Most Popular Baby Names of 1981
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1981 in the US: 57,046 girls were named Jennifer and 68,750 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 29 girls and 1 in 26 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 12th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 21st year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,668,060 girls and 1,791,177 boys born in 1981, with 12,195 different girl names and 7,286 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1980
- Stephanie joined the girls' top 10; Daniel joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Latoya (#123 to #69), Diana (#118 to #75) and Lindsey (#91 to #58).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Alexander (#91 to #70), Tyler (#114 to #96) and Brett (#96 to #79).
- 5 girl names and 1 boy name left the top 100, among them Monique (#93 to #103) and Billy (#100 to #103).
- 1,004 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1981
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1980, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1981
| # | Name | Babies | In 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 57,046 | #1 |
| 2 | Jessica | 42,531 | #3 |
| 3 | Amanda | 34,372 | #2 |
| 4 | Sarah | 28,175 | #5 |
| 5 | Melissa | 28,005 | #4 |
| 6 | Amy | 20,345 | #8 |
| 7 | Nicole | 20,310 | #7 |
| 8 | Stephanie | 20,212 | #13 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 20,168 | #9 |
| 10 | Heather | 17,946 | #6 |
| 11 | Michelle | 17,781 | #10 |
| 12 | Rebecca | 16,737 | #17 |
| 13 | Kimberly | 16,689 | #11 |
| 14 | Tiffany | 16,416 | #14 |
| 15 | Angela | 15,924 | #12 |
| 16 | Crystal | 15,888 | #18 |
| 17 | Christina | 14,392 | #15 |
| 18 | Lisa | 14,294 | #16 |
| 19 | Erin | 13,853 | #20 |
| 20 | Amber | 13,814 | #22 |
| 21 | Laura | 13,292 | #21 |
| 22 | Rachel | 12,590 | #23 |
| 23 | Kelly | 11,873 | #19 |
| 24 | Andrea | 11,686 | #28 |
| 25 | April | 11,406 | #26 |
| 26 | Sara | 11,359 | #27 |
| 27 | Mary | 11,042 | #25 |
| 28 | Jamie | 10,982 | #24 |
| 29 | Emily | 10,799 | #31 |
| 30 | Danielle | 10,038 | #33 |
| 31 | Kristin | 9,737 | #37 |
| 32 | Shannon | 9,226 | #29 |
| 33 | Megan | 8,964 | #30 |
| 34 | Ashley | 8,874 | #40 |
| 35 | Lauren | 8,813 | #38 |
| 36 | Erica | 8,626 | #34 |
| 37 | Julie | 8,567 | #32 |
| 38 | Kristen | 8,540 | #39 |
| 39 | Katherine | 8,433 | #35 |
| 40 | Maria | 7,681 | #36 |
| 41 | Brandy | 6,898 | #42 |
| 42 | Christine | 6,854 | #41 |
| 43 | Courtney | 6,636 | #48 |
| 44 | Katie | 6,600 | #44 |
| 45 | Tara | 6,366 | #43 |
| 46 | Alicia | 5,855 | #47 |
| 47 | Lindsay | 5,843 | #71 |
| 48 | Kathryn | 5,823 | #50 |
| 49 | Monica | 5,782 | #45 |
| 50 | Brandi | 5,527 | #63 |
| 51 | Samantha | 5,516 | #58 |
| 52 | Brooke | 5,328 | #57 |
| 53 | Patricia | 5,284 | #51 |
| 54 | Anna | 5,192 | #55 |
| 55 | Carrie | 5,094 | #46 |
| 56 | Leslie | 4,934 | #61 |
| 57 | Allison | 4,904 | #59 |
| 58 | Lindsey | 4,863 | #91 |
| 59 | Cynthia | 4,859 | #64 |
| 60 | Natalie | 4,858 | #65 |
| 61 | Misty | 4,799 | #49 |
| 62 | Vanessa | 4,749 | #69 |
| 63 | Holly | 4,564 | #52 |
| 64 | Karen | 4,539 | #54 |
| 65 | Stacy | 4,479 | #53 |
| 66 | Melanie | 4,475 | #60 |
| 67 | Jacqueline | 4,334 | #81 |
| 68 | Veronica | 4,313 | #70 |
| 69 | Latoya | 4,266 | #123 |
| 70 | Dana | 4,246 | #68 |
| 71 | Susan | 4,244 | #62 |
| 72 | Kristina | 4,061 | #73 |
| 73 | Catherine | 4,057 | #77 |
| 74 | Sandra | 4,037 | #80 |
| 75 | Diana | 3,971 | #118 |
| 76 | Pamela | 3,881 | #86 |
| 77 | Tracy | 3,869 | #56 |
| 78 | Jill | 3,857 | #66 |
| 79 | Dawn | 3,839 | #67 |
| 80 | Tina | 3,821 | #72 |
| 81 | Leah | 3,808 | #84 |
| 82 | Kathleen | 3,776 | #82 |
| 83 | Stacey | 3,754 | #73 |
| 84 | Heidi | 3,738 | #79 |
| 85 | Natasha | 3,730 | #89 |
