Top Baby Names of the 1980s
From Stephanie to Kimberly, we've got your super rad '80s inspired names here.
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Fact checked by Karen CilliFact checked by Karen Cilli
The top baby names of the 1980s are, like, totally so great! While the “me” decade was all about excess, it was also home to some super classic names for boys and girls...and some that feel extremely ‘80s in hindsight. But hey, that’s part of their charm!
In the ‘80s, Michael, Christopher, Jessica, and Jennifer reigned as the top first names for a generation of kids; chances are you probably have a handful of those names in your phone contact list right now. Some of the top names still sit in the most popular 20 today, while others have fallen out of fashion along with teased bangs and acid wash denim—although that doesn’t mean we’ll never see them make a comeback!
Ready to take a trip back in time to the ‘80s, no legwarmers or shoulder pads required? Below, check out the top baby names of the 1980s.
Although many baby names are often separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in selecting names. It's important to choose a name you feel fits your child best.
Related: 40 Totally Cool '90s Baby Names
Popular '80s Names for Boys
Michael
The 1980s was a great decade for famous Michaels, with stars like Michael J. Fox and Michael Jackson dominating TV screens and radio stations.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Gift from God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Micheal, Mike, Mykal, Mikel
Famous Namesakes: Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Caine, Michael J. Fox
Peak Popularity: 1998
Fun Fact: Save for the year 1960, Michael was the number-one name for baby boys from 1954 to 1998.
Christopher
Christopher wouldn’t peak until the early ‘90s, but was a big name for little boys for a second decade in a row.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Bearer of Christ
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kristofer, Kristoffer, Cristofer, Chris
Famous Namesakes: Christopher Plummer, Christopher Meloni, Christopher Walken, the Chrises
Peak Popularity: 1994
Matthew
Another holdover from the ‘70s, Matthew continued its reign in the ‘80s.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Gift from God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mathew, Matt
Famous Namesakes: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Broderick, Matthew Perry, Matt Damon, Matt LeBlanc
Peak Popularity: 1996
Joshua
The ‘80s was home to a whole lotta Joshes and Joshuas.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is deliverance
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Josh
Famous Namesakes: Josh Groban, Josh Brolin, Josh Duhamel, JC Chasez
Peak Popularity: 2006
David
You probably know more than a few Davids—how many of them are Gen X or elder millennials?
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Beloved
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dave, Davey
Peak Popularity: 1960
James
James Spader was the ultimate ‘80s teen movie bad boy, stealing the show in his white suit in Pretty in Pink.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Supplanter
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jamie, Jamey, Jaymes
Famous Namesakes: James Earl Jones, James Marsden, James Spader, James Dean
Peak Popularity: 1952
Fun Fact: The name James hasn’t left the top 20 most popular names since 1900.
Daniel
Whether they went by Daniel, Dan, or Danny, Daniel was in good company during the ‘80s, but it didn’t peak until the 2000s!
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is my judge
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Dan, Danny
Famous Namesakes: Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Tiger
Peak Popularity: 2008
Robert
Actor Robert Downey Jr. rose to fame in the ‘80s, including a role in the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s Less Than Zero.
Origin: German
Meaning: Bright fame
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Rob, Robbie, Robby, Bob, Bobby, Roberto
Famous Namesakes: Robert Redford, Robert Kennedy, Robert Pattinson
Peak Popularity: 1953
John
Thanks to actor Jon Cryer, generation after generation falls in love with his iconic Pretty in Pink character Duckie.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: God is gracious
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Johnny, Jon, Jonathan
Peak Popularity: 1923
Joseph
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: He will add
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Josef, Jozef, Joe, Joey
Famous Namesakes: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Joe Jonas, Joey Lawrence
Peak Popularity: 1917
More '80s Names for Boys
Jason: This Greek name, which means “healer,” was in the top five most popular names from 1973 to 1982, but has since departed the top 50 list.
Justin: The ‘80s gave rise to a lot of Justins, including musician Justin Timberlake, who was born in 1981.
Andrew: This Greek name translates to “strong” and “manly,” and can be shortened to Andy or Drew. One of the most famous Andrews of the ‘80s was Andrew McCarthy, a member of the Brat Pack who appeared in John Hughes’s Pretty in Pink.
Ryan: Ryan is now seen as a gender neutral name, but in the ‘80s, it was a top 20 name for baby boys.
William: Whether you’re William, Will, Billy, or Liam, this classic first name is versatile and timeless.
Brian: Brian had a moment throughout the ‘70s and mid-’80s, but its use as a first name dropped dramatically in the mid-2000s, and it doesn’t appear in the top 100 names today.
Brandon: Brandon is another popular ‘80s name currently experiencing a dip in popularity; it’s ranked outside the top 200 names for boys.
Jonathan: Though this name ranked in the top 20 throughout the ‘80s, it’s still pretty widely used today. In 2023, Jonathan was the 82nd most popular name for baby boys in the U.S.
Nicholas: Nicholas ranked in the top 25 boys names in the ‘80s, but it didn’t peak until 1999. Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys was born right as the decade began, in January 1980.
Anthony: Another classic fave, Anthony continues to hold its spot in the top 50 names.
