Most Popular Baby Names of 1989
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jessica and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1989 in the US: 47,887 girls were named Jessica and 65,415 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 38 girls and 1 in 31 boys born that year. It was Jessica's 5th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1985), and it was Michael's 29th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,843,552 girls and 2,000,928 boys born in 1989, with 14,543 different girl names and 9,224 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1988
- Lauren joined the girls' top 10; the boys' top 10 had the same names as in 1988.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Jordan (#136 to #72), Kelsey (#64 to #31) and Taylor (#102 to #75).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Ethan (#261 to #87), Taylor (#91 to #72) and Caleb (#108 to #91).
- 6 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Kara (#95 to #101) and Philip (#94 to #101).
- 1,465 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1989
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1988, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1989
| # | Name | Babies | In 1988 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 47,887 | #1 |
| 2 | Ashley | 47,588 | #2 |
| 3 | Brittany | 37,792 | #6 |
| 4 | Amanda | 36,834 | #3 |
| 5 | Sarah | 27,797 | #4 |
| 6 | Samantha | 24,792 | #8 |
| 7 | Jennifer | 24,006 | #5 |
| 8 | Stephanie | 22,766 | #7 |
| 9 | Lauren | 21,065 | #11 |
| 10 | Elizabeth | 20,298 | #10 |
| 11 | Megan | 19,780 | #12 |
| 12 | Nicole | 19,032 | #9 |
| 13 | Emily | 17,323 | #18 |
| 14 | Amber | 16,760 | #15 |
| 15 | Heather | 16,248 | #14 |
| 16 | Tiffany | 15,716 | #13 |
| 17 | Danielle | 15,366 | #17 |
| 18 | Rachel | 15,357 | #19 |
| 19 | Melissa | 15,203 | #16 |
| 20 | Kayla | 14,903 | #20 |
| 21 | Courtney | 13,452 | #24 |
| 22 | Michelle | 13,376 | #21 |
| 23 | Christina | 13,141 | #22 |
| 24 | Rebecca | 12,436 | #26 |
| 25 | Laura | 11,740 | #23 |
| 26 | Katherine | 11,415 | #27 |
| 27 | Chelsea | 11,252 | #33 |
| 28 | Kimberly | 11,037 | #25 |
| 29 | Sara | 9,706 | #30 |
| 30 | Jasmine | 9,549 | #53 |
| 31 | Kelsey | 9,256 | #64 |
| 32 | Crystal | 9,103 | #28 |
| 33 | Alyssa | 9,042 | #47 |
| 34 | Erica | 9,025 | #31 |
| 35 | Amy | 8,899 | #29 |
| 36 | Kristen | 8,803 | #36 |
| 37 | Kelly | 8,759 | #32 |
| 38 | Mary | 8,645 | #34 |
| 39 | Andrea | 8,410 | #35 |
| 40 | Erin | 8,144 | #37 |
| 41 | Brittney | 7,834 | #52 |
| 42 | Hannah | 7,830 | #61 |
| 43 | Alexandra | 7,680 | #49 |
| 44 | Victoria | 7,637 | #42 |
| 45 | Katie | 7,290 | #40 |
| 46 | Allison | 7,282 | #46 |
| 47 | Angela | 7,199 | #38 |
| 48 | Lindsey | 7,069 | #48 |
| 49 | Caitlin | 7,025 | #44 |
| 50 | Vanessa | 6,962 | #41 |
| 51 | Anna | 6,898 | #54 |
| 52 | Jamie | 6,845 | #45 |
| 53 | Alicia | 6,817 | #50 |
| 54 | Cassandra | 6,698 | #59 |
| 55 | Lisa | 6,573 | #43 |
| 56 | Maria | 6,345 | #60 |
| 57 | Whitney | 6,305 | #39 |
| 58 | Kathryn | 6,294 | #55 |
| 59 | Christine | 6,134 | #51 |
| 60 | Kristin | 6,064 | #58 |
| 61 | Shannon | 5,660 | #56 |
| 62 | Natalie | 5,630 | #63 |
| 63 | Lindsay | 5,525 | #57 |
| 64 | Jacqueline | 5,444 | #62 |
| 65 | Kristina | 4,803 | #68 |
| 66 | April | 4,734 | #65 |
| 67 | Catherine | 4,559 | #69 |
| 68 | Monica | 4,502 | #70 |
| 69 | Morgan | 4,426 | #78 |
| 70 | Tara | 4,370 | #67 |
| 71 | Jenna | 4,339 | #66 |
| 72 | Jordan | 4,281 | #136 |
| 73 | Erika | 4,190 | #76 |
| 74 | Brooke | 4,148 | #87 |
| 75 | Taylor | 4,069 | #102 |
| 76 | Katelyn | 4,036 | #84 |
| 77 | Brianna | 3,995 | #96 |
| 78 | Julie | 3,942 | #71 |
| 79 | Holly | 3,893 | #72 |
| 80 | Meghan | 3,856 | #81 |
| 81 | Marissa | 3,794 | #101 |
| 82 | Krystal | 3,787 | #74 |
| 83 | Leah | 3,784 | #82 |
