These Were The Trendiest Baby Names In The Late '80s

Shout-out to the Jessicas and Ambers of the world.

The most popular baby names don't change too dramatically from one year to the next, but clear trends emerge over longer periods of time. So if you were born anytime in the late 1980s, odds are you had a fair number of Samanthas and Ashleys in your class.

We examined Social Security Administration data to identify the most popular baby names in the U.S. from 1987 to 1989. Although some names remain popular today (hi to all the Michaels, Matthews and Elizabeths out there), others have fallen out of fashion (condolences to the Tiffanys, Ambers and Crystals).

Keep scrolling to see the list of 30 most popular names for boys and girls in the late '80s.

Girls

  1. Jessica
  2. Ashley
  3. Amanda
  4. Brittany
  5. Jennifer
  6. Sarah
  7. Stephanie
  8. Samantha
  9. Elizabeth
  10. Lauren
  11. Nicole
  12. Megan
  13. Heather
  14. Amber
  15. Melissa
  16. Tiffany
  17. Danielle
  18. Emily
  19. Rachel
  20. Christina
  21. Michelle
  22. Kayla
  23. Laura
  24. Kimberly
  25. Rebecca
  26. Courtney
  27. Katherine
  28. Amy
  29. Crystal
  30. Sara

Boys

  1. Michael
  2. Christopher
  3. Matthew
  4. Joshua
  5. David
  6. Andrew
  7. Daniel
  8. Justin
  9. James
  10. Robert
  11. John
  12. Joseph
  13. Ryan
  14. Nicholas
  15. William
  16. Brandon
  17. Anthony
  18. Jonathan
  19. Kevin
  20. Kyle
  21. Eric
  22. Brian
  23. Steven
  24. Thomas
  25. Timothy
  26. Adam
  27. Jacob
  28. Jason
  29. Zachary
  30. Benjamin