US first names, 1980–1989
Random names from the 1980s
First names on this page come from Social Security Administration records of U.S. births in the 1980s. That period holds 17,173,189 girls across 24,326 distinct names and 18,456,255 boys across 14,271 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Jessica, Jennifer, Amanda; for boys: Michael, Christopher, Matthew. Names are picked in proportion to how often they were given, and last names come from the 2000 U.S. Census, so the mix looks like real American full names.
More options — middle names, no repeats, realism, seed
1 gives real frequencies. 0 makes every name equally likely.
What the data says
- About 1 in 6 girls born in the 1980s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 17.1% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 758 equally common names out of 24,326 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 6.3 letters.
- About 1 in 4 boys born in the 1980s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 22.2% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 330 equally common names out of 14,271 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 6.0 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Krystle, from 72 births in 1970 to 1979 to 10,869 in 1980 to 1989.
- Biggest fall for girls: Gay, from 388 births in 1970 to 1979 to 6 in 1980 to 1989.
- Fastest riser for boys: Akeem, from 58 births in 1970 to 1979 to 1,796 in 1980 to 1989.
- Biggest fall for boys: Diallo, from 310 births in 1970 to 1979 to 12 in 1980 to 1989.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 469,510 | 2.73% |
| 2 | Jennifer | 440,914 | 2.57% |
| 3 | Amanda | 369,727 | 2.15% |
| 4 | Ashley | 352,185 | 2.05% |
| 5 | Sarah | 272,637 | 1.59% |
| 6 | Stephanie | 218,173 | 1.27% |
| 7 | Melissa | 217,922 | 1.27% |
| 8 | Nicole | 210,494 | 1.23% |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 198,972 | 1.16% |
| 10 | Heather | 191,852 | 1.12% |
| 11 | Tiffany | 158,625 | 0.92% |
| 12 | Michelle | 154,027 | 0.90% |
| 13 | Amber | 153,951 | 0.90% |
| 14 | Megan | 153,500 | 0.89% |
| 15 | Amy | 150,662 | 0.88% |
| 16 | Rachel | 146,675 | 0.85% |
| 17 | Kimberly | 146,452 | 0.85% |
| 18 | Christina | 146,008 | 0.85% |
| 19 | Lauren | 145,161 | 0.85% |
| 20 | Crystal | 141,007 | 0.82% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 663,807 | 3.60% |
| 2 | Christopher | 554,863 | 3.01% |
| 3 | Matthew | 458,951 | 2.49% |
| 4 | Joshua | 396,524 | 2.15% |
| 5 | David | 383,687 | 2.08% |
| 6 | James | 356,491 | 1.93% |
| 7 | Daniel | 345,537 | 1.87% |
| 8 | Robert | 321,655 | 1.74% |
| 9 | John | 321,150 | 1.74% |
| 10 | Joseph | 299,411 | 1.62% |
| 11 | Jason | 292,120 | 1.58% |
| 12 | Justin | 289,825 | 1.57% |
| 13 | Andrew | 285,074 | 1.54% |
| 14 | Ryan | 278,938 | 1.51% |
| 15 | William | 248,277 | 1.35% |
| 16 | Brian | 233,993 | 1.27% |
| 17 | Brandon | 232,206 | 1.26% |
| 18 | Jonathan | 229,953 | 1.25% |
| 19 | Nicholas | 223,308 | 1.21% |
| 20 | Anthony | 211,861 | 1.15% |
Girls: 1970 to 1979 → 1980 to 1989
Rising fastest
- Krystle 72 → 10,869
- Kaitlyn 76 → 10,890
- Katelyn 183 → 14,775
- Kaitlin 166 → 12,460
- Caitlyn 71 → 4,473
Falling fastest
- Gay 388 → 6
- Contina 455 → 29
- Catina 3,587 → 308
- Wenona 391 → 34
- Poppy 334 → 34
Boys: 1970 to 1979 → 1980 to 1989
Rising fastest
- Akeem 58 → 1,796
- Spenser 38 → 974
- Conner 39 → 691
- Kiel 91 → 1,504
- Colton 264 → 3,991
Falling fastest
- Diallo 310 → 12
- Nakia 1,383 → 116
- Telly 1,044 → 110
- Demian 520 → 69
- Kenric 420 → 78
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1980s?
Jessica. 469,510 girls received it, 2.73% of all recorded girls born in the 1980s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1980s?
Michael. 663,807 boys received it, 3.60% of all recorded boys born in the 1980s.
How concentrated are names in the 1980s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 17.1% of births; among boys 22.2%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1970 to 1979?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1980 to 1989, the biggest gains were for girls, Krystle (72 births in 1970 to 1979, 10,869 in 1980 to 1989); for boys, Akeem (58 births in 1970 to 1979, 1,796 in 1980 to 1989).
How long is the average first name in the 1980s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 6.3 letters for girls, 6.0 letters for boys.