Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1987

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1987 — 3,605,072 recorded births in total that year.

19861988 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1987

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jessica55,9923.2%
  2. 2Ashley54,8563.2%
  3. 3Amanda41,7862.4%
  4. 4Jennifer32,7101.9%
  5. 5Sarah27,8941.6%
  6. 6Stephanie22,4021.3%
  7. 7Brittany22,2311.3%
  8. 8Nicole20,2861.2%
  9. 9Heather18,9821.1%
  10. 10Elizabeth18,6081.1%
  11. 11Samantha17,9441.0%
  12. 12Megan17,8231.0%
  13. 13Melissa17,6741.0%
  14. 14Danielle17,0101.0%
  15. 15Amber16,7491.0%
  16. 16Lauren16,7101.0%
  17. 17Rachel15,6460.9%
  18. 18Tiffany14,7420.8%
  19. 19Emily14,7100.8%
  20. 20Christina13,8160.8%
  21. 21Michelle13,0340.7%
  22. 22Laura13,0330.7%
  23. 23Kimberly13,0310.7%
  24. 24Amy11,7860.7%
  25. 25Rebecca11,6270.7%
  26. 26Crystal11,0110.6%
  27. 27Kayla10,5760.6%
  28. 28Katherine10,4380.6%
  29. 29Sara10,0900.6%
  30. 30Kelly9,8660.6%
  31. 31Erica9,3280.5%
  32. 32Whitney8,9230.5%
  33. 33Courtney8,9090.5%
  34. 34Erin8,8470.5%
  35. 35Angela8,5830.5%
  36. 36Andrea8,4960.5%
  37. 37Mary8,3950.5%
  38. 38Katie8,1970.5%
  39. 39Jamie7,9160.5%
  40. 40Lisa7,5490.4%
  41. 41Lindsey7,4570.4%
  42. 42Kristen7,3610.4%
  43. 43Vanessa7,3480.4%
  44. 44Allison7,3410.4%
  45. 45Shannon6,9680.4%
  46. 46Alicia6,7760.4%
  47. 47Chelsea6,6310.4%
  48. 48Christine6,6200.4%
  49. 49Lindsay6,5300.4%
  50. 50Victoria6,2550.4%
  51. 51Kathryn6,2380.4%
  52. 52Anna6,1700.4%
  53. 53Maria5,6780.3%
  54. 54Jacqueline5,6270.3%
  55. 55Kristin5,4630.3%
  56. 56Natalie5,3310.3%
  57. 57Jenna5,3050.3%
  58. 58April5,2950.3%
  59. 59Alexandra5,2200.3%
  60. 60Alyssa5,1360.3%
  61. 61Brittney5,1270.3%
  62. 62Kristina5,0180.3%
  63. 63Caitlin4,9890.3%
  64. 64Monica4,8090.3%
  65. 65Julie4,7370.3%
  66. 66Hannah4,5940.3%
  67. 67Kelsey4,5740.3%
  68. 68Cassandra4,5550.3%
  69. 69Tara4,4460.3%
  70. 70Krystal4,3780.3%
  71. 71Holly4,2590.2%
  72. 72Kathleen4,1650.2%
  73. 73Natasha4,1310.2%
  74. 74Catherine4,1080.2%
  75. 75Erika3,9940.2%
  76. 76Patricia3,9130.2%
  77. 77Kendra3,8410.2%
  78. 78Meghan3,7700.2%
  79. 79Jasmine3,7230.2%
  80. 80Veronica3,6160.2%
  81. 81Casey3,5820.2%
  82. 82Leah3,4540.2%
  83. 83Dana3,4220.2%
  84. 84Cynthia3,3920.2%
  85. 85Diana3,3540.2%
  86. 86Julia3,3310.2%
  87. 87Bethany3,2940.2%
  88. 88Brandi3,2440.2%
  89. 89Leslie3,1940.2%
  90. 90Margaret3,1460.2%
  91. 91Mallory3,1380.2%
  92. 92Brandy3,0320.2%
  93. 93Valerie2,9640.2%
  94. 94Brooke2,9550.2%
  95. 95Morgan2,9280.2%
  96. 96Felicia2,9090.2%
