The 20 Most Popular Baby Names of the 1980s to Add to Your List

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 1
SSA ranking today: 18
Year-over-year change in rank: -2 places
Meaning: "Who is like God?"

Michael, as in Back to the Future and Family Ties actor Michael J. Fox, had an incredible run as a baby name. It claimed the No. 1 spot on the SSA list 44 times since 1954, the most of any name ever, and was the top boy name throughout the entirety of the 1980s. Its run would soon be at an end, though, as it would be de-throned by Jacob in 1998. Today, though not as dominant as it once was, Michael is still incredibly popular, and despite a slow decline is still hanging around in the top 20.

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SSA ranking in the 1980s: 1
SSA ranking today: 574
Year-over-year change in rank: -24 places
Meaning: "God beholds" or "wealthy"

Though not as much of a powerhouse as Michael, Jessica, as in Tootsie actress Jessica Lange, also had a nice run at the top of the SSA chart in the '80s. It was the No. 1 name in the country from 1985 to 1990 (and then again from 1993 to 1995). Now, it's taken a deep tumble to near the middle of the SSA top 1,000 names — and it's losing steam. It dropped 24 places in rank between last year and the year before, and 175 places in the last five years.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 2
SSA ranking today: 61
Year-over-year change in rank: -6 places
Meaning: "bearer of Christ"

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Christopher, as in one-time Superman Christopher Reeve, was the runner-up to Michael from 1979 to 1994. Since then, it's fallen even further than Michael, but it remains a top-100 name. Today, parents still go for Christopher over similar names like Christian or just-plain Chris, even though nicknames-as-first-names is a hot trend right now.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 2
SSA ranking today: 547
Year-over-year change in rank: -26 places
Meaning: "God beholds" or "wealthy"

Whereas Jessica was the dominant name in the second half of the '80s, Jennifer, like Flashdance star Jennifer Beals, reigned supreme in the first half. It was the No. 1 name in the country starting in the '70s, and stayed in the top spot from 1970 to 1984. And like Jessica, Jennifer has fallen to the middle of the top 1,000 names — though their fortunes have reversed, and Jennifer is ranking slightly above Jessica.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 3
SSA ranking today: 33
Year-over-year change in rank: -1 place
Meaning: "gift of God"

The name Matthew, as in Ferris Bueller's Day Off star Matthew Broderick, is as solid and as steady as they come. It started and ended the 1980s in the exact same spot: No. 3. In fact, it was the third most popular boy's name from 1981 to 1994, and again from 1997 to 2001. Today, Matthew remains a top-40 name, but it's currently being outranked by the similar Mateo, which is way up at No. 7.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 3
SSA ranking today: 496
Year-over-year change in rank: -13 places
Meaning: "gift of God"

Amanda, as in The World According to Garp actress Amanda Plummer, never reached the heights of Jessica or Jennifer, and had its peak in 1980, the only year it reached No. 2. But it also didn't fall as far as the other names, and today is still in the top half of the top 1,000 names (although just barely). With the popularity of -ie names on the rise, like Marjorie, Scottie and Elodie (three of the fastest climbers of last year, according to the SSA), perhaps parents will consider adding a Mandie to their families.

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SSA ranking in the 1980s: 4
SSA ranking today: 57
Year-over-year change in rank: +3 places
Meaning: "gift of God"

Joshua, like one-time member of The Goonies Josh Brolin, is one of the few '80s names that actually increased in popularity between last year and the year before, if only slightly. Then again, the name was still on the rise in the '80s, and didn't peak until all the way in 2006. But after a couple of years at No. 60, it's inched its way back to No. 57, which could signal that Joshua's star is about to rise again.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 4
SSA ranking today: 124
Year-over-year change in rank: +2 places
Meaning: "near the ash tree meadow"

From then-country-singer Ashley Judd to the floral designs of Laura Ashley, the '80s was the decade of Ashley. And while Ashley is more commonly used for girls today, in the '80s, the name also ranked on the SSA list of boys' names, coming in between No. 282 and No. 523 (i.e., higher than where Jennifer and Jessica rank for girls today), so Ashley could be a good choice for parents looking for an under-the-radar unisex name.

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SSA ranking in the 1980s: 5
SSA ranking today: 31
Year-over-year change in rank: -4 places
Meaning: "beloved"

David, as in San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson, was already past its peak in the '80s. It reached No. 1 in 1960, and has been on an extremely slow decline ever since. It was still a top-10 name throughout the '80s, and even now is still in the top 50. It's an enduring choice for parents looking for a timeless name.

