Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1980

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1980 — 3,444,198 recorded births in total that year.

19791981 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1980

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer58,3743.5%
  2. 2Amanda35,8112.2%
  3. 3Jessica33,9242.0%
  4. 4Melissa31,6291.9%
  5. 5Sarah25,7571.6%
  6. 6Heather19,9731.2%
  7. 7Nicole19,9171.2%
  8. 8Amy19,8331.2%
  9. 9Elizabeth19,5291.2%
  10. 10Michelle19,1191.2%
  11. 11Kimberly18,4971.1%
  12. 12Angela17,9691.1%
  13. 13Stephanie17,8411.1%
  14. 14Tiffany16,2281.0%
  15. 15Christina16,1411.0%
  16. 16Lisa15,6640.9%
  17. 17Rebecca15,2810.9%
  18. 18Crystal14,2530.9%
  19. 19Kelly13,7100.8%
  20. 20Erin13,4280.8%
  21. 21Laura12,9160.8%
  22. 22Amber12,5530.8%
  23. 23Rachel11,6180.7%
  24. 24Jamie11,5290.7%
  25. 25Mary11,4740.7%
  26. 26April11,4720.7%
  27. 27Sara11,1480.7%
  28. 28Andrea10,4500.6%
  29. 29Shannon9,6700.6%
  30. 30Megan9,1340.6%
  31. 31Emily9,0010.5%
  32. 32Julie8,9060.5%
  33. 33Danielle8,8450.5%
  34. 34Erica8,7600.5%
  35. 35Katherine8,0170.5%
  36. 36Maria7,8750.5%
  37. 37Kristin7,7010.5%
  38. 38Lauren7,4760.5%
  39. 39Kristen7,3160.4%
  40. 40Ashley7,2960.4%
  41. 41Christine7,0850.4%
  42. 42Brandy6,4100.4%
  43. 43Tara6,2830.4%
  44. 44Katie6,1370.4%
  45. 45Monica6,0340.4%
  46. 46Carrie5,7610.3%
  47. 47Alicia5,7530.3%
  48. 48Courtney5,6180.3%
  49. 49Misty5,5410.3%
  50. 50Kathryn5,5270.3%
  51. 51Patricia5,3100.3%
  52. 52Holly5,2820.3%
  53. 53Stacy5,0570.3%
  54. 54Karen5,0550.3%
  55. 55Anna5,0380.3%
  56. 56Tracy4,9690.3%
  57. 57Brooke4,9510.3%
  58. 58Samantha4,9130.3%
  59. 59Allison4,8680.3%
  60. 60Melanie4,8410.3%
  61. 61Leslie4,7760.3%
  62. 62Susan4,7040.3%
  63. 63Brandi4,7030.3%
  64. 64Cynthia4,7000.3%
  65. 65Natalie4,6450.3%
  66. 66Jill4,5580.3%
  67. 67Dawn4,4790.3%
  68. 68Dana4,4380.3%
  69. 69Vanessa4,4260.3%
  70. 70Veronica4,3780.3%
  71. 71Lindsay4,3530.3%
  72. 72Tina4,2600.3%
  73. 73Kristina4,2220.3%
  74. 74Stacey4,2220.3%
  75. 75Wendy4,1410.2%
  76. 76Lori4,0850.2%
  77. 77Catherine4,0800.2%
  78. 78Kristy4,0590.2%
  79. 79Heidi4,0270.2%
  80. 80Sandra4,0020.2%
  81. 81Jacqueline3,8790.2%
  82. 82Kathleen3,8570.2%
  83. 83Christy3,6730.2%
  84. 84Leah3,6420.2%
  85. 85Valerie3,6130.2%
  86. 86Pamela3,5330.2%
  87. 87Erika3,5160.2%
  88. 88Tanya3,4360.2%
  89. 89Natasha3,4280.2%
  90. 90Katrina3,3970.2%
  91. 91Lindsey3,3860.2%
  92. 92Melinda3,2010.2%
  93. 93Monique3,1630.2%
  94. 94Teresa3,1490.2%
  95. 95Denise3,1450.2%
  96. 96Tammy3,1340.2%
  97. 97Tonya3,0800.2%
  98. 98Julia3,0690.2%
  99. 99Candice3,0120.2%
  100. 100Gina2,9910.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael68,6833.9%
