Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1985

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1985 — 3,568,740 recorded births in total that year.

19841986 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1985

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jessica48,3452.8%
  2. 2Ashley47,0102.7%
  3. 3Jennifer42,6612.5%
  4. 4Amanda39,0552.3%
  5. 5Sarah24,8791.4%
  6. 6Stephanie23,2431.4%
  7. 7Nicole22,9661.3%
  8. 8Heather21,1511.2%
  9. 9Elizabeth20,5451.2%
  10. 10Megan20,0131.2%
  11. 11Melissa19,9631.2%
  12. 12Christina16,6001.0%
  13. 13Rachel16,3601.0%
  14. 14Laura16,0020.9%
  15. 15Lauren15,7680.9%
  16. 16Amber15,5060.9%
  17. 17Brittany15,4370.9%
  18. 18Danielle15,4170.9%
  19. 19Kimberly14,9140.9%
  20. 20Amy14,4290.8%
  21. 21Crystal14,3990.8%
  22. 22Michelle13,9730.8%
  23. 23Tiffany13,6810.8%
  24. 24Emily13,1440.8%
  25. 25Rebecca12,7050.7%
  26. 26Erin11,3840.7%
  27. 27Jamie11,0380.6%
  28. 28Kelly11,0310.6%
  29. 29Samantha10,6580.6%
  30. 30Sara10,5620.6%
  31. 31Angela10,2270.6%
  32. 32Katherine10,1280.6%
  33. 33Andrea10,0530.6%
  34. 34Erica9,5250.6%
  35. 35Mary9,2400.5%
  36. 36Lisa9,0120.5%
  37. 37Lindsey8,4680.5%
  38. 38Kristen8,4450.5%
  39. 39Katie7,9950.5%
  40. 40Lindsay7,8710.5%
  41. 41Shannon7,7140.4%
  42. 42Vanessa7,5630.4%
  43. 43Courtney7,5310.4%
  44. 44Christine7,4410.4%
  45. 45Alicia7,1220.4%
  46. 46Allison7,0280.4%
  47. 47April6,6910.4%
  48. 48Kathryn6,6340.4%
  49. 49Kristin6,5660.4%
  50. 50Jenna6,4360.4%
  51. 51Tara6,1020.4%
  52. 52Maria6,0130.3%
  53. 53Krystal5,9330.3%
  54. 54Anna5,8830.3%
  55. 55Julie5,7610.3%
  56. 56Holly5,6020.3%
  57. 57Kristina5,5660.3%
  58. 58Natalie5,5350.3%
  59. 59Victoria5,4260.3%
  60. 60Jacqueline5,2500.3%
  61. 61Monica4,9900.3%
  62. 62Cassandra4,7260.3%
  63. 63Meghan4,6690.3%
  64. 64Patricia4,4020.3%
  65. 65Catherine4,2970.2%
  66. 66Cynthia4,1290.2%
  67. 67Stacy4,1090.2%
  68. 68Kathleen4,0870.2%
  69. 69Brandi4,0450.2%
  70. 70Brandy3,9010.2%
  71. 71Valerie3,8810.2%
  72. 72Veronica3,8750.2%
  73. 73Whitney3,8320.2%
  74. 74Diana3,6860.2%
  75. 75Chelsea3,6130.2%
  76. 76Leslie3,6070.2%
  77. 77Caitlin3,5930.2%
  78. 78Leah3,5720.2%
  79. 79Natasha3,5530.2%
  80. 80Erika3,5030.2%
  81. 81Latoya3,4020.2%
  82. 82Dana3,3480.2%
  83. 83Dominique3,2990.2%
  84. 84Brittney3,2240.2%
  85. 85Julia3,2060.2%
  86. 86Candice3,1950.2%
  87. 87Karen3,1380.2%
  88. 88Melanie3,1320.2%
  89. 89Stacey3,1140.2%
  90. 90Margaret3,0720.2%
  91. 91Sheena3,0620.2%
  92. 92Alexandra3,0170.2%
  93. 93Katrina2,9780.2%
  94. 94Bethany2,9590.2%
  95. 95Nichole2,9500.2%
  96. 96Carrie2,9420.2%