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SSA ranking in the 1980s: 5
SSA ranking today: 95
Year-over-year change in rank: -4 places
Meaning: "princess"

Sarah — as in Sarah Ferguson, the one-time Duchess of York — could be hampered by the fact that there are two extremely popular spellings of the name, which actually count against each other on the SSA rank. (The baby-naming website Nameberry, in what it calls the Playground Analysis, adds the homophones together to see where they truly rank.) Today, if you add Sarah (No. 95) and Sara (No. 188) together, they represent about 4,300 births — which would make it No. 48 (above Victoria). But in the '80s, Sarah did just fine on its own, and was either No. 5 or No. 4 for the whole decade.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 6
SSA ranking today: 5
Year-over-year change in rank: -1 place
Meaning: "supplanter"

James, as in Pretty in Pink actor James Spader, is about as popular today as it was in the '80s — and that's extremely popular. Though it was a No. 1 name in the '40s, the name has never fallen out of the top 20 in more than a century. (And in the '80s, it was also on the SSA list for girls.) And, when you average out all of the baby names given in the United States between 1925 and 2024, James is actually the most common name in the country, according to the SSA.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 6
SSA ranking today: 533
Year-over-year change in rank: -65 places
Meaning: "crown" or "garland"

Stephanie, as in The Wiz actress Stephanie Mills, has the dubious distinction of having the biggest year-over-year tumble out of all the names on this list. In the past 20 years, it's fallen more than 470 places. The name enjoyed its peak in 1987, when it was No. 6, but its fortunes have slipped ever since — possibly because parents are opting instead for Stevie (No. 209), which has that trendy nickname-as-first-name ring to it.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 7
SSA ranking today: 16
Year-over-year change in rank: +1 place
Meaning: "God is my judge"

Daniel, as in My Left Foot actor Daniel Day-Lewis, was a top-10 name in the '80s, and its popularity was only rising. It only hit its peak this century, in 2008, when it was No. 5. Now, it's fallen out of the top 10 but is still in the top 20, and it actually rose a little in rank between last year and the year before, so it might climb even higher.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 7
SSA ranking today: 378
Year-over-year change in rank: +32 places
Meaning: "honeybee"

Melissa, as in U.S. Olympian Melissa Marlowe, was just past its peak in the '80s — it topped out in 1979 at No. 2. It started a slow descent in the '80s, eventually falling out of the top 10 in 1985 and out of the top 20 by 1992. But there are signs things are turning around for Melissa: It took a huge, 32-place jump in rank between last year and the year before — the highest increase on this list by far.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 8
SSA ranking today: 90
Year-over-year change in rank: -1 place
Meaning: "bright fame"

Be it Rob, Robby, Bobby or Robert — as in The Cure frontman Robert Smith — the name Robert is so versatile that its appeal is everlasting. The name hit the No. 1 spot in multiple decades, and was the top name in America from 1924 to 1939, and then again in 1953. Now, it's closer to a top-100 name than a top-10 name, but it's still a strong choice for parents who love to have lots of nickname options.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 8
SSA ranking today: 318
Year-over-year change in rank: +9 places
Meaning: "victory of the people"

Nicole — as in actress and AMC pitchwoman Nicole Kidman — had a moment in the '80s. It stayed in the top 10 between 1979 and 1988, and had its peak in 1982, when it reached No. 6 for the first and only time. Now, it's way down at No. 318, but it has fended off trendier nickname versions like Nicky or Nikki. (Sorry to Nicky Hilton or Nikki Haley). And it's even jumped nearly ten places in rank between last year and the year before, the second-highest increase after Melissa.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 9
SSA ranking today: 17
Year-over-year change in rank: -2 places
Meaning: "God is gracious"

Even though Jon, Johnny, Jonathan and Johnathan all make the SSA list of the top 1,000 names, John — as in Full House actor John Stamos — outranks them all, sitting high at No. 17. And yet, it's far from it's heyday, when it was the No. 1 name in the country from 1900 to 1923. In the '80s, it ranked between No. 8 in the beginning of the decade and No. 12 by the end, which is not so far off from where it is today.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 9
SSA ranking today: 21
Year-over-year change in rank: -5 places
Meaning: "pledged to God"

For the last century, Elizabeth, as in Big actress Elizabeth Perkins, has rarely dipped below the top 25, and it was in the top 10 for the entire decade of that '80s. That could be because every generation can put its own spin on it, from Betty in the mid-century to Lizzie for the Lizzie McGuire generation to Ellie, which is in the top 25 today its own right.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 10
SSA ranking today: 32
Year-over-year change in rank: -3 places
Meaning: "God will add"

Joseph — as in The Clash's Joe Strummer (whose real name was John, go figure) — was way more popular at the beginning of last century than the end of it. The highest it reached was No. 5, and it stayed there from 1912 to 1917. By the '80s, it had slipped to No. 10 and No. 11, and now it's fallen even further, to No. 32. Still, with Joe and Joey as nicknames, it's a good option for parents who like short names.

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 10
SSA ranking today: unranked
Year-over-year change in rank: N/A
Meaning: "small shrub"

Pity the poor Heather. While it was a top-10 name throughout the '70s and '80s, today it doesn't make the SSA list at all. Heather, like actress Heather Graham, fell off the list in 2017 and hasn't been heard from since. But that just means it's one to consider for parents who are looking for an under-the-radar, but not too obscure, baby name.