Most Popular Baby Names of 1985
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jessica and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1985 in the US: 48,345 girls were named Jessica and 64,934 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 36 girls and 1 in 28 boys born that year. Jessica took #1 for girls from Jennifer, and it was Michael's 25th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,720,828 girls and 1,848,210 boys born in 1985, with 12,500 different girl names and 7,580 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1984
- Megan joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1984.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Dominique (#209 to #83), Brittney (#176 to #84) and Whitney (#125 to #73).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Shane (#85 to #68), Adrian (#107 to #93) and Alex (#93 to #80).
- 7 girl names and 3 boy names left the top 100, among them Brooke (#99 to #102) and Randy (#100 to #102).
- 979 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1985
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1984, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1985
| # | Name | Babies | In 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 48,345 | #2 |
| 2 | Ashley | 47,010 | #3 |
| 3 | Jennifer | 42,661 | #1 |
| 4 | Amanda | 39,055 | #4 |
| 5 | Sarah | 24,879 | #5 |
| 6 | Stephanie | 23,243 | #6 |
| 7 | Nicole | 22,966 | #7 |
| 8 | Heather | 21,151 | #9 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 20,545 | #10 |
| 10 | Megan | 20,013 | #11 |
| 11 | Melissa | 19,963 | #8 |
| 12 | Christina | 16,600 | #20 |
| 13 | Rachel | 16,360 | #15 |
| 14 | Laura | 16,002 | #19 |
| 15 | Lauren | 15,768 | #21 |
| 16 | Amber | 15,506 | #18 |
| 17 | Brittany | 15,437 | #41 |
| 18 | Danielle | 15,417 | #16 |
| 19 | Kimberly | 14,914 | #22 |
| 20 | Amy | 14,429 | #13 |
| 21 | Crystal | 14,399 | #12 |
| 22 | Michelle | 13,973 | #17 |
| 23 | Tiffany | 13,681 | #14 |
| 24 | Emily | 13,144 | #24 |
| 25 | Rebecca | 12,705 | #23 |
| 26 | Erin | 11,384 | #25 |
| 27 | Jamie | 11,038 | #31 |
| 28 | Kelly | 11,031 | #27 |
| 29 | Samantha | 10,658 | #39 |
| 30 | Sara | 10,562 | #32 |
| 31 | Angela | 10,227 | #26 |
| 32 | Katherine | 10,128 | #30 |
| 33 | Andrea | 10,053 | #28 |
| 34 | Erica | 9,525 | #34 |
| 35 | Mary | 9,240 | #33 |
| 36 | Lisa | 9,012 | #29 |
| 37 | Lindsey | 8,468 | #35 |
| 38 | Kristen | 8,445 | #38 |
| 39 | Katie | 7,995 | #44 |
| 40 | Lindsay | 7,871 | #36 |
| 41 | Shannon | 7,714 | #37 |
| 42 | Vanessa | 7,563 | #45 |
| 43 | Courtney | 7,531 | #46 |
| 44 | Christine | 7,441 | #43 |
| 45 | Alicia | 7,122 | #40 |
| 46 | Allison | 7,028 | #51 |
| 47 | April | 6,691 | #42 |
| 48 | Kathryn | 6,634 | #48 |
| 49 | Kristin | 6,566 | #47 |
| 50 | Jenna | 6,436 | #54 |
| 51 | Tara | 6,102 | #49 |
| 52 | Maria | 6,013 | #50 |
| 53 | Krystal | 5,933 | #74 |
| 54 | Anna | 5,883 | #57 |
| 55 | Julie | 5,761 | #52 |
| 56 | Holly | 5,602 | #53 |
| 57 | Kristina | 5,566 | #68 |
| 58 | Natalie | 5,535 | #55 |
| 59 | Victoria | 5,426 | #59 |
| 60 | Jacqueline | 5,250 | #56 |
| 61 | Monica | 4,990 | #58 |
| 62 | Cassandra | 4,726 | #63 |
| 63 | Meghan | 4,669 | #65 |
| 64 | Patricia | 4,402 | #66 |
| 65 | Catherine | 4,297 | #69 |
| 66 | Cynthia | 4,129 | #62 |
| 67 | Stacy | 4,109 | #67 |
| 68 | Kathleen | 4,087 | #71 |
| 69 | Brandi | 4,045 | #61 |
| 70 | Brandy | 3,901 | #64 |
| 71 | Valerie | 3,881 | #76 |
| 72 | Veronica | 3,875 | #70 |
| 73 | Whitney | 3,832 | #125 |
| 74 | Diana | 3,686 | #72 |
| 75 | Chelsea | 3,613 | #84 |
| 76 | Leslie | 3,607 | #75 |
| 77 | Caitlin | 3,593 | #118 |
| 78 | Leah | 3,572 | #83 |
| 79 | Natasha | 3,553 | #77 |
| 80 | Erika | 3,503 | #81 |
| 81 | Latoya | 3,402 | #60 |
| 82 | Dana | 3,348 | #73 |
| 83 | Dominique | 3,299 | #209 |
