Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1981

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1981 — 3,459,130 recorded births in total that year.

19801982 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1981

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jennifer57,0463.4%
  2. 2Jessica42,5312.5%
  3. 3Amanda34,3722.1%
  4. 4Sarah28,1751.7%
  5. 5Melissa28,0051.7%
  6. 6Amy20,3451.2%
  7. 7Nicole20,3101.2%
  8. 8Stephanie20,2121.2%
  9. 9Elizabeth20,1681.2%
  10. 10Heather17,9461.1%
  11. 11Michelle17,7811.1%
  12. 12Rebecca16,7371.0%
  13. 13Kimberly16,6891.0%
  14. 14Tiffany16,4161.0%
  15. 15Angela15,9241.0%
  16. 16Crystal15,8881.0%
  17. 17Christina14,3920.9%
  18. 18Lisa14,2940.9%
  19. 19Erin13,8530.8%
  20. 20Amber13,8140.8%
  21. 21Laura13,2920.8%
  22. 22Rachel12,5900.8%
  23. 23Kelly11,8730.7%
  24. 24Andrea11,6860.7%
  25. 25April11,4060.7%
  26. 26Sara11,3590.7%
  27. 27Mary11,0420.7%
  28. 28Jamie10,9820.7%
  29. 29Emily10,7990.6%
  30. 30Danielle10,0380.6%
  31. 31Kristin9,7370.6%
  32. 32Shannon9,2260.6%
  33. 33Megan8,9640.5%
  34. 34Ashley8,8740.5%
  35. 35Lauren8,8130.5%
  36. 36Erica8,6260.5%
  37. 37Julie8,5670.5%
  38. 38Kristen8,5400.5%
  39. 39Katherine8,4330.5%
  40. 40Maria7,6810.5%
  41. 41Brandy6,8980.4%
  42. 42Christine6,8540.4%
  43. 43Courtney6,6360.4%
  44. 44Katie6,6000.4%
  45. 45Tara6,3660.4%
  46. 46Alicia5,8550.4%
  47. 47Lindsay5,8430.4%
  48. 48Kathryn5,8230.3%
  49. 49Monica5,7820.3%
  50. 50Brandi5,5270.3%
  51. 51Samantha5,5160.3%
  52. 52Brooke5,3280.3%
  53. 53Patricia5,2840.3%
  54. 54Anna5,1920.3%
  55. 55Carrie5,0940.3%
  56. 56Leslie4,9340.3%
  57. 57Allison4,9040.3%
  58. 58Lindsey4,8630.3%
  59. 59Cynthia4,8590.3%
  60. 60Natalie4,8580.3%
  61. 61Misty4,7990.3%
  62. 62Vanessa4,7490.3%
  63. 63Holly4,5640.3%
  64. 64Karen4,5390.3%
  65. 65Stacy4,4790.3%
  66. 66Melanie4,4750.3%
  67. 67Jacqueline4,3340.3%
  68. 68Veronica4,3130.3%
  69. 69Latoya4,2660.3%
  70. 70Dana4,2460.3%
  71. 71Susan4,2440.3%
  72. 72Kristina4,0610.2%
  73. 73Catherine4,0570.2%
  74. 74Sandra4,0370.2%
  75. 75Diana3,9710.2%
  76. 76Pamela3,8810.2%
  77. 77Tracy3,8690.2%
  78. 78Jill3,8570.2%
  79. 79Dawn3,8390.2%
  80. 80Tina3,8210.2%
  81. 81Leah3,8080.2%
  82. 82Kathleen3,7760.2%
  83. 83Stacey3,7540.2%
  84. 84Heidi3,7380.2%
  85. 85Natasha3,7300.2%
  86. 86Candice3,6980.2%
  87. 87Victoria3,6890.2%
  88. 88Julia3,6680.2%
  89. 89Valerie3,6110.2%
  90. 90Wendy3,6080.2%
  91. 91Lori3,4790.2%
  92. 92Tanya3,4080.2%
  93. 93Erika3,3990.2%
  94. 94Kristy3,2630.2%
  95. 95Katrina3,2570.2%
  96. 96Denise3,2010.2%
  97. 97Teresa3,1210.2%
