Name Awesome

Most Popular Baby Names Of 1989

The 100 most-used girls’ and boys’ names among U.S. births in 1989 — 3,842,268 recorded births in total that year.

19881990 The 1980s as a wholeNames that peaked in 1989

Girls’ names

  1. 1Jessica47,8872.6%
  2. 2Ashley47,5882.6%
  3. 3Brittany37,7922.1%
  4. 4Amanda36,8342.0%
  5. 5Sarah27,7971.5%
  6. 6Samantha24,7921.3%
  7. 7Jennifer24,0061.3%
  8. 8Stephanie22,7661.2%
  9. 9Lauren21,0651.1%
  10. 10Elizabeth20,2981.1%
  11. 11Megan19,7801.1%
  12. 12Nicole19,0321.0%
  13. 13Emily17,3230.9%
  14. 14Amber16,7600.9%
  15. 15Heather16,2480.9%
  16. 16Tiffany15,7160.9%
  17. 17Danielle15,3660.8%
  18. 18Rachel15,3570.8%
  19. 19Melissa15,2030.8%
  20. 20Kayla14,9030.8%
  21. 21Courtney13,4520.7%
  22. 22Michelle13,3760.7%
  23. 23Christina13,1410.7%
  24. 24Rebecca12,4360.7%
  25. 25Laura11,7400.6%
  26. 26Katherine11,4150.6%
  27. 27Chelsea11,2520.6%
  28. 28Kimberly11,0370.6%
  29. 29Sara9,7060.5%
  30. 30Jasmine9,5490.5%
  31. 31Kelsey9,2560.5%
  32. 32Crystal9,1030.5%
  33. 33Alyssa9,0420.5%
  34. 34Erica9,0250.5%
  35. 35Amy8,8990.5%
  36. 36Kristen8,8030.5%
  37. 37Kelly8,7590.5%
  38. 38Mary8,6450.5%
  39. 39Andrea8,4100.5%
  40. 40Erin8,1440.4%
  41. 41Brittney7,8340.4%
  42. 42Hannah7,8300.4%
  43. 43Alexandra7,6800.4%
  44. 44Victoria7,6370.4%
  45. 45Katie7,2900.4%
  46. 46Allison7,2820.4%
  47. 47Angela7,1990.4%
  48. 48Lindsey7,0690.4%
  49. 49Caitlin7,0250.4%
  50. 50Vanessa6,9620.4%
  51. 51Anna6,8980.4%
  52. 52Jamie6,8450.4%
  53. 53Alicia6,8170.4%
  54. 54Cassandra6,6980.4%
  55. 55Lisa6,5730.4%
  56. 56Maria6,3450.3%
  57. 57Whitney6,3050.3%
  58. 58Kathryn6,2940.3%
  59. 59Christine6,1340.3%
  60. 60Kristin6,0640.3%
  61. 61Shannon5,6600.3%
  62. 62Natalie5,6300.3%
  63. 63Lindsay5,5250.3%
  64. 64Jacqueline5,4440.3%
  65. 65Kristina4,8030.3%
  66. 66April4,7340.3%
  67. 67Catherine4,5590.2%
  68. 68Monica4,5020.2%
  69. 69Morgan4,4260.2%
  70. 70Tara4,3700.2%
  71. 71Jenna4,3390.2%
  72. 72Jordan4,2810.2%
  73. 73Erika4,1900.2%
  74. 74Brooke4,1480.2%
  75. 75Taylor4,0690.2%
  76. 76Katelyn4,0360.2%
  77. 77Brianna3,9950.2%
  78. 78Julie3,9420.2%
  79. 79Holly3,8930.2%
  80. 80Meghan3,8560.2%
  81. 81Marissa3,7940.2%
  82. 82Krystal3,7870.2%
  83. 83Leah3,7840.2%
  84. 84Cynthia3,7780.2%
  85. 85Veronica3,7120.2%
  86. 86Diana3,6870.2%
  87. 87Natasha3,6680.2%
  88. 88Melanie3,6280.2%
  89. 89Patricia3,6030.2%
  90. 90Kathleen3,5960.2%
  91. 91Bianca3,5930.2%
  92. 92Alexis3,5180.2%
  93. 93Molly3,4600.2%
  94. 94Abigail3,4050.2%
  95. 95Kaitlyn3,3920.2%
  96. 96Julia3,3700.2%
  97. 97Margaret3,2850.2%
  98. 98Brandi3,2500.2%
  99. 99Kendra3,2300.2%
  100. 100Kaitlin3,1710.2%

