Most Popular Baby Names of 1987
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jessica and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1987 in the US: 55,992 girls were named Jessica and 63,664 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 31 girls and 1 in 29 boys born that year. It was Jessica's 3rd year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1985), and it was Michael's 27th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,738,632 girls and 1,866,984 boys born in 1987, with 13,258 different girl names and 8,146 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1986
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1986; Justin joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Kelsey (#112 to #67), Kayla (#64 to #27) and Chelsea (#73 to #47).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Cameron (#135 to #96), Austin (#90 to #76) and Devin (#113 to #99).
- 7 girl names and 2 boy names left the top 100, among them Stacy (#87 to #101) and Adrian (#99 to #102).
- 1,123 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1987
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1986, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1987
| # | Name | Babies | In 1986 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 55,992 | #1 |
| 2 | Ashley | 54,856 | #2 |
| 3 | Amanda | 41,786 | #3 |
| 4 | Jennifer | 32,710 | #4 |
| 5 | Sarah | 27,894 | #5 |
| 6 | Stephanie | 22,402 | #6 |
| 7 | Brittany | 22,231 | #8 |
| 8 | Nicole | 20,286 | #7 |
| 9 | Heather | 18,982 | #9 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 18,608 | #10 |
| 11 | Samantha | 17,944 | #21 |
| 12 | Megan | 17,823 | #11 |
| 13 | Melissa | 17,674 | #12 |
| 14 | Danielle | 17,010 | #16 |
| 15 | Amber | 16,749 | #13 |
| 16 | Lauren | 16,710 | #14 |
| 17 | Rachel | 15,646 | #15 |
| 18 | Tiffany | 14,742 | #17 |
| 19 | Emily | 14,710 | #24 |
| 20 | Christina | 13,816 | #19 |
| 21 | Michelle | 13,034 | #23 |
| 22 | Laura | 13,033 | #20 |
| 23 | Kimberly | 13,031 | #18 |
| 24 | Amy | 11,786 | #22 |
| 25 | Rebecca | 11,627 | #26 |
| 26 | Crystal | 11,011 | #25 |
| 27 | Kayla | 10,576 | #64 |
| 28 | Katherine | 10,438 | #28 |
| 29 | Sara | 10,090 | #27 |
| 30 | Kelly | 9,866 | #29 |
| 31 | Erica | 9,328 | #31 |
| 32 | Whitney | 8,923 | #32 |
| 33 | Courtney | 8,909 | #35 |
| 34 | Erin | 8,847 | #30 |
| 35 | Angela | 8,583 | #33 |
| 36 | Andrea | 8,496 | #36 |
| 37 | Mary | 8,395 | #37 |
| 38 | Katie | 8,197 | #38 |
| 39 | Jamie | 7,916 | #34 |
| 40 | Lisa | 7,549 | #40 |
| 41 | Lindsey | 7,457 | #39 |
| 42 | Kristen | 7,361 | #41 |
| 43 | Vanessa | 7,348 | #43 |
| 44 | Allison | 7,341 | #42 |
| 45 | Shannon | 6,968 | #44 |
| 46 | Alicia | 6,776 | #45 |
| 47 | Chelsea | 6,631 | #73 |
| 48 | Christine | 6,620 | #47 |
| 49 | Lindsay | 6,530 | #46 |
| 50 | Victoria | 6,255 | #54 |
| 51 | Kathryn | 6,238 | #48 |
| 52 | Anna | 6,170 | #51 |
| 53 | Maria | 5,678 | #49 |
| 54 | Jacqueline | 5,627 | #57 |
| 55 | Kristin | 5,463 | #50 |
| 56 | Natalie | 5,331 | #52 |
| 57 | Jenna | 5,305 | #55 |
| 58 | April | 5,295 | #53 |
| 59 | Alexandra | 5,220 | #72 |
| 60 | Alyssa | 5,136 | #85 |
| 61 | Brittney | 5,127 | #65 |
| 62 | Kristina | 5,018 | #62 |
| 63 | Caitlin | 4,989 | #69 |
| 64 | Monica | 4,809 | #59 |
| 65 | Julie | 4,737 | #58 |
| 66 | Hannah | 4,594 | #82 |
| 67 | Kelsey | 4,574 | #112 |
| 68 | Cassandra | 4,555 | #60 |
| 69 | Tara | 4,446 | #56 |
| 70 | Krystal | 4,378 | #61 |
| 71 | Holly | 4,259 | #63 |
| 72 | Kathleen | 4,165 | #68 |
| 73 | Natasha | 4,131 | #70 |
| 74 | Catherine | 4,108 | #67 |
| 75 | Erika | 3,994 | #74 |
| 76 | Patricia | 3,913 | #66 |
| 77 | Kendra | 3,841 | #101 |
| 78 | Meghan | 3,770 | #71 |
| 79 | Jasmine | 3,723 | #95 |
| 80 | Veronica | 3,616 | #77 |
| 81 | Casey | 3,582 | #80 |
| 82 | Leah | 3,454 | #78 |
| 83 | Dana | 3,422 | #92 |