| 84 | Brittney | 3,224 | #176 |
| 85 | Julia | 3,206 | #87 |
| 86 | Candice | 3,195 | #86 |
| 87 | Karen | 3,138 | #82 |
| 88 | Melanie | 3,132 | #85 |
| 89 | Stacey | 3,114 | #79 |
| 90 | Margaret | 3,072 | #92 |
| 91 | Sheena | 3,062 | #80 |
| 92 | Alexandra | 3,017 | #96 |
| 93 | Katrina | 2,978 | #105 |
| 94 | Bethany | 2,959 | #93 |
| 95 | Nichole | 2,950 | #97 |
| 96 | Carrie | 2,942 | #78 |
| 97 | Alison | 2,829 | #110 |
| 98 | Kara | 2,811 | #95 |
| 99 | Joanna | 2,772 | #88 |
| 100 | Rachael | 2,761 | #103 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1985
| # | Name | Babies | In 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 64,934 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 59,609 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 47,075 | #3 |
| 4 | Joshua | 42,194 | #4 |
| 5 | Daniel | 38,559 | #6 |
| 6 | David | 38,522 | #5 |
| 7 | James | 35,862 | #7 |
| 8 | Robert | 32,094 | #9 |
| 9 | John | 31,502 | #8 |
| 10 | Joseph | 30,222 | #10 |
| 11 | Andrew | 30,178 | #14 |
| 12 | Ryan | 29,905 | #12 |
| 13 | Brandon | 29,304 | #15 |
| 14 | Jason | 26,039 | #11 |
| 15 | Justin | 25,537 | #13 |
| 16 | William | 24,606 | #16 |
| 17 | Jonathan | 24,116 | #19 |
| 18 | Brian | 23,069 | #17 |
| 19 | Nicholas | 22,384 | #20 |
| 20 | Anthony | 22,104 | #21 |
| 21 | Eric | 20,844 | #22 |
| 22 | Adam | 20,165 | #18 |
| 23 | Kevin | 18,814 | #24 |
| 24 | Steven | 18,726 | #23 |
| 25 | Thomas | 17,609 | #25 |
| 26 | Timothy | 17,140 | #26 |
| 27 | Kyle | 16,523 | #34 |
| 28 | Richard | 15,330 | #27 |
| 29 | Jeffrey | 14,500 | #28 |
| 30 | Jeremy | 13,445 | #31 |
| 31 | Benjamin | 13,423 | #30 |
| 32 | Mark | 13,194 | #32 |
| 33 | Aaron | 13,137 | #29 |
| 34 | Charles | 12,900 | #33 |
| 35 | Jacob | 12,284 | #37 |
| 36 | Stephen | 12,210 | #35 |
| 37 | Patrick | 11,638 | #36 |
| 38 | Sean | 11,455 | #43 |
| 39 | Zachary | 11,346 | #45 |
| 40 | Nathan | 10,653 | #38 |
| 41 | Dustin | 10,439 | #41 |
| 42 | Paul | 10,315 | #40 |
| 43 | Tyler | 10,211 | #47 |
| 44 | Scott | 10,145 | #39 |
| 45 | Gregory | 9,767 | #44 |
| 46 | Travis | 9,094 | #42 |
| 47 | Kenneth | 8,992 | #46 |
| 48 | Bryan | 8,717 | #48 |
| 49 | Jose | 8,403 | #49 |
| 50 | Alexander | 8,295 | #54 |
| 51 | Jesse | 8,221 | #50 |
| 52 | Cody | 7,096 | #62 |
| 53 | Bradley | 7,011 | #53 |
| 54 | Samuel | 7,009 | #55 |
| 55 | Shawn | 6,982 | #56 |
| 56 | Derek | 6,661 | #52 |
| 57 | Chad | 6,466 | #51 |
| 58 | Jared | 5,883 | #59 |
| 59 | Edward | 5,869 | #58 |
| 60 | Peter | 5,671 | #60 |
| 61 | Marcus | 5,586 | #57 |
| 62 | Jordan | 5,460 | #65 |
| 63 | Corey | 5,228 | #69 |
| 64 | Keith | 5,214 | #61 |
| 65 | Juan | 4,851 | #64 |
| 66 | Donald | 4,750 | #63 |
| 67 | Joel | 4,623 | #66 |
| 68 | Shane | 4,549 | #85 |
| 69 | Phillip | 4,496 | #70 |
| 70 | Brett | 4,328 | #72 |
| 71 | Ronald | 4,299 | #67 |
| 72 | George | 4,259 | #68 |
| 73 | Antonio | 4,151 | #77 |
| 74 | Carlos | 4,089 | #74 |
| 75 | Raymond | 4,085 | #73 |
| 76 | Douglas | 4,021 | #71 |
| 77 | Nathaniel | 4,004 | #80 |
| 78 | Ian | 3,998 | #78 |
| 79 | Craig | 3,952 | #75 |
| 80 | Alex | 3,909 | #93 |
| 81 | Cory | 3,868 | #83 |
| 82 | Gary | 3,812 | #76 |
| 83 | Derrick | 3,779 | #79 |
| 84 | Philip | 3,735 | #81 |
| 85 | Luis | 3,706 | #88 |
| 86 | Casey | 3,490 | #82 |
| 87 | Erik | 3,372 | #84 |
| 88 | Victor | 3,341 | #90 |
| 89 | Brent | 3,321 | #89 |
| 90 | Frank | 3,302 | #86 |
| 91 | Evan | 3,219 | #98 |
| 92 | Gabriel | 3,215 | #87 |
| 93 | Adrian | 3,132 | #107 |
| 94 | Wesley | 3,043 | #101 |
| 95 | Vincent | 3,040 | #95 |
| 96 | Jeffery | 2,947 | #94 |
| 97 | Larry | 2,946 | #91 |
| 98 | Curtis | 2,943 | #96 |
| 99 | Todd | 2,941 | #92 |
| 100 | Blake | 2,922 | #103 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1984, or the year after, 1986, 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.