Boys’ names

  1. 1Michael65,4153.3%
  2. 2Christopher53,1862.7%
  3. 3Matthew45,3752.3%
  4. 4Joshua44,1002.2%
  5. 5David35,2251.8%
  6. 6Daniel35,0071.8%
  7. 7Andrew34,8171.7%
  8. 8Justin32,8521.6%
  9. 9James32,7201.6%
  10. 10Robert30,0721.5%
  11. 11Joseph29,8841.5%
  12. 12John29,8531.5%
  13. 13Ryan28,4081.4%
  14. 14Nicholas28,2301.4%
  15. 15William24,6731.2%
  16. 16Anthony24,4231.2%
  17. 17Jonathan23,6081.2%
  18. 18Brandon23,3101.2%
  19. 19Kevin21,2091.1%
  20. 20Kyle20,8821.0%
  21. 21Eric18,9770.9%
  22. 22Steven18,9290.9%
  23. 23Thomas18,4390.9%
  24. 24Brian18,1060.9%
  25. 25Zachary18,0770.9%
  26. 26Jacob17,8310.9%
  27. 27Adam16,9280.8%
  28. 28Timothy16,4270.8%
  29. 29Benjamin15,7330.8%
  30. 30Tyler15,5940.8%
  31. 31Aaron15,3080.8%
  32. 32Alexander14,5230.7%
  33. 33Richard14,1330.7%
  34. 34Jeremy13,0810.7%
  35. 35Jason12,6140.6%
  36. 36Charles12,2450.6%
  37. 37Jeffrey12,0130.6%
  38. 38Patrick11,9870.6%
  39. 39Sean11,8950.6%
  40. 40Stephen11,7360.6%
  41. 41Travis11,5260.6%
  42. 42Mark11,3200.6%
  43. 43Nathan10,9040.5%
  44. 44Jordan10,8820.5%
  45. 45Cody10,8230.5%
  46. 46Jose10,3310.5%
  47. 47Samuel10,1070.5%
  48. 48Dustin9,7150.5%
  49. 49Paul9,0290.5%
  50. 50Jesse8,8530.4%
  51. 51Scott8,8500.4%
  52. 52Gregory8,7600.4%
  53. 53Kenneth8,5550.4%
  54. 54Derek8,3650.4%
  55. 55Corey8,0030.4%
  56. 56Bryan7,8510.4%
  57. 57Jared7,0180.4%
  58. 58Bradley6,9770.3%
  59. 59Austin6,8860.3%
  60. 60Alex6,5430.3%
  61. 61Cory6,4500.3%
  62. 62Edward5,8490.3%
  63. 63Juan5,7810.3%
  64. 64Cameron5,5930.3%
  65. 65Shawn5,4790.3%
  66. 66Peter5,4110.3%
  67. 67Marcus5,3950.3%
  68. 68Ian4,9480.2%
  69. 69Evan4,9260.2%
  70. 70Keith4,8930.2%
  71. 71Shane4,8600.2%
  72. 72Taylor4,8590.2%
  73. 73Luis4,8520.2%
  74. 74Chad4,7230.2%
  75. 75Phillip4,7210.2%
  76. 76Antonio4,7190.2%
  77. 77Carlos4,6380.2%
  78. 78Christian4,6250.2%
  79. 79George4,5130.2%
  80. 80Vincent4,4950.2%
  81. 81Brett4,4280.2%
  82. 82Donald4,3230.2%
  83. 83Trevor4,1660.2%
  84. 84Nathaniel4,1210.2%
  85. 85Ronald4,1100.2%
  86. 86Raymond4,1060.2%
  87. 87Ethan4,0560.2%
  88. 88Joel3,9390.2%
  89. 89Victor3,9050.2%
  90. 90Casey3,8500.2%
  91. 91Caleb3,7880.2%
  92. 92Douglas3,7000.2%
  93. 93Mitchell3,6450.2%
  94. 94Seth3,6330.2%
  95. 95Erik3,6300.2%
  96. 96Devin3,5960.2%
  97. 97Blake3,5210.2%
  98. 98Wesley3,4570.2%
  99. 99Derrick3,4420.2%
  100. 100Adrian3,4180.2%

Percentages are each name’s share of all 1989 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.