Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1986

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1986 — 3,556,724 recorded births in total that year.

19851987 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1986

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jessica52,6823.1%
  2. 2Ashley49,6712.9%
  3. 3Amanda40,5322.4%
  4. 4Jennifer36,1872.1%
  5. 5Sarah28,1631.6%
  6. 6Stephanie22,6511.3%
  7. 7Nicole21,2921.2%
  8. 8Brittany20,3131.2%
  9. 9Heather19,7901.2%
  10. 10Elizabeth19,0741.1%
  11. 11Megan18,5901.1%
  12. 12Melissa17,6671.0%
  13. 13Amber16,9541.0%
  14. 14Lauren16,6841.0%
  15. 15Rachel15,4550.9%
  16. 16Danielle14,9420.9%
  17. 17Tiffany14,4830.8%
  18. 18Kimberly14,4200.8%
  19. 19Christina14,3840.8%
  20. 20Laura14,1720.8%
  21. 21Samantha14,0920.8%
  22. 22Amy13,4520.8%
  23. 23Michelle13,3030.8%
  24. 24Emily13,2360.8%
  25. 25Crystal12,6890.7%
  26. 26Rebecca11,7930.7%
  27. 27Sara11,0520.6%
  28. 28Katherine10,5700.6%
  29. 29Kelly10,4110.6%
  30. 30Erin10,0680.6%
  31. 31Erica9,9730.6%
  32. 32Whitney9,5360.6%
  33. 33Angela9,2670.5%
  34. 34Jamie9,2340.5%
  35. 35Courtney9,1220.5%
  36. 36Andrea8,6390.5%
  37. 37Mary8,5070.5%
  38. 38Katie8,3330.5%
  39. 39Lindsey8,0510.5%
  40. 40Lisa7,9070.5%
  41. 41Kristen7,8440.5%
  42. 42Allison7,5750.4%
  43. 43Vanessa7,4690.4%
  44. 44Shannon7,4030.4%
  45. 45Alicia7,0170.4%
  46. 46Lindsay6,9520.4%
  47. 47Christine6,9170.4%
  48. 48Kathryn6,3930.4%
  49. 49Maria6,1420.4%
  50. 50Kristin6,0000.3%
  51. 51Anna5,9080.3%
  52. 52Natalie5,7070.3%
  53. 53April5,6770.3%
  54. 54Victoria5,6760.3%
  55. 55Jenna5,4160.3%
  56. 56Tara5,0850.3%
  57. 57Jacqueline5,0360.3%
  58. 58Julie5,0160.3%
  59. 59Monica5,0130.3%
  60. 60Cassandra4,9890.3%
  61. 61Krystal4,9290.3%
  62. 62Kristina4,8400.3%
  63. 63Holly4,8380.3%
  64. 64Kayla4,6570.3%
  65. 65Brittney4,5930.3%
  66. 66Patricia4,2460.2%
  67. 67Catherine4,2420.2%
  68. 68Kathleen4,1290.2%
  69. 69Caitlin3,8810.2%
  70. 70Natasha3,8720.2%
  71. 71Meghan3,8690.2%
  72. 72Alexandra3,8080.2%
  73. 73Chelsea3,7530.2%
  74. 74Erika3,6780.2%
  75. 75Diana3,6690.2%
  76. 76Valerie3,6180.2%
  77. 77Veronica3,5800.2%
  78. 78Leah3,4570.2%
  79. 79Brandi3,4320.2%
  80. 80Casey3,4230.2%
  81. 81Cynthia3,4220.2%
  82. 82Hannah3,3880.2%
  83. 83Mallory3,3250.2%
  84. 84Brandy3,2950.2%
  85. 85Alyssa3,2250.2%
  86. 86Leslie3,2240.2%
  87. 87Stacy3,2200.2%
  88. 88Julia3,1090.2%
  89. 89Felicia3,0840.2%
  90. 90Margaret3,0840.2%
  91. 91Bethany3,0820.2%
  92. 92Dana3,0760.2%
  93. 93Krista3,0540.2%
  94. 94Stacey3,0430.2%
  95. 95Jasmine2,9930.2%
  96. 96Alison2,9750.2%
