Most Popular Baby Names of 1982
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jennifer and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1982 in the US: 57,120 girls were named Jennifer and 68,216 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 30 girls and 1 in 27 boys born that year. It was Jennifer's 13th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1970), and it was Michael's 22nd year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,693,325 girls and 1,814,447 boys born in 1982, with 12,328 different girl names and 7,365 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1981
- Crystal joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1981.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Alexis (#172 to #93), Brittany (#165 to #94) and Krystal (#131 to #83).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Tyler (#96 to #66), Cody (#119 to #95) and Ian (#101 to #83).
- 7 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Renee (#98 to #101) and Curtis (#94 to #101).
- 974 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1982
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1981, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1982
| # | Name | Babies | In 1981 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jennifer | 57,120 | #1 |
| 2 | Jessica | 45,453 | #2 |
| 3 | Amanda | 34,214 | #3 |
| 4 | Sarah | 28,483 | #4 |
| 5 | Melissa | 25,864 | #5 |
| 6 | Nicole | 21,706 | #7 |
| 7 | Stephanie | 20,861 | #8 |
| 8 | Elizabeth | 20,506 | #9 |
| 9 | Crystal | 19,099 | #16 |
| 10 | Amy | 18,799 | #6 |
| 11 | Michelle | 17,765 | #11 |
| 12 | Heather | 17,493 | #10 |
| 13 | Tiffany | 17,175 | #14 |
| 14 | Kimberly | 16,101 | #13 |
| 15 | Rebecca | 15,730 | #12 |
| 16 | Angela | 15,002 | #15 |
| 17 | Ashley | 14,851 | #34 |
| 18 | Amber | 14,678 | #20 |
| 19 | Christina | 14,518 | #17 |
| 20 | Erin | 14,362 | #19 |
| 21 | Rachel | 13,871 | #22 |
| 22 | Laura | 13,310 | #21 |
| 23 | Lisa | 12,637 | #18 |
| 24 | Emily | 12,519 | #29 |
| 25 | Kelly | 12,170 | #23 |
| 26 | Lauren | 11,589 | #35 |
| 27 | Andrea | 11,374 | #24 |
| 28 | Sara | 11,344 | #26 |
| 29 | Jamie | 11,039 | #28 |
| 30 | Mary | 10,851 | #27 |
| 31 | Danielle | 10,204 | #30 |
| 32 | April | 10,060 | #25 |
| 33 | Kristen | 9,534 | #38 |
| 34 | Megan | 9,518 | #33 |
| 35 | Erica | 9,340 | #36 |
| 36 | Katherine | 9,179 | #39 |
| 37 | Kristin | 8,734 | #31 |
| 38 | Shannon | 8,623 | #32 |
| 39 | Lindsay | 8,260 | #47 |
| 40 | Lindsey | 7,961 | #58 |
| 41 | Julie | 7,696 | #37 |
| 42 | Maria | 7,348 | #40 |
| 43 | Courtney | 7,100 | #43 |
| 44 | Samantha | 6,768 | #51 |
| 45 | Katie | 6,681 | #44 |
| 46 | Christine | 6,555 | #42 |
| 47 | Tara | 6,524 | #45 |
| 48 | Kathryn | 6,284 | #48 |
| 49 | Vanessa | 6,154 | #62 |
| 50 | Brandy | 6,077 | #41 |
| 51 | Natalie | 5,961 | #60 |
| 52 | Monica | 5,734 | #49 |
| 53 | Alicia | 5,614 | #46 |
| 54 | Jacqueline | 5,493 | #67 |
| 55 | Brandi | 5,469 | #50 |
| 56 | Anna | 5,271 | #54 |
| 57 | Carrie | 5,186 | #55 |
| 58 | Allison | 5,170 | #57 |
| 59 | Patricia | 5,168 | #53 |
| 60 | Leslie | 4,985 | #56 |
| 61 | Holly | 4,682 | #63 |
| 62 | Cassandra | 4,663 | #104 |
| 63 | Diana | 4,430 | #75 |
| 64 | Cynthia | 4,427 | #59 |
| 65 | Melanie | 4,255 | #66 |
| 65 | Victoria | 4,255 | #87 |
| 67 | Dana | 4,242 | #70 |
| 68 | Karen | 4,153 | #64 |
| 69 | Veronica | 4,150 | #68 |
| 70 | Kristina | 4,149 | #72 |
| 71 | Natasha | 4,128 | #85 |
| 72 | Stacy | 4,099 | #65 |
| 73 | Catherine | 4,098 | #73 |
| 74 | Misty | 4,071 | #61 |
| 75 | Valerie | 3,989 | #89 |
| 76 | Susan | 3,970 | #71 |
| 77 | Kathleen | 3,949 | #82 |
| 78 | Candice | 3,791 | #86 |
| 79 | Leah | 3,762 | #81 |
| 80 | Sandra | 3,655 | #74 |
| 81 | Erika | 3,596 | #93 |
| 82 | Pamela | 3,546 | #76 |
| 83 | Krystal | 3,504 | #131 |