| 84 | Cynthia | 3,392 | #81 |
| 85 | Diana | 3,354 | #75 |
| 86 | Julia | 3,331 | #88 |
| 87 | Bethany | 3,294 | #91 |
| 88 | Brandi | 3,244 | #79 |
| 89 | Leslie | 3,194 | #86 |
| 90 | Margaret | 3,146 | #89 |
| 91 | Mallory | 3,138 | #83 |
| 92 | Brandy | 3,032 | #84 |
| 93 | Valerie | 2,964 | #76 |
| 94 | Brooke | 2,955 | #104 |
| 95 | Morgan | 2,928 | #113 |
| 96 | Felicia | 2,909 | #89 |
| 97 | Molly | 2,891 | #110 |
| 98 | Rachael | 2,833 | #103 |
| 99 | Jillian | 2,793 | #107 |
| 100 | Alison | 2,771 | #96 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1987
| # | Name | Babies | In 1986 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 63,664 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 54,493 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 46,511 | #3 |
| 4 | Joshua | 40,002 | #4 |
| 5 | David | 36,795 | #5 |
| 6 | Andrew | 36,206 | #8 |
| 7 | Daniel | 35,876 | #6 |
| 8 | James | 32,659 | #7 |
| 9 | Justin | 31,491 | #14 |
| 10 | Robert | 30,237 | #9 |
| 11 | John | 29,555 | #10 |
| 12 | Joseph | 28,516 | #12 |
| 13 | Ryan | 28,490 | #11 |
| 14 | Brandon | 24,823 | #13 |
| 15 | William | 24,202 | #15 |
| 16 | Nicholas | 23,247 | #17 |
| 17 | Anthony | 23,127 | #19 |
| 18 | Jonathan | 23,119 | #16 |
| 19 | Kevin | 20,421 | #21 |
| 20 | Brian | 20,362 | #20 |
| 21 | Eric | 20,203 | #22 |
| 22 | Kyle | 19,862 | #23 |
| 23 | Jason | 19,350 | #18 |
| 24 | Thomas | 18,139 | #26 |
| 25 | Steven | 17,768 | #25 |
| 26 | Timothy | 17,398 | #27 |
| 27 | Adam | 16,931 | #24 |
| 28 | Benjamin | 14,892 | #30 |
| 29 | Jeremy | 14,474 | #28 |
| 30 | Richard | 14,401 | #29 |
| 31 | Jacob | 14,326 | #31 |
| 32 | Jeffrey | 13,477 | #32 |
| 33 | Zachary | 13,201 | #38 |
| 34 | Aaron | 12,685 | #33 |
| 35 | Charles | 12,173 | #34 |
| 36 | Mark | 11,993 | #35 |
| 37 | Alexander | 11,835 | #41 |
| 38 | Stephen | 11,550 | #36 |
| 39 | Tyler | 11,542 | #40 |
| 40 | Sean | 11,455 | #37 |
| 41 | Patrick | 11,142 | #39 |
| 42 | Travis | 10,397 | #49 |
| 43 | Scott | 10,194 | #44 |
| 44 | Dustin | 10,108 | #42 |
| 45 | Nathan | 9,910 | #43 |
| 46 | Paul | 9,707 | #45 |
| 47 | Gregory | 9,135 | #46 |
| 48 | Jose | 8,737 | #51 |
| 49 | Cody | 8,675 | #56 |
| 50 | Samuel | 8,576 | #52 |
| 51 | Bryan | 8,560 | #47 |
| 52 | Jordan | 8,407 | #53 |
| 53 | Kenneth | 8,354 | #50 |
| 54 | Derek | 8,253 | #57 |
| 55 | Jesse | 7,982 | #48 |
| 56 | Bradley | 6,918 | #54 |
| 57 | Corey | 6,444 | #62 |
| 58 | Jared | 6,206 | #58 |
| 59 | Shawn | 6,202 | #55 |
| 60 | Alex | 6,042 | #64 |
| 61 | Edward | 5,913 | #61 |
| 62 | Cory | 5,849 | #68 |
| 63 | Chad | 5,622 | #59 |
| 64 | Peter | 5,553 | #60 |
| 65 | Shane | 5,305 | #67 |
| 66 | Juan | 4,976 | #65 |
| 67 | Marcus | 4,950 | #63 |
| 68 | Phillip | 4,813 | #70 |
| 69 | Keith | 4,783 | #66 |
| 70 | Donald | 4,501 | #71 |
| 71 | Brett | 4,429 | #69 |
| 72 | Antonio | 4,421 | #73 |
| 73 | Ronald | 4,153 | #75 |
| 74 | Carlos | 4,149 | #76 |
| 75 | Joel | 4,138 | #72 |
| 76 | Austin | 4,096 | #90 |
| 77 | George | 4,089 | #74 |
| 78 | Nathaniel | 4,050 | #78 |
| 79 | Raymond | 3,996 | #77 |
| 80 | Casey | 3,928 | #83 |
| 81 | Ian | 3,924 | #85 |
| 82 | Luis | 3,921 | #79 |
| 83 | Evan | 3,868 | #81 |
| 84 | Philip | 3,837 | #86 |
| 85 | Douglas | 3,804 | #82 |
| 86 | Derrick | 3,534 | #87 |
| 87 | Gary | 3,486 | #84 |
| 88 | Craig | 3,364 | #80 |
| 89 | Seth | 3,339 | #97 |
| 90 | Christian | 3,324 | #89 |
| 91 | Victor | 3,307 | #88 |
| 92 | Wesley | 3,244 | #96 |
| 93 | Trevor | 3,235 | #98 |
| 94 | Erik | 3,231 | #92 |
| 95 | Vincent | 3,173 | #93 |
| 96 | Cameron | 3,159 | #135 |
| 97 | Frank | 3,123 | #91 |
| 98 | Gabriel | 3,079 | #95 |
| 99 | Devin | 3,076 | #113 |
| 100 | Curtis | 2,909 | #100 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1986, or the year after, 1988, 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.