Most popular names of the 1980s
The most popular names for babies born in the US in the 1980s were Jessica for girls and Michael for boys. Jessica was given to about 27 per 1,000 girls, and Michael to about 36 per 1,000 boys. New in the girls' top 10 compared with the 1970s: Jessica, Amanda, Ashley, Sarah and Elizabeth. New in the boys' top 10: Joshua, Daniel and Joseph.
Girls
| # | Name | Share of girls | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica new | 27 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Jennifer | 26 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Amanda new | 22 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | Ashley new | 20 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | Sarah new | 16 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | Melissa | 13 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Stephanie | 13 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Nicole | 12 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | Elizabeth new | 12 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Heather | 11 per 1,000 |
Boys
| # | Name | Share of boys | 1880–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 36 per 1,000 | |
| 2 | Christopher | 30 per 1,000 | |
| 3 | Matthew | 25 per 1,000 | |
| 4 | Joshua new | 21 per 1,000 | |
| 5 | David | 21 per 1,000 | |
| 6 | James | 19 per 1,000 | |
| 7 | Daniel new | 19 per 1,000 | |
| 8 | Robert | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 9 | John | 17 per 1,000 | |
| 10 | Joseph new | 16 per 1,000 |
"Share" is the average share of babies of that sex who got the name in each year of the decade. Each small curve runs from 1880 to 2025. Source: US Social Security Administration.