| 84 | Julia | 3,502 | #88 |
| 85 | Stacey | 3,459 | #83 |
| 86 | Heidi | 3,392 | #84 |
| 87 | Katrina | 3,322 | #95 |
| 88 | Tracy | 3,283 | #77 |
| 89 | Jill | 3,270 | #78 |
| 90 | Tina | 3,219 | #80 |
| 91 | Latoya | 3,201 | #69 |
| 92 | Brooke | 3,144 | #52 |
| 93 | Alexis | 3,123 | #172 |
| 94 | Brittany | 3,102 | #165 |
| 95 | Dawn | 3,088 | #79 |
| 96 | Jillian | 3,056 | #137 |
| 97 | Margaret | 2,998 | #107 |
| 98 | Lori | 2,978 | #91 |
| 99 | Nichole | 2,923 | #109 |
| 100 | Denise | 2,896 | #96 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1982
| # | Name | Babies | In 1981 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 68,216 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 59,223 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 46,045 | #3 |
| 4 | Jason | 40,628 | #4 |
| 5 | David | 40,453 | #5 |
| 6 | James | 38,874 | #7 |
| 7 | Joshua | 38,004 | #6 |
| 8 | John | 34,698 | #8 |
| 9 | Robert | 34,409 | #9 |
| 10 | Daniel | 32,652 | #10 |
| 11 | Joseph | 31,035 | #11 |
| 12 | Justin | 29,115 | #12 |
| 13 | Ryan | 26,685 | #13 |
| 14 | Brian | 25,829 | #14 |
| 15 | William | 25,604 | #15 |
| 16 | Jonathan | 23,113 | #16 |
| 17 | Andrew | 22,833 | #18 |
| 18 | Brandon | 20,212 | #19 |
| 19 | Adam | 20,099 | #20 |
| 20 | Eric | 19,878 | #17 |
| 21 | Anthony | 19,648 | #23 |
| 22 | Nicholas | 19,643 | #21 |
| 23 | Thomas | 17,578 | #26 |
| 24 | Timothy | 17,464 | #24 |
| 25 | Kevin | 17,462 | #25 |
| 26 | Steven | 17,145 | #28 |
| 27 | Richard | 16,717 | #27 |
| 28 | Jeremy | 16,466 | #22 |
| 29 | Jeffrey | 16,030 | #29 |
| 30 | Aaron | 14,406 | #30 |
| 31 | Charles | 14,310 | #31 |
| 32 | Mark | 13,865 | #33 |
| 33 | Benjamin | 13,805 | #32 |
| 34 | Scott | 12,200 | #34 |
| 35 | Paul | 11,310 | #35 |
| 36 | Nathan | 10,805 | #36 |
| 37 | Patrick | 10,695 | #38 |
| 38 | Stephen | 10,627 | #39 |
| 39 | Travis | 10,415 | #40 |
| 40 | Gregory | 10,144 | #46 |
| 41 | Jacob | 10,059 | #43 |
| 42 | Dustin | 9,551 | #42 |
| 43 | Jesse | 9,504 | #37 |
| 44 | Sean | 9,359 | #44 |
| 45 | Kenneth | 9,354 | #41 |
| 46 | Jose | 8,624 | #45 |
| 47 | Kyle | 8,207 | #52 |
| 48 | Chad | 7,909 | #47 |
| 49 | Bryan | 7,498 | #48 |
| 50 | Derek | 6,992 | #53 |
| 51 | Bradley | 6,975 | #50 |
| 52 | Shawn | 6,842 | #49 |
| 53 | Edward | 6,281 | #51 |
| 54 | Jared | 6,263 | #57 |
| 55 | Zachary | 6,139 | #63 |
| 56 | Samuel | 6,014 | #54 |
| 57 | Peter | 5,777 | #55 |
| 58 | Donald | 5,712 | #56 |
| 59 | Keith | 5,620 | #58 |
| 60 | Ronald | 5,207 | #59 |
| 61 | Juan | 5,121 | #60 |
| 62 | George | 4,990 | #61 |
| 63 | Marcus | 4,988 | #67 |
| 64 | Gary | 4,642 | #62 |
| 65 | Alexander | 4,593 | #70 |
| 66 | Tyler | 4,577 | #96 |
| 67 | Phillip | 4,520 | #66 |
| 68 | Douglas | 4,511 | #64 |
| 69 | Joel | 4,446 | #65 |
| 70 | Raymond | 4,294 | #68 |
| 71 | Carlos | 4,268 | #71 |
| 72 | Brett | 4,026 | #79 |
| 73 | Craig | 4,018 | #72 |
| 74 | Corey | 3,939 | #69 |
| 74 | Nathaniel | 3,939 | #80 |
| 76 | Antonio | 3,884 | #75 |
| 77 | Larry | 3,720 | #73 |
| 78 | Derrick | 3,655 | #78 |
| 79 | Philip | 3,642 | #84 |
| 80 | Erik | 3,632 | #76 |
| 81 | Frank | 3,604 | #82 |
| 82 | Todd | 3,598 | #74 |
| 83 | Ian | 3,574 | #101 |
| 84 | Shane | 3,539 | #81 |
| 85 | Jordan | 3,534 | #102 |
| 86 | Casey | 3,427 | #85 |
| 87 | Dennis | 3,392 | #83 |
| 88 | Gabriel | 3,363 | #87 |
| 89 | Jeremiah | 3,329 | #77 |
| 90 | Luis | 3,324 | #92 |
| 91 | Brent | 3,321 | #88 |
| 92 | Jeffery | 3,311 | #93 |
| 93 | Cory | 3,237 | #90 |
| 94 | Randy | 3,229 | #91 |
| 95 | Cody | 3,180 | #119 |
| 96 | Shaun | 3,154 | #86 |
| 97 | Russell | 3,032 | #98 |
| 98 | Wesley | 3,031 | #99 |
| 99 | Victor | 3,002 | #104 |
| 100 | Jerry | 2,942 | #97 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1981, or the year after, 1983, 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.