Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1988

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1988 — 3,694,212 recorded births in total that year.

19871989 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1988

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jessica51,5562.9%
  2. 2Ashley49,9772.8%
  3. 3Amanda39,4592.2%
  4. 4Sarah28,3741.6%
  5. 5Jennifer27,8931.6%
  6. 6Brittany26,8161.5%
  7. 7Stephanie22,8431.3%
  8. 8Samantha20,7001.2%
  9. 9Nicole20,3151.1%
  10. 10Elizabeth20,0421.1%
  11. 11Lauren19,6371.1%
  12. 12Megan18,5701.0%
  13. 13Tiffany18,3641.0%
  14. 14Heather18,0331.0%
  15. 15Amber16,6760.9%
  16. 16Melissa16,5460.9%
  17. 17Danielle16,2530.9%
  18. 18Emily15,8690.9%
  19. 19Rachel15,3480.9%
  20. 20Kayla13,4330.8%
  21. 21Michelle13,3390.7%
  22. 22Christina12,9540.7%
  23. 23Laura12,1260.7%
  24. 24Courtney12,0430.7%
  25. 25Kimberly11,9480.7%
  26. 26Rebecca11,8770.7%
  27. 27Katherine11,1540.6%
  28. 28Crystal10,1010.6%
  29. 29Amy10,0340.6%
  30. 30Sara10,0200.6%
  31. 31Erica9,5910.5%
  32. 32Kelly8,9170.5%
  33. 33Chelsea8,8790.5%
  34. 34Mary8,5180.5%
  35. 35Andrea8,3920.5%
  36. 36Kristen8,3820.5%
  37. 37Erin8,2670.5%
  38. 38Angela7,9140.4%
  39. 39Whitney7,8530.4%
  40. 40Katie7,7700.4%
  41. 41Vanessa7,5160.4%
  42. 42Victoria7,2830.4%
  43. 43Lisa7,2670.4%
  44. 44Caitlin7,2460.4%
  45. 45Jamie7,1870.4%
  46. 46Allison7,1450.4%
  47. 47Alyssa7,1350.4%
  48. 48Lindsey7,0010.4%
  49. 49Alexandra6,9720.4%
  50. 50Alicia6,7000.4%
  51. 51Christine6,6120.4%
  52. 52Brittney6,5760.4%
  53. 53Jasmine6,4460.4%
  54. 54Anna6,4440.4%
  55. 55Kathryn6,3420.4%
  56. 56Shannon6,2560.4%
  57. 57Lindsay6,0250.3%
  58. 58Kristin6,0190.3%
  59. 59Cassandra5,7270.3%
  60. 60Maria5,7130.3%
  61. 61Hannah5,5620.3%
  62. 62Jacqueline5,5440.3%
  63. 63Natalie5,4830.3%
  64. 64Kelsey5,4520.3%
  65. 65April4,8400.3%
  66. 66Jenna4,6070.3%
  67. 67Tara4,6060.3%
  68. 68Kristina4,5780.3%
  69. 69Catherine4,5040.3%
  70. 70Monica4,4630.3%
  71. 71Julie4,4620.3%
  72. 72Holly4,2170.2%
  73. 73Natasha4,0390.2%
  74. 74Krystal4,0190.2%
  75. 75Kathleen3,9270.2%
  76. 76Erika3,8860.2%
  77. 77Patricia3,7990.2%
  78. 78Morgan3,7960.2%
  79. 79Cynthia3,7840.2%
  80. 80Kendra3,7610.2%
  81. 81Meghan3,6090.2%
  82. 82Leah3,5580.2%
  83. 83Veronica3,5250.2%
  84. 84Katelyn3,5100.2%
  85. 85Diana3,4890.2%
  86. 86Molly3,4610.2%
  87. 87Brooke3,4160.2%
  88. 88Julia3,3590.2%
  89. 89Bethany3,2700.2%
  90. 90Dana3,1920.2%
  91. 91Brandi3,1690.2%
  92. 92Casey3,1500.2%
  93. 93Margaret3,1390.2%
  94. 94Leslie3,0790.2%
  95. 95Kara3,0390.2%
  96. 96Brianna2,9630.2%
