Most Popular Baby Names of 1980
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1980 in the US: 58,374 girls were named Jennifer and 68,683 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 28 girls and 1 in 26 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 11th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 20th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,660,307 girls and 1,783,951 boys born in 1980, with 12,159 different girl names and 7,291 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1979
- Elizabeth joined the girls' top 10; Joseph joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Monique (#141 to #93), Kristin (#73 to #37) and Candice (#128 to #99).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Derek (#72 to #50), Dustin (#62 to #44) and Luis (#102 to #88).
- 5 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Theresa (#100 to #104) and Terry (#95 to #101).
- 1,072 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1980
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1979, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1980
| # | Name | Babies | In 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 58,374 | #1 |
| 2 | Amanda | 35,811 | #3 |
| 3 | Jessica | 33,924 | #4 |
| 4 | Melissa | 31,629 | #2 |
| 5 | Sarah | 25,757 | #6 |
| 6 | Heather | 19,973 | #7 |
| 7 | Nicole | 19,917 | #9 |
| 8 | Amy | 19,833 | #5 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 19,529 | #11 |
| 10 | Michelle | 19,119 | #10 |
| 11 | Kimberly | 18,497 | #12 |
| 12 | Angela | 17,969 | #8 |
| 13 | Stephanie | 17,841 | #15 |
| 14 | Tiffany | 16,228 | #28 |
| 15 | Christina | 16,141 | #14 |
| 16 | Lisa | 15,664 | #13 |
| 17 | Rebecca | 15,281 | #17 |
| 18 | Crystal | 14,253 | #18 |
| 19 | Kelly | 13,710 | #16 |
| 20 | Erin | 13,428 | #21 |
| 21 | Laura | 12,916 | #20 |
| 22 | Amber | 12,553 | #22 |
| 23 | Rachel | 11,618 | #27 |
| 24 | Jamie | 11,529 | #19 |
| 25 | Mary | 11,474 | #24 |
| 26 | April | 11,472 | #23 |
| 27 | Sara | 11,148 | #30 |
| 28 | Andrea | 10,450 | #26 |
| 29 | Shannon | 9,670 | #25 |
| 30 | Megan | 9,134 | #31 |
| 31 | Emily | 9,001 | #34 |
| 32 | Julie | 8,906 | #29 |
| 33 | Danielle | 8,845 | #33 |
| 34 | Erica | 8,760 | #32 |
| 35 | Katherine | 8,017 | #36 |
| 36 | Maria | 7,875 | #37 |
| 37 | Kristin | 7,701 | #73 |
| 38 | Lauren | 7,476 | #45 |
| 39 | Kristen | 7,316 | #62 |
| 40 | Ashley | 7,296 | #67 |
| 41 | Christine | 7,085 | #35 |
| 42 | Brandy | 6,410 | #39 |
| 43 | Tara | 6,283 | #38 |
| 44 | Katie | 6,137 | #63 |
| 45 | Monica | 6,034 | #40 |
| 46 | Carrie | 5,761 | #41 |
| 47 | Alicia | 5,753 | #47 |
| 48 | Courtney | 5,618 | #71 |
| 49 | Misty | 5,541 | #42 |
| 50 | Kathryn | 5,527 | #50 |
| 51 | Patricia | 5,310 | #44 |
| 52 | Holly | 5,282 | #48 |
| 53 | Stacy | 5,057 | #43 |
| 54 | Karen | 5,055 | #46 |
| 55 | Anna | 5,038 | #59 |
| 56 | Tracy | 4,969 | #49 |
| 57 | Brooke | 4,951 | #85 |
| 58 | Samantha | 4,913 | #66 |
| 59 | Allison | 4,868 | #70 |
| 60 | Melanie | 4,841 | #53 |
| 61 | Leslie | 4,776 | #65 |
| 62 | Susan | 4,704 | #51 |
| 63 | Brandi | 4,703 | #61 |
| 64 | Cynthia | 4,700 | #55 |
| 65 | Natalie | 4,645 | #68 |
| 66 | Jill | 4,558 | #52 |
| 67 | Dawn | 4,479 | #57 |
| 68 | Dana | 4,438 | #54 |
| 69 | Vanessa | 4,426 | #75 |
| 70 | Veronica | 4,378 | #76 |
| 71 | Lindsay | 4,353 | #88 |
| 72 | Tina | 4,260 | #58 |
| 73 | Kristina | 4,222 | #74 |
| 73 | Stacey | 4,222 | #60 |
| 75 | Wendy | 4,141 | #64 |
| 76 | Lori | 4,085 | #69 |
| 77 | Catherine | 4,080 | #78 |
| 78 | Kristy | 4,059 | #56 |
| 79 | Heidi | 4,027 | #83 |
| 80 | Sandra | 4,002 | #77 |
| 81 | Jacqueline | 3,879 | #80 |
| 82 | Kathleen | 3,857 | #84 |
| 83 | Christy | 3,673 | #72 |
| 84 | Leah | 3,642 | #98 |
| 85 | Valerie | 3,613 | #89 |
| 86 | Pamela | 3,533 | #90 |
