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Top baby names of the 1980s

Ten birth years · Jessica · Michael lead

The 100 most-chosen girl and boy names in the US in the 1980s, from official Social Security birth records. Every name links to its full history and popularity chart. Then see which names rose and fell since and what is climbing now.

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The 1980s lists

Girls100

  1. 1Jessica469,510
  2. 2Jennifer440,914
  3. 3Amanda369,727
  4. 4Ashley352,185
  5. 5Sarah272,637
  6. 6Stephanie218,173
  7. 7Melissa217,922
  8. 8Nicole210,494
  9. 9Elizabeth198,972
  10. 10Heather191,852
  11. 11Tiffany158,625
  12. 12Michelle154,027
  13. 13Amber153,951
  14. 14Megan153,500
  15. 15Amy150,662
  16. 16Rachel146,675
  17. 17Kimberly146,452
  18. 18Christina146,008
  19. 19Lauren145,161
  20. 20Crystal141,007
  21. 21Brittany140,854
  22. 22Rebecca136,248
  23. 23Laura134,608
  24. 24Danielle134,379
  25. 25Emily131,764
  26. 26Samantha121,124
  27. 27Angela116,595
  28. 28Erin115,811
  29. 29Kelly109,539
  30. 30Sara104,682
  31. 31Lisa102,610
  32. 32Katherine99,175
  33. 33Andrea98,263
  34. 34Jamie96,556
  35. 35Mary95,862
  36. 36Erica93,159
  37. 37Courtney84,309
  38. 38Kristen83,228
  39. 39Shannon78,420
  40. 40April75,950
  41. 41Katie72,883
  42. 42Lindsey71,940
  43. 43Kristin70,558
  44. 44Lindsay68,491
  45. 45Christine68,016
  46. 46Alicia66,966
  47. 47Maria65,778
  48. 48Vanessa65,731
  49. 49Kathryn62,443
  50. 50Allison62,327
  51. 51Julie61,682
  52. 52Anna57,327
  53. 53Tara56,338
  54. 54Kayla55,291
  55. 55Natalie54,428
  56. 56Victoria53,272
  57. 57Monica51,863
  58. 58Jacqueline51,561
  59. 59Holly49,653
  60. 60Kristina45,947
  61. 61Patricia45,127
  62. 62Cassandra44,911
  63. 63Brandy44,527
  64. 64Whitney44,373
  65. 65Chelsea43,163
  66. 66Brandi42,890
  67. 67Catherine42,437
  68. 68Cynthia41,666
  69. 69Kathleen39,394
  70. 70Veronica39,231
  71. 71Leslie38,729
  72. 72Natasha38,213
  73. 73Krystal37,496
  74. 74Stacy36,990
  75. 75Diana36,904
  76. 76Erika36,852
  77. 77Dana36,826
  78. 78Jenna36,601
  79. 79Meghan36,206
  80. 80Carrie36,079
  81. 81Leah36,056
  82. 82Melanie35,952
  83. 83Brooke34,977
  84. 84Karen34,914
  85. 85Alexandra34,817
  86. 86Valerie34,629
  87. 87Caitlin33,584
  88. 88Julia33,354
  89. 89Alyssa32,952
  90. 90Jasmine32,952
  91. 91Hannah32,702
  92. 92Stacey32,138
  93. 93Brittney31,532
  94. 94Susan30,549
  95. 95Margaret30,352
  96. 96Sandra30,048
  97. 97Candice29,847
  98. 98Latoya29,537
  99. 99Bethany29,331
  100. 100Misty29,114

US babies given each name in the 1980s.

Boys100

  1. 1Michael663,807
  2. 2Christopher554,863
  3. 3Matthew458,951
  4. 4Joshua396,524
  5. 5David383,687
  6. 6James356,491
  7. 7Daniel345,537
  8. 8Robert321,655
  9. 9John321,150
  10. 10Joseph299,411
  11. 11Jason292,120
  12. 12Justin289,825
  13. 13Andrew285,074
  14. 14Ryan278,938
  15. 15William248,277
  16. 16Brian233,993
  17. 17Brandon232,206
  18. 18Jonathan229,953
  19. 19Nicholas223,308
  20. 20Anthony211,861
  21. 21Eric204,230
  22. 22Adam195,086
  23. 23Kevin188,670
  24. 24Thomas177,817
  25. 25Steven177,454
  26. 26Timothy172,835
  27. 27Richard154,745
  28. 28Jeremy153,413
  29. 29Jeffrey144,789
  30. 30Kyle141,947
  31. 31Benjamin141,366
  32. 32Aaron138,357
  33. 33Charles131,902
  34. 34Mark129,442
  35. 35Jacob124,254
  36. 36Stephen113,631
  37. 37Patrick111,408
  38. 38Scott108,144
  39. 39Nathan105,987
  40. 40Paul104,397
  41. 41Sean103,870
  42. 42Travis102,927
  43. 43Zachary101,818
  44. 44Dustin97,314
  45. 45Gregory93,655
  46. 46Kenneth89,110
  47. 47Jose86,647
  48. 48Tyler86,451
  49. 49Jesse85,908
  50. 50Alexander82,010
  51. 51Bryan80,502
  52. 52Samuel73,456
  53. 53Derek72,923
  54. 54Bradley69,352
  55. 55Chad69,051
  56. 56Shawn65,598
  57. 57Edward60,832
  58. 58Jared60,308
  59. 59Cody60,289
  60. 60Jordan57,172
  61. 61Peter56,713
  62. 62Corey53,598
  63. 63Keith52,647
  64. 64Marcus51,807
  65. 65Juan51,447
  66. 66Donald50,843
  67. 67Ronald46,670
  68. 68George45,712
  69. 69Phillip45,707
  70. 70Cory44,358
  71. 71Joel43,566
  72. 72Shane43,169
  73. 73Douglas41,746
  74. 74Antonio41,616
  75. 75Carlos41,506
  76. 76Raymond41,504
  77. 77Brett41,289
  78. 78Gary40,230
  79. 79Alex38,712
  80. 80Nathaniel38,652
  81. 81Craig38,095
  82. 82Ian37,770
  83. 83Luis37,447
  84. 84Erik36,350
  85. 85Derrick36,342
  86. 86Casey35,968
  87. 87Philip35,733
  88. 88Frank33,590
  89. 89Evan32,484
  90. 90Gabriel32,320
  91. 91Victor32,286
  92. 92Vincent32,054
  93. 93Austin31,307
  94. 94Brent31,279
  95. 95Larry31,278
  96. 96Seth31,129
  97. 97Wesley31,088
  98. 98Dennis30,463
  99. 99Todd30,325
  100. 100Christian30,289

US babies given each name in the 1980s.

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Questions people ask

Frequently asked

What was the most popular girl name in the 1980s?
Jessica was the #1 girl name in the US in the 1980s, given to 469,510 babies.
What was the most popular boy name in the 1980s?
Michael was the #1 boy name in the US in the 1980s, given to 663,807 babies.

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Lists built from the same records

Names of the '80s and '90s, currently restingNames that didn't exist a generation agoVintage names making a comebackBeloved classics quietly disappearingAll guides