babies
1	Mary	1,005
2	Michelle	650
3	Sinead	629
4	Catherine	628
5	Caroline	578
6	Jennifer	535
7	Fiona	507
8	Deirdre	499
9	Karen	482
10	Lisa	466
11	Sarah	463
12	Margaret	449
13	Louise	434
14	Niamh	431
15	Elaine	426
16	Lorraine	418
17	Elizabeth	410
18	Claire	404
19	Sharon	394
20	Ann	386
21	Linda	371
22	Anne	364
23	Nicola	362
24	Emma	348
25	Susan	343
26	Patricia	323
27	Laura	311
28	Gillian	306
29	Orla	305
30	Siobhan	304
31	Aoife	290
32	Yvonne	278
33	Sandra	277
34	Marie	269
35	Denise	263
36	Amanda	259
37	Martina	251
38	Ciara	249
39	Joanne	242
40	Paula	240
41	Helen	227
41	Maria	227
43	Suzanne	224
44	Aisling	222
45	Carol	210
46	Bridget	197
47	Sabrina	194
48	Geraldine	188
49	Deborah	187
49	Edel	187
51	Jacqueline	185
52	Julie	182
53	Rachel	181
54	Ruth	172
55	Angela	167
55	Grainne	167
57	Aine	161
58	Kathleen	160
59	Emer	159
60	Olivia	154
61	Mairead	150
62	Eileen	148
63	Bernadette	144
64	Clare	143
65	Alison	140
66	Valerie	131
67	Anna	129
68	Audrey	128
69	Jane	127
70	Tracey	126
71	Roisin	125
72	Tracy	124
73	Pauline	123
74	Barbara	122
75	Teresa	119
76	Tara	117
77	Donna	114
78	Christina	112
79	Brenda	107
80	Sheila	104
81	Caitriona	102
82	Annette	97
83	Christine	96
84	Carmel	95
85	Evelyn	92
86	Gemma	91
86	Jean	91
88	Helena	89
89	Georgina	88
90	Colette	87
90	Rebecca	87
92	Ashling	85
93	Andrea	84
93	Ellen	84
93	Lynn	84
93	Nora	84
93	Pamela	84
98	Eimear	83
98	Josephine	83
98	Lorna	83

Rank	Name	Babies
98	Tanya	83
98	Una	83

All girls’ names in Ireland, 1978

Top 100 boys’ names

Rank	Name	Babies
1	John	2,280
2	David	1,637
3	Paul	1,343
4	Michael	1,327
5	Patrick	1,166
6	James	949
7	Mark	919
8	Brian	857
9	Thomas	811
10	Stephen	710
11	Alan	674
12	Robert	555
13	Martin	536
14	Kevin	496
15	Anthony	484
16	William	458
17	Gerard	415
18	Shane	413
19	Peter	409
20	Barry	407
21	Brendan	393
22	Keith	381
23	Joseph	374
24	Andrew	366
25	Niall	362
26	Declan	349
27	Richard	342
28	Derek	324
29	Daniel	322
30	Philip	314
31	Darren	285
32	Edward	281
33	Jonathan	277
34	Sean	275
35	Colm	268
36	Ian	264
36	Jason	264
38	Kenneth	249
39	Ronan	248
40	Gavin	246
41	Kieran	241
41	Noel	241
43	Adrian	227
44	Conor	224
45	Colin	223
46	Ciaran	222
47	Aidan	221
48	Francis	217
49	Damien	215
50	Eoin	211
51	Raymond	210
52	Christopher	206
53	Trevor	205
54	Graham	185
55	Neil	180
56	Liam	177
57	Denis	173
58	Dermot	171
59	Gary	168
60	Timothy	167
61	Donal	152
62	Seamus	144
63	Padraig	142
64	Damian	136
65	Vincent	134
66	Karl	133
66	Simon	133
68	Owen	128
69	Rory	125
70	Enda	117
71	Cathal	112
72	Matthew	111
73	Wayne	107
74	Gareth	105
75	Fergal	104
76	Eamonn	103
77	Bernard	96
78	Maurice	90
79	Desmond	87
79	Stuart	87
81	Oliver	84
82	Cormac	83
83	Ross	82
84	Nigel	81
85	Darragh	80
85	Laurence	80
87	Garrett	75
87	Gregory	75
87	Nicholas	75
87	Terence	75
91	Charles	73
91	Hugh	73
93	Garry	72
94	Cornelius	69
94	Jeremiah	69
94	Wesley	69
97	Eric	68
98	Emmet	67
99	Bryan	65
100	George	64

All boys’ names in Ireland, 1978