Most Popular Baby Names Of The 1980s
The top 100 girls’ and boys’ names across 1980–1989. Explore their meanings, histories, and popularity today.
| Save name | Name & meaning | History 1926–2025, yearly counts; individually scaled | Babies 2025 · rank | 5-year rank movement | Peak year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ash-tree clearing | 1,829#164 | Down 11 rank positions in five years | 1987 | ||
From Kimberley; field of Cyneburga, Cynebald, or Cynemær | 1,009#303 | Down 117 rank positions in five years | 1970 | ||
Son of the right hand or son of the south | 9,762#11 | Down 4 rank positions in five years | 1989 | ||
Name of God; also interpreted as God has heard | 8,334#18 | Up 7 rank positions in five years | 2001 | ||
Who is like God? | 661#465 | Down 129 rank positions in five years | 1969 | ||
From Laurentum, through Laurence | 198#1,085 | Down 247 rank positions in five years | 1947 | ||
Laurel | 805#379 | Down 23 rank positions in five years | 1964 | ||
Lovable; worthy of love | 601#493 | Down 49 rank positions in five years | 1987 | ||
Just; lawful; upright | 1,512#233 | Down 67 rank positions in five years | 1988 | ||
Counsel + protection | 807#395 | Down 84 rank positions in five years | 1924 | ||
Person from Scotland; Gaelic speaker | 561#534 | Up 30 rank positions in five years | 1971 | ||
Hill covered with broom | 1,326#261 | Down 96 rank positions in five years | 1992 | ||
Bee | 747#420 | Down 71 rank positions in five years | 1979 | ||
Probably join, tie, or snare | 872#350 | Down 101 rank positions in five years | 1981 | ||
Crown; wreath | 543#557 | Down 118 rank positions in five years | 1990 | ||
Defender of men | 7,230#30 | Down 20 rank positions in five years | 1993 | ||
Traditionally pure, through Katherine; deeper origin disputed | 201#1,156 | Down 151 rank positions in five years | 1951 | ||
Watchful; alert | 493#593 | Down 158 rank positions in five years | 1962 | ||
Woman from Cynthus | 247#1,014 | Down 141 rank positions in five years | 1957 | ||
Beloved | 1,200#257 | Down 42 rank positions in five years | 1975 | ||
Nobleman; patrician | 1,495#235 | Down 30 rank positions in five years | 1964 | ||
Messenger; angel | 765#408 | Down 157 rank positions in five years | 1971 | ||
Traditionally pure; deeper origin disputed | 972#314 | Down 47 rank positions in five years | 1956 | ||
Traditionally pure; deeper origin disputed | 1,670#186 | Down 50 rank positions in five years | 1990 | ||
Of Dionysus | 381#707 | Down 60 rank positions in five years | 1952 | ||
Meaning uncertain; Hebrew Aharon name family | 4,041#80 | Down 17 rank positions in five years | 1989 | ||
Tiler of roofs | 1,633#220 | Down 90 rank positions in five years | 1994 | ||
Victory of the people | 803#383 | Down 117 rank positions in five years | 1985 | ||
Probably a feminine form of Samuel; exact formation uncertain | 1,973#151 | Down 61 rank positions in five years | 1990 | ||
He will add; God will add, through Joseph | 3,678#95 | Down 1 rank positions in five years | 2002 | ||
Stone; rock | 1,954#187 | Up 28 rank positions in five years | 1957 | ||
He gave | 4,975#63 | Down 8 rank positions in five years | 2004 | ||
Christian woman; follower of Christ | 176#1,274 | Down 259 rank positions in five years | 1952 | ||
Man; human | 3,501#101 | Down 4 rank positions in five years | 1984 | ||
Ewe | 1,225#250 | Down 24 rank positions in five years | 1985 | ||
Meaning uncertain; Latin form in the Mary and Miriam family | 2,887#87 | Up 22 rank positions in five years | 1964 | ||
Dark river | 308#807 | Down 70 rank positions in five years | 1957 | ||
Yahweh has remembered, through Zacharias | 1,646#216 | Down 81 rank positions in five years | 1993 | ||
Victory | 4,027#54 | Down 20 rank positions in five years | 1993 | ||
Heather plant | 177#1,264 | Up 179 rank positions in five years | 1975 | ||
Form of Julia, from Roman Julius; deeper meaning uncertain | 308#873 | Down 258 rank positions in five years | 1958 | ||
Narrows; channel; strait | 594#509 | Down 196 rank positions in five years | 1990 | ||
Christian woman; follower of Christ | 352#770 | Down 163 rank positions in five years | 1985 | ||
Feminine form of Julius; deeper meaning disputed | 2,172#131 | Down 23 rank positions in five years | 2001 | ||
From Laurentum, through Laurence; the place name may refer to laurel | 777#401 | Down 169 rank positions in five years | 1989 | ||
Meaning uncertain; from Irish Ceallach and its surname family | 319#852 | Down 106 rank positions in five years | 1977 | ||
Favor; grace | 3,973#56 | Down 17 rank positions in five years | 2000 | ||
Form of Katherine; traditionally associated with pure, deeper origin uncertain | 381#729 | Down 204 rank positions in five years | 1952 | ||
A Christian; follower of Christ | 3,641#96 | Down 34 rank positions in five years | 2000 | ||
Yahweh will exalt, through Jeremiah | 1,152#292 | Down 60 rank positions in five years | 1977 |
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Year by year in the 1980s
This list includes the top 100 girls’ and boys’ names by total use across 1980–1989. Table birth counts and ranks show 2025, and rank movement covers the latest five years. Search, filters, and sorting stay within this decade’s name list.
Counts are based on U.S. births and are tracked separately for girls and boys. Names used fewer than 5 times in a year aren’t published for that year, so totals here are a floor — the shortfall is largest in the sparse early years.