Birth year roster

Top names in 1980

The 100 most common names on 1980 birth certificates, for girls and boys, ranked by SSA records.

Jennifer and Michael led the 1980 baby-name charts, the top names among Gen X births. Jennifer was the #1 girls’ name for 15 years in all (1970–1984); Michael was the #1 boys’ name for 44 years in all (between 1954 and 1998). Of the 200 names below, 135 are now endangered or extinct; the tag on each shows where it stands today.

Explore the 1980s decade

Girls

#1Jennifer Endangered58,374
#2Amanda Endangered35,811
#3Jessica Endangered33,924
#4Melissa Endangered31,629
#5Sarah Endangered25,757
#6Heather Endangered19,973
#7Nicole Endangered19,917
#8Amy Endangered19,833
#9Elizabeth Stable19,529
#10Michelle Endangered19,119
#11Kimberly Endangered18,497
#12Angela Endangered17,969
#13Stephanie Endangered17,841
#14Tiffany Endangered16,228
#15Christina Endangered16,141
#16Lisa Endangered15,664
#17Rebecca Endangered15,281
#18Crystal Endangered14,253
#19Kelly Endangered13,710
#20Erin Endangered13,428
#21Laura Endangered12,916
#22Amber Endangered12,553
#23Rachel Endangered11,618
#24Jamie Endangered11,529
#25Mary Endangered11,474
#26April Endangered11,472
#27Sara Stable11,148
#28Andrea Declining10,450
#29Shannon Endangered9,670
#30Megan Endangered9,134
#31Emily Declining9,001
#32Julie Endangered8,906
#33Danielle Endangered8,845
#34Erica Endangered8,760
#35Katherine Declining8,017
#36Maria Stable7,875
#37Kristin Endangered7,701
#38Lauren Endangered7,476
#39Kristen Endangered7,316
#40Ashley Endangered7,296
#41Christine Endangered7,085
#42Brandy Endangered6,410
#43Tara Endangered6,283
#44Katie Endangered6,137
#45Monica Endangered6,034
#46Carrie Endangered5,761
#47Alicia Endangered5,753
#48Courtney Endangered5,618
#49Misty Endangered5,541
#50Kathryn Endangered5,527
#51Patricia Endangered5,310
#52Holly Stable5,282
#53Stacy Endangered5,057
#54Karen Endangered5,055
#55Anna Declining5,038
#56Tracy Endangered4,969
#57Brooke Declining4,951
#58Samantha Endangered4,913
#59Allison Declining4,868
#60Melanie Declining4,841
#61Leslie Endangered4,776
#62Susan Endangered4,704
#63Brandi Endangered4,703
#64Cynthia Endangered4,700
#65Natalie Declining4,645
#66Jill Endangered4,558
#67Dawn Endangered4,479
#68Dana Endangered4,438
#69Vanessa Declining4,426
#70Veronica Stable4,378
#71Lindsay Endangered4,353
#72Tina Endangered4,260
#73Kristina Endangered4,222
#74Stacey Endangered4,222
#75Wendy Endangered4,141
#76Lori Endangered4,085
#77Catherine Endangered4,080
#78Kristy Endangered4,059
#79Heidi Stable4,027
#80Sandra Endangered4,002
#81Jacqueline Endangered3,879
#82Kathleen Endangered3,857
#83Christy Endangered3,673
#84Leah Stable3,642
#85Valerie Stable3,613
#86Pamela Endangered3,533
#87Erika Endangered3,516
#88Tanya Endangered3,436
#89Natasha Endangered3,428
#90Katrina Endangered3,397
#91Lindsey Endangered3,386
#92Melinda Endangered3,201
#93Monique Endangered3,163
#94Teresa Endangered3,149
#95Denise Endangered3,145
#96Tammy Endangered3,134
#97Tonya Endangered3,080
#98Julia Stable3,069
#99Candice Endangered3,012
#100Gina Endangered2,991

Boys

#1Michael Past peak68,683
#2Christopher Endangered49,079
#3Jason Endangered48,164
#4David Past peak41,891
#5James Stable39,312
#6Matthew Declining37,834
#7Joshua Declining36,052
#8John Past peak35,274
#9Robert Endangered34,266
#10Joseph Declining30,185
#11Daniel Declining29,888
#12Brian Endangered28,715
#13Justin Endangered26,763
#14William Declining25,639
#15Ryan Declining24,795
#16Eric Endangered22,611
#17Nicholas Declining21,018
#18Jeremy Endangered19,892
#19Andrew Declining19,730
#20Timothy Endangered19,146
#21Jonathan Declining18,986
#22Adam Declining18,868
#23Kevin Endangered17,972
#24Anthony Declining17,604
#25Thomas Stable17,564
#26Richard Endangered16,656
#27Jeffrey Endangered16,379
#28Steven Endangered15,916
#29Charles Stable14,959
#30Mark Endangered14,169
#31Brandon Endangered14,161
#32Benjamin Declining13,622
#33Scott Endangered13,300
#34Aaron Declining13,166
#35Paul Endangered11,819
#36Nathan Declining11,138
#37Travis Endangered10,764
#38Patrick Declining10,352
#39Chad Endangered10,142
#40Stephen Endangered10,062
#41Kenneth Endangered9,608
#42Gregory Endangered9,267
#43Jacob Declining8,520
#44Dustin Endangered8,416
#45Jesse Stable8,374
#46Jose Stable8,323
#47Shawn Endangered7,698
#48Sean Endangered7,596
#49Bryan Declining7,513
#50Derek Stable7,240
#51Bradley Declining7,210
#52Edward Endangered6,762
#53Donald Endangered6,269
#54Samuel Stable6,014
#55Peter Stable5,967
#56Keith Endangered5,887
#57Kyle Endangered5,775
#58Ronald Endangered5,757
#59Juan Stable5,434
#60George Stable5,300
#61Jared Stable5,205
#62Douglas Endangered5,180
#63Gary Endangered5,037
#64Erik Declining4,918
#65Phillip Endangered4,633
#66Raymond Endangered4,578
#67Joel Declining4,564
#68Corey Endangered4,437
#69Shane Endangered4,365
#70Larry Endangered4,262
#71Marcus Declining4,260
#72Zachary Endangered4,245
#73Craig Endangered4,234
#74Derrick Endangered4,135
#75Todd Endangered4,128
#76Jeremiah Declining4,093
#77Antonio Stable4,085
#78Carlos Stable4,084
#79Shaun Endangered3,923
#80Dennis Endangered3,804
#81Frank Endangered3,734
#82Philip Endangered3,563
#83Cory Endangered3,556
#84Brent Endangered3,537
#85Gabriel Stable3,493
#86Nathaniel Declining3,492
#87Randy Endangered3,390
#88Luis Stable3,359
#89Curtis Endangered3,332
#90Jeffery Endangered3,324
#91Alexander Declining3,279
#92Russell Stable3,269
#93Casey Rising3,215
#94Jerry Endangered3,189
#95Wesley Rising3,165
#96Brett Endangered3,128
#97Luke Stable3,109
#98Lucas Stable3,080
#99Seth Endangered3,050
#100Billy Endangered2,991