  97. 97Alison2,8290.2%
  98. 98Kara2,8110.2%
  99. 99Joanna2,7720.2%
  100. 100Rachael2,7610.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael64,9343.5%
  2. 2Christopher59,6093.2%
  3. 3Matthew47,0752.5%
  4. 4Joshua42,1942.3%
  5. 5Daniel38,5592.1%
  6. 6David38,5222.1%
  7. 7James35,8621.9%
  8. 8Robert32,0941.7%
  9. 9John31,5021.7%
  10. 10Joseph30,2221.6%
  11. 11Andrew30,1781.6%
  12. 12Ryan29,9051.6%
  13. 13Brandon29,3041.6%
  14. 14Jason26,0391.4%
  15. 15Justin25,5371.4%
  16. 16William24,6061.3%
  17. 17Jonathan24,1161.3%
  18. 18Brian23,0691.2%
  19. 19Nicholas22,3841.2%
  20. 20Anthony22,1041.2%
  21. 21Eric20,8441.1%
  22. 22Adam20,1651.1%
  23. 23Kevin18,8141.0%
  24. 24Steven18,7261.0%
  25. 25Thomas17,6091.0%
  26. 26Timothy17,1400.9%
  27. 27Kyle16,5230.9%
  28. 28Richard15,3300.8%
  29. 29Jeffrey14,5000.8%
  30. 30Jeremy13,4450.7%
  31. 31Benjamin13,4230.7%
  32. 32Mark13,1940.7%
  33. 33Aaron13,1370.7%
  34. 34Charles12,9000.7%
  35. 35Jacob12,2840.7%
  36. 36Stephen12,2100.7%
  37. 37Patrick11,6380.6%
  38. 38Sean11,4550.6%
  39. 39Zachary11,3460.6%
  40. 40Nathan10,6530.6%
  41. 41Dustin10,4390.6%
  42. 42Paul10,3150.6%
  43. 43Tyler10,2110.6%
  44. 44Scott10,1450.5%
  45. 45Gregory9,7670.5%
  46. 46Travis9,0940.5%
  47. 47Kenneth8,9920.5%
  48. 48Bryan8,7170.5%
  49. 49Jose8,4030.5%
  50. 50Alexander8,2950.4%
  51. 51Jesse8,2210.4%
  52. 52Cody7,0960.4%
  53. 53Bradley7,0110.4%
  54. 54Samuel7,0090.4%
  55. 55Shawn6,9820.4%
  56. 56Derek6,6610.4%
  57. 57Chad6,4660.3%
  58. 58Jared5,8830.3%
  59. 59Edward5,8690.3%
  60. 60Peter5,6710.3%
  61. 61Marcus5,5860.3%
  62. 62Jordan5,4600.3%
  63. 63Corey5,2280.3%
  64. 64Keith5,2140.3%
  65. 65Juan4,8510.3%
  66. 66Donald4,7500.3%
  67. 67Joel4,6230.3%
  68. 68Shane4,5490.2%
  69. 69Phillip4,4960.2%
  70. 70Brett4,3280.2%
  71. 71Ronald4,2990.2%
  72. 72George4,2590.2%
  73. 73Antonio4,1510.2%
  74. 74Carlos4,0890.2%
  75. 75Raymond4,0850.2%
  76. 76Douglas4,0210.2%
  77. 77Nathaniel4,0040.2%
  78. 78Ian3,9980.2%
  79. 79Craig3,9520.2%
  80. 80Alex3,9090.2%
  81. 81Cory3,8680.2%
  82. 82Gary3,8120.2%
  83. 83Derrick3,7790.2%
  84. 84Philip3,7350.2%
  85. 85Luis3,7060.2%
  86. 86Casey3,4900.2%
  87. 87Erik3,3720.2%
  88. 88Victor3,3410.2%
  89. 89Brent3,3210.2%
  90. 90Frank3,3020.2%
  91. 91Evan3,2190.2%
  92. 92Gabriel3,2150.2%
  93. 93Adrian3,1320.2%
  94. 94Wesley3,0430.2%
  95. 95Vincent3,0400.2%
  96. 96Jeffery2,9470.2%
  97. 97Larry2,9460.2%
  98. 98Curtis2,9430.2%
  99. 99Todd2,9410.2%
  100. 100Blake2,9220.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1985 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.