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Top 1980s Baby Names

The top baby names of the 1980s are the names of the new moms and dads of today. This is the decade that saw the peak of names such as Brittany, Allison, and Amber for girls, and Derek, Justin, and Brett for boys.

Along with Allison and Justin, other 1980s baby names that remain in the US Top 250 include Brandon, Emily, Jeremy, Kimberly, Lauren, Nathan, Rachel, and Ryan. The names that have dropped the most in popularity include Chad, Heather, Shannon, and Lindsay.

Sourced from the 1980s US Top 100, here is a list of popular names from the 1980s that which are relatively rare for babies today. But you'll probably recognize these 1980s names as the names of the other moms and dads in your childbirth class!

Travis

Meaning: tollgate-keeper

Origin:French occupational name
692
Corey

Meaning: from the hollow

Origin:Irish
1414
Tara

Meaning: rocky hill

Origin:Irish
888
Erin

Meaning: from the island to the west

Origin:Irish
1022
Ashley

Meaning: dweller near the ash tree meadow

Origin:English
905
Erica

Meaning: eternal ruler

Origin:Norse, feminine form of Eric
969
Courtney

Meaning: short nose

Origin:French
1097
Holly The name Holly is of English origins and it ...
Origin:English nature name
662
Angela

Meaning: angel

Origin:Latin
802
Crystal The meaning of Crystal is 'earth mineral' or...
Origin:Gem name
815
Brittany Brittany means 'from Britain' and is a commo...
Origin:English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'
936
Kristen

Meaning: a Christian

Origin:Danish and Norwegian variation of Christine
1236
Shannon

Meaning: old and wise

Origin:Irish
1521
Lindsay

Meaning: marshlands of Lincolnshire

Origin:English surname
1910
Lindsey

Meaning: Marshlands of Lincolnshire

Origin:English surname meaning "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"
2001
Jeremy

Meaning: appointed by God

Origin:English form of Jeremiah
581
Bryan

Meaning: strong, virtuous, and honorable

Origin:Variation of Brian, Irish
679
Chad

Meaning: battle warrior

Origin:English
773
Cory

Meaning: from the hollow

Origin:Irish
1475
Amanda

Meaning: she must be loved

Origin:Latin
635