  98. 98Renee2,9970.2%
  99. 99Christy2,9430.2%
  100. 100Theresa2,9430.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael68,7503.8%
  2. 2Christopher50,2212.8%
  3. 3Matthew43,3302.4%
  4. 4Jason41,9272.3%
  5. 5David40,6292.3%
  6. 6Joshua39,0242.2%
  7. 7James38,2832.1%
  8. 8John34,8681.9%
  9. 9Robert34,3951.9%
  10. 10Daniel30,9851.7%
  11. 11Joseph30,7611.7%
  12. 12Justin27,3071.5%
  13. 13Ryan26,8111.5%
  14. 14Brian26,5831.5%
  15. 15William24,7981.4%
  16. 16Jonathan22,5881.3%
  17. 17Eric20,7121.2%
  18. 18Andrew20,2321.1%
  19. 19Brandon20,2061.1%
  20. 20Adam20,0441.1%
  21. 21Nicholas19,7751.1%
  22. 22Jeremy19,1131.1%
  23. 23Anthony18,5691.0%
  24. 24Timothy18,2281.0%
  25. 25Kevin17,4541.0%
  26. 26Thomas17,1591.0%
  27. 27Richard16,8550.9%
  28. 28Steven16,4820.9%
  29. 29Jeffrey15,9310.9%
  30. 30Aaron14,6940.8%
  31. 31Charles14,4270.8%
  32. 32Benjamin14,3600.8%
  33. 33Mark13,5420.8%
  34. 34Scott12,7190.7%
  35. 35Paul11,7760.7%
  36. 36Nathan11,2560.6%
  37. 37Jesse10,4430.6%
  38. 38Patrick10,3840.6%
  39. 39Stephen10,3020.6%
  40. 40Travis10,1090.6%
  41. 41Kenneth9,4720.5%
  42. 42Dustin9,3500.5%
  43. 43Jacob9,3420.5%
  44. 44Sean8,8930.5%
  45. 45Jose8,7730.5%
  46. 46Gregory8,7560.5%
  47. 47Chad8,4120.5%
  48. 48Bryan7,2150.4%
  49. 49Shawn7,0760.4%
  50. 50Bradley6,8950.4%
  51. 51Edward6,6610.4%
  52. 52Kyle6,5700.4%
  53. 53Derek6,4810.4%
  54. 54Samuel6,0360.3%
  55. 55Peter5,9970.3%
  56. 56Donald5,9100.3%
  57. 57Jared5,8650.3%
  58. 58Keith5,6210.3%
  59. 59Ronald5,5380.3%
  60. 60Juan5,4990.3%
  61. 61George5,1570.3%
  62. 62Gary4,9460.3%
  63. 63Zachary4,8410.3%
  64. 64Douglas4,7880.3%
  65. 65Joel4,5400.3%
  66. 66Phillip4,5390.3%
  67. 67Marcus4,5100.3%
  68. 68Raymond4,3670.2%
  69. 69Corey4,2470.2%
  70. 70Alexander4,2370.2%
  71. 71Carlos4,1850.2%
  72. 72Craig4,0970.2%
  73. 73Larry3,9550.2%
  74. 74Todd3,9530.2%
  75. 75Antonio3,9260.2%
  76. 76Erik3,9210.2%
  77. 77Jeremiah3,8960.2%
  78. 78Derrick3,8500.2%
  79. 79Brett3,7750.2%
  80. 80Nathaniel3,7190.2%
  81. 81Shane3,7100.2%
  82. 82Frank3,6380.2%
  83. 83Dennis3,6340.2%
  84. 84Philip3,5810.2%
  85. 85Casey3,5180.2%
  86. 86Shaun3,3830.2%
  87. 87Gabriel3,3730.2%
  88. 88Brent3,3710.2%
  89. 89Lucas3,3710.2%
  90. 90Cory3,3520.2%
  91. 91Randy3,3430.2%
  92. 92Luis3,3420.2%
  93. 93Jeffery3,3340.2%
  94. 94Curtis3,1980.2%
  95. 95Seth3,1370.2%
  96. 96Tyler3,1170.2%
  97. 97Jerry3,0560.2%
  98. 98Russell3,0480.2%
  99. 99Wesley3,0400.2%
  100. 100Luke3,0130.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1981 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.