  97. 97Melanie2,9730.2%
  98. 98Dominique2,9440.2%
  99. 99Katrina2,8280.2%
  100. 100Karen2,8010.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael64,2353.5%
  2. 2Christopher56,6933.1%
  3. 3Matthew46,9292.5%
  4. 4Joshua37,5422.0%
  5. 5David37,1502.0%
  6. 6Daniel36,5732.0%
  7. 7James34,0571.8%
  8. 8Andrew33,8581.8%
  9. 9Robert31,3501.7%
  10. 10John30,2091.6%
  11. 11Ryan29,5241.6%
  12. 12Joseph28,8341.6%
  13. 13Brandon27,2541.5%
  14. 14Justin26,6381.4%
  15. 15William24,3331.3%
  16. 16Jonathan23,9731.3%
  17. 17Nicholas22,8001.2%
  18. 18Jason22,4151.2%
  19. 19Anthony21,9561.2%
  20. 20Brian21,0271.1%
  21. 21Kevin19,9351.1%
  22. 22Eric19,5281.1%
  23. 23Kyle19,3151.0%
  24. 24Adam18,1571.0%
  25. 25Steven18,0991.0%
  26. 26Thomas17,3620.9%
  27. 27Timothy16,8750.9%
  28. 28Jeremy16,2690.9%
  29. 29Richard15,0140.8%
  30. 30Benjamin13,7930.7%
  31. 31Jacob13,6520.7%
  32. 32Jeffrey13,6510.7%
  33. 33Aaron12,6920.7%
  34. 34Charles12,6250.7%
  35. 35Mark12,6150.7%
  36. 36Stephen11,8770.6%
  37. 37Sean11,7840.6%
  38. 38Zachary11,7250.6%
  39. 39Patrick11,4100.6%
  40. 40Tyler10,9120.6%
  41. 41Alexander10,6090.6%
  42. 42Dustin10,3170.6%
  43. 43Nathan9,9960.5%
  44. 44Scott9,9650.5%
  45. 45Paul9,7150.5%
  46. 46Gregory9,5290.5%
  47. 47Bryan8,6510.5%
  48. 48Jesse8,5420.5%
  49. 49Travis8,4800.5%
  50. 50Kenneth8,4530.5%
  51. 51Jose8,3630.5%
  52. 52Samuel7,5790.4%
  53. 53Jordan7,3020.4%
  54. 54Bradley7,0440.4%
  55. 55Shawn7,0180.4%
  56. 56Cody6,9340.4%
  57. 57Derek6,9000.4%
  58. 58Jared6,1190.3%
  59. 59Chad6,0260.3%
  60. 60Peter5,7970.3%
  61. 61Edward5,7770.3%
  62. 62Corey5,7620.3%
  63. 63Marcus5,2780.3%
  64. 64Alex5,1110.3%
  65. 65Juan5,0760.3%
  66. 66Keith5,0400.3%
  67. 67Shane4,9290.3%
  68. 68Cory4,8710.3%
  69. 69Brett4,7290.3%
  70. 70Phillip4,7050.3%
  71. 71Donald4,6610.3%
  72. 72Joel4,5070.2%
  73. 73Antonio4,4060.2%
  74. 74George4,3480.2%
  75. 75Ronald4,2240.2%
  76. 76Carlos4,0900.2%
  77. 77Raymond4,0550.2%
  78. 78Nathaniel4,0320.2%
  79. 79Luis4,0280.2%
  80. 80Craig3,9260.2%
  81. 81Evan3,8870.2%
  82. 82Douglas3,7630.2%
  83. 83Casey3,7620.2%
  84. 84Gary3,7190.2%
  85. 85Ian3,7130.2%
  86. 86Philip3,6650.2%
  87. 87Derrick3,3260.2%
  88. 88Victor3,2930.2%
  89. 89Christian3,2140.2%
  90. 90Austin3,2020.2%
  91. 91Frank3,1780.2%
  92. 92Erik3,1100.2%
  93. 93Vincent3,0920.2%
  94. 94Brent3,0610.2%
  95. 95Gabriel3,0460.2%
  96. 96Wesley3,0430.2%
  97. 97Seth2,9800.2%
  98. 98Trevor2,9780.2%
  99. 99Adrian2,9430.2%
  100. 100Curtis2,9100.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1986 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.