| 87 | Erika | 3,516 | #91 |
| 88 | Tanya | 3,436 | #93 |
| 89 | Natasha | 3,428 | #110 |
| 90 | Katrina | 3,397 | #99 |
| 91 | Lindsey | 3,386 | #113 |
| 92 | Melinda | 3,201 | #82 |
| 93 | Monique | 3,163 | #141 |
| 94 | Teresa | 3,149 | #87 |
| 95 | Denise | 3,145 | #92 |
| 96 | Tammy | 3,134 | #79 |
| 97 | Tonya | 3,080 | #86 |
| 98 | Julia | 3,069 | #122 |
| 99 | Candice | 3,012 | #128 |
| 100 | Gina | 2,991 | #96 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1980
| # | Name | Babies | In 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 68,683 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 49,079 | #2 |
| 3 | Jason | 48,164 | #3 |
| 4 | David | 41,891 | #4 |
| 5 | James | 39,312 | #5 |
| 6 | Matthew | 37,834 | #6 |
| 7 | Joshua | 36,052 | #9 |
| 8 | John | 35,274 | #7 |
| 9 | Robert | 34,266 | #8 |
| 10 | Joseph | 30,185 | #11 |
| 11 | Daniel | 29,888 | #12 |
| 12 | Brian | 28,715 | #10 |
| 13 | Justin | 26,763 | #22 |
| 14 | William | 25,639 | #13 |
| 15 | Ryan | 24,795 | #14 |
| 16 | Eric | 22,611 | #17 |
| 17 | Nicholas | 21,018 | #15 |
| 18 | Jeremy | 19,892 | #16 |
| 19 | Andrew | 19,730 | #20 |
| 20 | Timothy | 19,146 | #18 |
| 21 | Jonathan | 18,986 | #31 |
| 22 | Adam | 18,868 | #23 |
| 23 | Kevin | 17,972 | #19 |
| 24 | Anthony | 17,604 | #21 |
| 25 | Thomas | 17,564 | #26 |
| 26 | Richard | 16,656 | #25 |
| 27 | Jeffrey | 16,379 | #24 |
| 28 | Steven | 15,916 | #27 |
| 29 | Charles | 14,959 | #28 |
| 30 | Mark | 14,169 | #30 |
| 31 | Brandon | 14,161 | #35 |
| 32 | Benjamin | 13,622 | #33 |
| 33 | Scott | 13,300 | #29 |
| 34 | Aaron | 13,166 | #32 |
| 35 | Paul | 11,819 | #34 |
| 36 | Nathan | 11,138 | #37 |
| 37 | Travis | 10,764 | #36 |
| 38 | Patrick | 10,352 | #39 |
| 39 | Chad | 10,142 | #38 |
| 40 | Stephen | 10,062 | #40 |
| 41 | Kenneth | 9,608 | #41 |
| 42 | Gregory | 9,267 | #42 |
| 43 | Jacob | 8,520 | #45 |
| 44 | Dustin | 8,416 | #62 |
| 45 | Jesse | 8,374 | #50 |
| 46 | Jose | 8,323 | #44 |
| 47 | Shawn | 7,698 | #43 |
| 48 | Sean | 7,596 | #49 |
| 49 | Bryan | 7,513 | #46 |
| 50 | Derek | 7,240 | #72 |
| 51 | Bradley | 7,210 | #47 |
| 52 | Edward | 6,762 | #48 |
| 53 | Donald | 6,269 | #51 |
| 54 | Samuel | 6,014 | #55 |
| 55 | Peter | 5,967 | #53 |
| 56 | Keith | 5,887 | #52 |
| 57 | Kyle | 5,775 | #56 |
| 58 | Ronald | 5,757 | #54 |
| 59 | Juan | 5,434 | #61 |
| 60 | George | 5,300 | #57 |
| 61 | Jared | 5,205 | #65 |
| 62 | Douglas | 5,180 | #58 |
| 63 | Gary | 5,037 | #59 |
| 64 | Erik | 4,918 | #66 |
| 65 | Phillip | 4,633 | #68 |
| 66 | Raymond | 4,578 | #70 |
| 67 | Joel | 4,564 | #71 |
| 68 | Corey | 4,437 | #63 |
| 69 | Shane | 4,365 | #67 |
| 70 | Larry | 4,262 | #69 |
| 71 | Marcus | 4,260 | #76 |
| 72 | Zachary | 4,245 | #74 |
| 73 | Craig | 4,234 | #77 |
| 74 | Derrick | 4,135 | #80 |
| 75 | Todd | 4,128 | #60 |
| 76 | Jeremiah | 4,093 | #81 |
| 77 | Antonio | 4,085 | #79 |
| 78 | Carlos | 4,084 | #73 |
| 79 | Shaun | 3,923 | #64 |
| 80 | Dennis | 3,804 | #75 |
| 81 | Frank | 3,734 | #78 |
| 82 | Philip | 3,563 | #83 |
| 83 | Cory | 3,556 | #82 |
| 84 | Brent | 3,537 | #84 |
| 85 | Gabriel | 3,493 | #90 |
| 86 | Nathaniel | 3,492 | #95 |
| 87 | Randy | 3,390 | #86 |
| 88 | Luis | 3,359 | #102 |
| 89 | Curtis | 3,332 | #91 |
| 90 | Jeffery | 3,324 | #87 |
| 91 | Alexander | 3,279 | #94 |
| 92 | Russell | 3,269 | #92 |
| 93 | Casey | 3,215 | #93 |
| 94 | Jerry | 3,189 | #85 |
| 95 | Wesley | 3,165 | #89 |
| 96 | Brett | 3,128 | #98 |
| 97 | Luke | 3,109 | #110 |
| 98 | Lucas | 3,080 | #108 |
| 99 | Seth | 3,050 | #101 |
| 100 | Billy | 2,991 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1979, or the year after, 1981, the top 100 of the whole 1980s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1980s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.