  97. 97Molly2,8910.2%
  98. 98Rachael2,8330.2%
  99. 99Jillian2,7930.2%
  100. 100Alison2,7710.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael63,6643.4%
  2. 2Christopher54,4932.9%
  3. 3Matthew46,5112.5%
  4. 4Joshua40,0022.1%
  5. 5David36,7952.0%
  6. 6Andrew36,2061.9%
  7. 7Daniel35,8761.9%
  8. 8James32,6591.7%
  9. 9Justin31,4911.7%
  10. 10Robert30,2371.6%
  11. 11John29,5551.6%
  12. 12Joseph28,5161.5%
  13. 13Ryan28,4901.5%
  14. 14Brandon24,8231.3%
  15. 15William24,2021.3%
  16. 16Nicholas23,2471.2%
  17. 17Anthony23,1271.2%
  18. 18Jonathan23,1191.2%
  19. 19Kevin20,4211.1%
  20. 20Brian20,3621.1%
  21. 21Eric20,2031.1%
  22. 22Kyle19,8621.1%
  23. 23Jason19,3501.0%
  24. 24Thomas18,1391.0%
  25. 25Steven17,7681.0%
  26. 26Timothy17,3980.9%
  27. 27Adam16,9310.9%
  28. 28Benjamin14,8920.8%
  29. 29Jeremy14,4740.8%
  30. 30Richard14,4010.8%
  31. 31Jacob14,3260.8%
  32. 32Jeffrey13,4770.7%
  33. 33Zachary13,2010.7%
  34. 34Aaron12,6850.7%
  35. 35Charles12,1730.7%
  36. 36Mark11,9930.6%
  37. 37Alexander11,8350.6%
  38. 38Stephen11,5500.6%
  39. 39Tyler11,5420.6%
  40. 40Sean11,4550.6%
  41. 41Patrick11,1420.6%
  42. 42Travis10,3970.6%
  43. 43Scott10,1940.5%
  44. 44Dustin10,1080.5%
  45. 45Nathan9,9100.5%
  46. 46Paul9,7070.5%
  47. 47Gregory9,1350.5%
  48. 48Jose8,7370.5%
  49. 49Cody8,6750.5%
  50. 50Samuel8,5760.5%
  51. 51Bryan8,5600.5%
  52. 52Jordan8,4070.5%
  53. 53Kenneth8,3540.4%
  54. 54Derek8,2530.4%
  55. 55Jesse7,9820.4%
  56. 56Bradley6,9180.4%
  57. 57Corey6,4440.3%
  58. 58Jared6,2060.3%
  59. 59Shawn6,2020.3%
  60. 60Alex6,0420.3%
  61. 61Edward5,9130.3%
  62. 62Cory5,8490.3%
  63. 63Chad5,6220.3%
  64. 64Peter5,5530.3%
  65. 65Shane5,3050.3%
  66. 66Juan4,9760.3%
  67. 67Marcus4,9500.3%
  68. 68Phillip4,8130.3%
  69. 69Keith4,7830.3%
  70. 70Donald4,5010.2%
  71. 71Brett4,4290.2%
  72. 72Antonio4,4210.2%
  73. 73Ronald4,1530.2%
  74. 74Carlos4,1490.2%
  75. 75Joel4,1380.2%
  76. 76Austin4,0960.2%
  77. 77George4,0890.2%
  78. 78Nathaniel4,0500.2%
  79. 79Raymond3,9960.2%
  80. 80Casey3,9280.2%
  81. 81Ian3,9240.2%
  82. 82Luis3,9210.2%
  83. 83Evan3,8680.2%
  84. 84Philip3,8370.2%
  85. 85Douglas3,8040.2%
  86. 86Derrick3,5340.2%
  87. 87Gary3,4860.2%
  88. 88Craig3,3640.2%
  89. 89Seth3,3390.2%
  90. 90Christian3,3240.2%
  91. 91Victor3,3070.2%
  92. 92Wesley3,2440.2%
  93. 93Trevor3,2350.2%
  94. 94Erik3,2310.2%
  95. 95Vincent3,1730.2%
  96. 96Cameron3,1590.2%
  97. 97Frank3,1230.2%
  98. 98Gabriel3,0790.2%
  99. 99Devin3,0760.2%
  100. 100Curtis2,9090.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1987 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.