| 84 | Cynthia | 3,778 | #79 |
| 85 | Veronica | 3,712 | #83 |
| 86 | Diana | 3,687 | #85 |
| 87 | Natasha | 3,668 | #73 |
| 88 | Melanie | 3,628 | #99 |
| 89 | Patricia | 3,603 | #77 |
| 90 | Kathleen | 3,596 | #75 |
| 91 | Bianca | 3,593 | #108 |
| 92 | Alexis | 3,518 | #97 |
| 93 | Molly | 3,460 | #86 |
| 94 | Abigail | 3,405 | #118 |
| 95 | Kaitlyn | 3,392 | #106 |
| 96 | Julia | 3,370 | #88 |
| 97 | Margaret | 3,285 | #93 |
| 98 | Brandi | 3,250 | #91 |
| 99 | Kendra | 3,230 | #80 |
| 100 | Kaitlin | 3,171 | #98 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1989
| # | Name | Babies | In 1988 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 65,415 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 53,186 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 45,375 | #3 |
| 4 | Joshua | 44,100 | #4 |
| 5 | David | 35,225 | #6 |
| 6 | Daniel | 35,007 | #8 |
| 7 | Andrew | 34,817 | #5 |
| 8 | Justin | 32,852 | #7 |
| 9 | James | 32,720 | #9 |
| 10 | Robert | 30,072 | #10 |
| 11 | Joseph | 29,884 | #12 |
| 12 | John | 29,853 | #11 |
| 13 | Ryan | 28,408 | #13 |
| 14 | Nicholas | 28,230 | #14 |
| 15 | William | 24,673 | #16 |
| 16 | Anthony | 24,423 | #18 |
| 17 | Jonathan | 23,608 | #15 |
| 18 | Brandon | 23,310 | #17 |
| 19 | Kevin | 21,209 | #20 |
| 20 | Kyle | 20,882 | #21 |
| 21 | Eric | 18,977 | #19 |
| 22 | Steven | 18,929 | #24 |
| 23 | Thomas | 18,439 | #23 |
| 24 | Brian | 18,106 | #22 |
| 25 | Zachary | 18,077 | #29 |
| 26 | Jacob | 17,831 | #28 |
| 27 | Adam | 16,928 | #26 |
| 28 | Timothy | 16,427 | #25 |
| 29 | Benjamin | 15,733 | #30 |
| 30 | Tyler | 15,594 | #33 |
| 31 | Aaron | 15,308 | #31 |
| 32 | Alexander | 14,523 | #34 |
| 33 | Richard | 14,133 | #32 |
| 34 | Jeremy | 13,081 | #35 |
| 35 | Jason | 12,614 | #27 |
| 36 | Charles | 12,245 | #37 |
| 37 | Jeffrey | 12,013 | #36 |
| 38 | Patrick | 11,987 | #42 |
| 39 | Sean | 11,895 | #38 |
| 40 | Stephen | 11,736 | #40 |
| 41 | Travis | 11,526 | #41 |
| 42 | Mark | 11,320 | #39 |
| 43 | Nathan | 10,904 | #44 |
| 44 | Jordan | 10,882 | #52 |
| 45 | Cody | 10,823 | #43 |
| 46 | Jose | 10,331 | #49 |
| 47 | Samuel | 10,107 | #45 |
| 48 | Dustin | 9,715 | #48 |
| 49 | Paul | 9,029 | #46 |
| 50 | Jesse | 8,853 | #55 |
| 51 | Scott | 8,850 | #47 |
| 52 | Gregory | 8,760 | #50 |
| 53 | Kenneth | 8,555 | #51 |
| 54 | Derek | 8,365 | #53 |
| 55 | Corey | 8,003 | #56 |
| 56 | Bryan | 7,851 | #54 |
| 57 | Jared | 7,018 | #60 |
| 58 | Bradley | 6,977 | #57 |
| 59 | Austin | 6,886 | #63 |
| 60 | Alex | 6,543 | #58 |
| 61 | Cory | 6,450 | #59 |
| 62 | Edward | 5,849 | #62 |
| 63 | Juan | 5,781 | #68 |
| 64 | Cameron | 5,593 | #69 |
| 65 | Shawn | 5,479 | #61 |
| 66 | Peter | 5,411 | #64 |
| 67 | Marcus | 5,395 | #66 |
| 68 | Ian | 4,948 | #77 |
| 69 | Evan | 4,926 | #74 |
| 70 | Keith | 4,893 | #70 |
| 71 | Shane | 4,860 | #67 |
| 72 | Taylor | 4,859 | #91 |
| 73 | Luis | 4,852 | #75 |
| 74 | Chad | 4,723 | #65 |
| 75 | Phillip | 4,721 | #71 |
| 76 | Antonio | 4,719 | #72 |
| 77 | Carlos | 4,638 | #80 |
| 78 | Christian | 4,625 | #86 |
| 79 | George | 4,513 | #78 |
| 80 | Vincent | 4,495 | #81 |
| 81 | Brett | 4,428 | #73 |
| 82 | Donald | 4,323 | #76 |
| 83 | Trevor | 4,166 | #87 |
| 84 | Nathaniel | 4,121 | #81 |
| 85 | Ronald | 4,110 | #79 |
| 86 | Raymond | 4,106 | #84 |
| 87 | Ethan | 4,056 | #261 |
| 88 | Joel | 3,939 | #85 |
| 89 | Victor | 3,905 | #89 |
| 90 | Casey | 3,850 | #83 |
| 91 | Caleb | 3,788 | #108 |
| 92 | Douglas | 3,700 | #88 |
| 93 | Mitchell | 3,645 | #95 |
| 94 | Seth | 3,633 | #90 |
| 95 | Erik | 3,630 | #92 |
| 96 | Devin | 3,596 | #98 |
| 97 | Blake | 3,521 | #103 |
| 98 | Wesley | 3,457 | #92 |
| 99 | Derrick | 3,442 | #97 |
| 100 | Adrian | 3,418 | #101 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1988, or the year after, 1990, 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.