  2. 2Christopher49,0792.8%
  3. 3Jason48,1642.7%
  4. 4David41,8912.3%
  5. 5James39,3122.2%
  6. 6Matthew37,8342.1%
  7. 7Joshua36,0522.0%
  8. 8John35,2742.0%
  9. 9Robert34,2661.9%
  10. 10Joseph30,1851.7%
  11. 11Daniel29,8881.7%
  12. 12Brian28,7151.6%
  13. 13Justin26,7631.5%
  14. 14William25,6391.4%
  15. 15Ryan24,7951.4%
  16. 16Eric22,6111.3%
  17. 17Nicholas21,0181.2%
  18. 18Jeremy19,8921.1%
  19. 19Andrew19,7301.1%
  20. 20Timothy19,1461.1%
  21. 21Jonathan18,9861.1%
  22. 22Adam18,8681.1%
  23. 23Kevin17,9721.0%
  24. 24Anthony17,6041.0%
  25. 25Thomas17,5641.0%
  26. 26Richard16,6560.9%
  27. 27Jeffrey16,3790.9%
  28. 28Steven15,9160.9%
  29. 29Charles14,9590.8%
  30. 30Mark14,1690.8%
  31. 31Brandon14,1610.8%
  32. 32Benjamin13,6220.8%
  33. 33Scott13,3000.7%
  34. 34Aaron13,1660.7%
  35. 35Paul11,8190.7%
  36. 36Nathan11,1380.6%
  37. 37Travis10,7640.6%
  38. 38Patrick10,3520.6%
  39. 39Chad10,1420.6%
  40. 40Stephen10,0620.6%
  41. 41Kenneth9,6080.5%
  42. 42Gregory9,2670.5%
  43. 43Jacob8,5200.5%
  44. 44Dustin8,4160.5%
  45. 45Jesse8,3740.5%
  46. 46Jose8,3230.5%
  47. 47Shawn7,6980.4%
  48. 48Sean7,5960.4%
  49. 49Bryan7,5130.4%
  50. 50Derek7,2400.4%
  51. 51Bradley7,2100.4%
  52. 52Edward6,7620.4%
  53. 53Donald6,2690.4%
  54. 54Samuel6,0140.3%
  55. 55Peter5,9670.3%
  56. 56Keith5,8870.3%
  57. 57Kyle5,7750.3%
  58. 58Ronald5,7570.3%
  59. 59Juan5,4340.3%
  60. 60George5,3000.3%
  61. 61Jared5,2050.3%
  62. 62Douglas5,1800.3%
  63. 63Gary5,0370.3%
  64. 64Erik4,9180.3%
  65. 65Phillip4,6330.3%
  66. 66Raymond4,5780.3%
  67. 67Joel4,5640.3%
  68. 68Corey4,4370.2%
  69. 69Shane4,3650.2%
  70. 70Larry4,2620.2%
  71. 71Marcus4,2600.2%
  72. 72Zachary4,2450.2%
  73. 73Craig4,2340.2%
  74. 74Derrick4,1350.2%
  75. 75Todd4,1280.2%
  76. 76Jeremiah4,0930.2%
  77. 77Antonio4,0850.2%
  78. 78Carlos4,0840.2%
  79. 79Shaun3,9230.2%
  80. 80Dennis3,8040.2%
  81. 81Frank3,7340.2%
  82. 82Philip3,5630.2%
  83. 83Cory3,5560.2%
  84. 84Brent3,5370.2%
  85. 85Gabriel3,4930.2%
  86. 86Nathaniel3,4920.2%
  87. 87Randy3,3900.2%
  88. 88Luis3,3590.2%
  89. 89Curtis3,3320.2%
  90. 90Jeffery3,3240.2%
  91. 91Alexander3,2790.2%
  92. 92Russell3,2690.2%
  93. 93Casey3,2150.2%
  94. 94Jerry3,1890.2%
  95. 95Wesley3,1650.2%
  96. 96Brett3,1280.2%
  97. 97Luke3,1090.2%
  98. 98Lucas3,0800.2%
  99. 99Seth3,0500.2%
  100. 100Billy2,9910.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1980 applications for that sex — a useful reminder of how much more concentrated naming used to be. In 1880 the top girls’ name alone accounted for several percent of all girls; today the #1 name is well under one percent.

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.