  97. 97Alexis2,9000.2%
  98. 98Kaitlin2,8410.2%
  99. 99Melanie2,8340.2%
  100. 100Rachael2,8310.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael64,1713.4%
  2. 2Christopher53,0142.8%
  3. 3Matthew45,8762.4%
  4. 4Joshua42,6532.2%
  5. 5Andrew35,7451.9%
  6. 6David35,3291.8%
  7. 7Justin35,0551.8%
  8. 8Daniel34,7181.8%
  9. 9James32,5231.7%
  10. 10Robert30,3191.6%
  11. 11John29,4271.5%
  12. 12Joseph29,0191.5%
  13. 13Ryan27,7471.4%
  14. 14Nicholas25,3031.3%
  15. 15Jonathan24,3491.3%
  16. 16William24,1261.3%
  17. 17Brandon23,7441.2%
  18. 18Anthony23,6441.2%
  19. 19Eric20,1751.1%
  20. 20Kevin20,1681.1%
  21. 21Kyle19,8951.0%
  22. 22Brian19,5321.0%
  23. 23Thomas18,8061.0%
  24. 24Steven17,8650.9%
  25. 25Timothy16,8070.9%
  26. 26Adam16,4670.9%
  27. 27Jason15,9170.8%
  28. 28Jacob15,8830.8%
  29. 29Zachary15,8700.8%
  30. 30Benjamin15,1870.8%
  31. 31Aaron14,4080.8%
  32. 32Richard14,1440.7%
  33. 33Tyler13,3490.7%
  34. 34Alexander13,3410.7%
  35. 35Jeremy13,1690.7%
  36. 36Jeffrey12,4010.6%
  37. 37Charles12,1090.6%
  38. 38Sean11,7940.6%
  39. 39Mark11,7150.6%
  40. 40Stephen11,6070.6%
  41. 41Travis11,4230.6%
  42. 42Patrick11,4000.6%
  43. 43Cody10,5830.6%
  44. 44Nathan10,1540.5%
  45. 45Samuel9,5640.5%
  46. 46Paul9,4380.5%
  47. 47Scott9,3510.5%
  48. 48Dustin9,3370.5%
  49. 49Jose9,0070.5%
  50. 50Gregory8,6290.5%
  51. 51Kenneth8,5670.4%
  52. 52Jordan8,4900.4%
  53. 53Derek8,0730.4%
  54. 54Bryan8,0360.4%
  55. 55Jesse7,9140.4%
  56. 56Corey7,3280.4%
  57. 57Bradley7,0170.4%
  58. 58Alex6,4080.3%
  59. 59Cory6,2660.3%
  60. 60Jared6,2110.3%
  61. 61Shawn5,8930.3%
  62. 62Edward5,8010.3%
  63. 63Austin5,5880.3%
  64. 64Peter5,4250.3%
  65. 65Chad5,2990.3%
  66. 66Marcus5,2070.3%
  67. 67Shane5,1730.3%
  68. 68Juan5,1710.3%
  69. 69Cameron4,9850.3%
  70. 70Keith4,9490.3%
  71. 71Phillip4,5760.2%
  72. 72Antonio4,4610.2%
  73. 73Brett4,3750.2%
  74. 74Evan4,3370.2%
  75. 75Luis4,3330.2%
  76. 76Donald4,3280.2%
  77. 77Ian4,3150.2%
  78. 78George4,2960.2%
  79. 79Ronald4,1730.2%
  80. 80Carlos4,1270.2%
  81. 81Nathaniel4,0540.2%
  82. 82Vincent4,0540.2%
  83. 83Casey4,0390.2%
  84. 84Raymond4,0360.2%
  85. 85Joel3,9400.2%
  86. 86Christian3,9370.2%
  87. 87Trevor3,6950.2%
  88. 88Douglas3,6550.2%
  89. 89Victor3,6280.2%
  90. 90Seth3,4930.2%
  91. 91Taylor3,4920.2%
  92. 92Erik3,4780.2%
  93. 93Wesley3,4780.2%
  94. 94Philip3,3730.2%
  95. 95Mitchell3,3230.2%
  96. 96Craig3,3060.2%
  97. 97Derrick3,3040.2%
  98. 98Devin3,3020.2%
  99. 99Frank3,2710.2%
  100. 100Gary3,2440.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1988 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.