Related: These Are the Top 1,000 Baby Boy Names of 2023
Popular '80s Names for Girls
Jessica
You can’t talk about ‘80s names without mentioning Jessica, the queen bee name of the decade. It continued its popularity well into the ‘90s.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Vision, sight
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jessikah, Jessika, Jessie, Jess
Famous Namesakes: Jessica Lange, Jessica Alba, Jessica Chastain
Peak Popularity: 1995
Fun Fact: Sweet Valley High’s twins were named Jessica and Elizabeth, making them the perfect heroines of the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Jennifer
After reigning as the number-one name through much of the ‘70s and ‘80s, Jennifer experienced a pretty sharp drop in popularity; as of 2022, it ranks outside the top 500.
Origin: Welsh
Meaning: Fair one
Famous Namesakes: Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Garner, Jennifer Connelly, Jennifer Aniston
Peak Popularity: 1984
Fun Fact: Jennifer is a derivative of Guinevere, a.k.a. King Arthur’s queen.
Amanda
In 1986, the rock band Boston wrote an ode to this name with their hit song “Amanda.”
Origin: Latin
Meaning: Loveable
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mandy, Mandi
Famous Namesakes: Amanda Seyfried, Amanda Bynes
Peak Popularity: 1980
Ashley
One of the most famous Ashleys, Ashley Olsen, was born in 1986, and would become an ‘80s and early ‘90s icon as Michelle Tanner in Full House.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Ash tree meadow
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ashlie, Ashlee, Ashly
Famous Namesakes: Ashley Olsen, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Benson, Ashley Judd
Peak Popularity: 1992
Sarah
Sarah is an enduring classic name choice that hasn’t left the top 100 names since 1900.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Princess
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Sara
Famous Namesakes: Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Paulson, Sara Ramirez, Sarah McLachlan
Peak Popularity: 1993
Stephanie
Stephanie hung out in the top 20 names list for nearly 30 years, starting in 1969 and ending its reign in 1997.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Crown
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Stefanie, Steph
Famous Namesakes: Stephanie Tanner, Stephanie Seymour
Peak Popularity: 1987
Melissa
Melissa kicked off the ‘80s with a strong showing as the second most popular name of the late ‘70s, but it dropped off the top 100 list in 2005, though it continues to rank in the top 500 names.
Origin: Greek
Meaning: Honeybee
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Missy, Mel
Famous Namesakes: Melissa Etheridge, Melissa McCarthy
Peak Popularity: 1979
Fun Fact: Melissa is also an herb, commonly referred to as lemon balm.
Nicole
Nicole and its many nicknames had a moment in the ‘80s, and was also a popular middle name. It has since departed the top 100 list entirely.
Origin: French, Greek
Meaning: Victory of the people
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nichole, Nikole, Nikki, Nicky, Necole
Famous Namesakes: Nicole Ari Parker, Nicole Kidman
Peak Popularity: 1982
Elizabeth
Ever a classic, Elizabeth is the kind of girls’ name that really never goes out of style, and it held strong in the top 10 list in the 1980s.
Origin: Hebrew
Meaning: Oath of God
Alternative Spellings & Variations: Liz, Betsy, Beth, Eliza, Elisabeth, Libby
Famous Namesakes: Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Olsen
Peak Popularity: 1905
Heather
There’s a reason the movie was called Heathers; it was one of the biggest, most popular names of the ‘80s. However, it took a nosedive after the decade and hasn’t ranked in the top 500 names since 2009.
Origin: British
Meaning: Evergreen flowering plant
Famous Namesakes: Heather Locklear
Peak Popularity: 1975
Fun Fact: Heather is a flowering shrub with pretty pink and purple flowers.
More '80s Names for Girls
Tiffany: “I Think We’re Alone Now” singer Tiffany probably contributed to the popularity of this first name.
Michelle: Michelle, the feminine version of Michael, was a top choice throughout the late ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, likely in part because of the Beatles song of the same name.
Amber: The name Amber peaked in 1986 and has since dropped out of the top 500. However, as gemstone-inspired names like Ruby and Opal continue to rise in popularity, Amber may make a comeback.
Megan: The name Megan peaked in 1994, just a few years after the birth of actress Megan Fox, who joined the world in 1986.
Amy : Amy’s popularity as a first name peaked in the ‘70s, but continued trending throughout the early ‘80s. It can also be spelled Aimee or Amie.
Rachel: Rachel hung out in the top 20 names from 1983 until 2000, which is a pretty strong run!
Kimberly: One Kimberly Noel Kardashian was born in 1980 — maybe you’ve heard of her?
Christina: Two very famous Christinas, Aguilera and Milian, were born in the early ‘80s. This classic first name can also be shortened to Chris, Chrissy, and Tina.
Lauren: Lauren really suits the preppy vibes of the ‘80s, the decade in which the Original Preppy Handbook was published. The book kickstarted a return to the prep aesthetic with all its tweeds and layers.
Crystal: Crystal made an appearance in the top 20 list in the ‘80s, perhaps in part because of Krystle Carrington on the massively popular Dynasty.
Related: 30 Gorgeous Yet Rare Baby Names
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