| 86 | Candice | 3,698 | #99 |
| 87 | Victoria | 3,689 | #103 |
| 88 | Julia | 3,668 | #98 |
| 89 | Valerie | 3,611 | #85 |
| 90 | Wendy | 3,608 | #75 |
| 91 | Lori | 3,479 | #76 |
| 92 | Tanya | 3,408 | #88 |
| 93 | Erika | 3,399 | #87 |
| 94 | Kristy | 3,263 | #78 |
| 95 | Katrina | 3,257 | #90 |
| 96 | Denise | 3,201 | #95 |
| 97 | Teresa | 3,121 | #94 |
| 98 | Renee | 2,997 | #107 |
| 99 | Christy | 2,943 | #83 |
| 99 | Theresa | 2,943 | #104 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1981
| # | Name | Babies | In 1980 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 68,750 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 50,221 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 43,330 | #6 |
| 4 | Jason | 41,927 | #3 |
| 5 | David | 40,629 | #4 |
| 6 | Joshua | 39,024 | #7 |
| 7 | James | 38,283 | #5 |
| 8 | John | 34,868 | #8 |
| 9 | Robert | 34,395 | #9 |
| 10 | Daniel | 30,985 | #11 |
| 11 | Joseph | 30,761 | #10 |
| 12 | Justin | 27,307 | #13 |
| 13 | Ryan | 26,811 | #15 |
| 14 | Brian | 26,583 | #12 |
| 15 | William | 24,798 | #14 |
| 16 | Jonathan | 22,588 | #21 |
| 17 | Eric | 20,712 | #16 |
| 18 | Andrew | 20,232 | #19 |
| 19 | Brandon | 20,206 | #31 |
| 20 | Adam | 20,044 | #22 |
| 21 | Nicholas | 19,775 | #17 |
| 22 | Jeremy | 19,113 | #18 |
| 23 | Anthony | 18,569 | #24 |
| 24 | Timothy | 18,228 | #20 |
| 25 | Kevin | 17,454 | #23 |
| 26 | Thomas | 17,159 | #25 |
| 27 | Richard | 16,855 | #26 |
| 28 | Steven | 16,482 | #28 |
| 29 | Jeffrey | 15,931 | #27 |
| 30 | Aaron | 14,694 | #34 |
| 31 | Charles | 14,427 | #29 |
| 32 | Benjamin | 14,360 | #32 |
| 33 | Mark | 13,542 | #30 |
| 34 | Scott | 12,719 | #33 |
| 35 | Paul | 11,776 | #35 |
| 36 | Nathan | 11,256 | #36 |
| 37 | Jesse | 10,443 | #45 |
| 38 | Patrick | 10,384 | #38 |
| 39 | Stephen | 10,302 | #40 |
| 40 | Travis | 10,109 | #37 |
| 41 | Kenneth | 9,472 | #41 |
| 42 | Dustin | 9,350 | #44 |
| 43 | Jacob | 9,342 | #43 |
| 44 | Sean | 8,893 | #48 |
| 45 | Jose | 8,773 | #46 |
| 46 | Gregory | 8,756 | #42 |
| 47 | Chad | 8,412 | #39 |
| 48 | Bryan | 7,215 | #49 |
| 49 | Shawn | 7,076 | #47 |
| 50 | Bradley | 6,895 | #51 |
| 51 | Edward | 6,661 | #52 |
| 52 | Kyle | 6,570 | #57 |
| 53 | Derek | 6,481 | #50 |
| 54 | Samuel | 6,036 | #54 |
| 55 | Peter | 5,997 | #55 |
| 56 | Donald | 5,910 | #53 |
| 57 | Jared | 5,865 | #61 |
| 58 | Keith | 5,621 | #56 |
| 59 | Ronald | 5,538 | #58 |
| 60 | Juan | 5,499 | #59 |
| 61 | George | 5,157 | #60 |
| 62 | Gary | 4,946 | #63 |
| 63 | Zachary | 4,841 | #72 |
| 64 | Douglas | 4,788 | #62 |
| 65 | Joel | 4,540 | #67 |
| 66 | Phillip | 4,539 | #65 |
| 67 | Marcus | 4,510 | #71 |
| 68 | Raymond | 4,367 | #66 |
| 69 | Corey | 4,247 | #68 |
| 70 | Alexander | 4,237 | #91 |
| 71 | Carlos | 4,185 | #78 |
| 72 | Craig | 4,097 | #73 |
| 73 | Larry | 3,955 | #70 |
| 74 | Todd | 3,953 | #75 |
| 75 | Antonio | 3,926 | #77 |
| 76 | Erik | 3,921 | #64 |
| 77 | Jeremiah | 3,896 | #76 |
| 78 | Derrick | 3,850 | #74 |
| 79 | Brett | 3,775 | #96 |
| 80 | Nathaniel | 3,719 | #86 |
| 81 | Shane | 3,710 | #69 |
| 82 | Frank | 3,638 | #81 |
| 83 | Dennis | 3,634 | #80 |
| 84 | Philip | 3,581 | #82 |
| 85 | Casey | 3,518 | #93 |
| 86 | Shaun | 3,383 | #79 |
| 87 | Gabriel | 3,373 | #85 |
| 88 | Brent | 3,371 | #84 |
| 88 | Lucas | 3,371 | #98 |
| 90 | Cory | 3,352 | #83 |
| 91 | Randy | 3,343 | #87 |
| 92 | Luis | 3,342 | #88 |
| 93 | Jeffery | 3,334 | #90 |
| 94 | Curtis | 3,198 | #89 |
| 95 | Seth | 3,137 | #99 |
| 96 | Tyler | 3,117 | #114 |
| 97 | Jerry | 3,056 | #94 |
| 98 | Russell | 3,048 | #92 |
| 99 | Wesley | 3,040 | #95 |
| 100 | Luke | 3,013 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1980, or the year after, 1982, 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.