1980s Names

  1. Allison
    • Origin:

      Scottish, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Widely used here since the 50s, Allison — a derivative of Alice — has now been once again surpassed by the original Alice as parents embrace vintage revivals. Despite this, Allison's popularity has slipped only slightly.
  2. Jamie
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Jamie is typical of the relaxed unisex names starting with J that seemed so cool in the sixties after decades of Jeans and Joans, though now pretty tepid. Jaime and even Jamey and Jayme are alternate spellings.
  3. Brett
    • Origin:

      Celtic
    • Meaning:

      "from Brittany"
    • Description:

      Football great Brett Favre single-handedly kept this name in the limelight, though it continues to sink in popularity.
  4. Dustin
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "brave warrior, or Thor's stone"
    • Description:

      Dustin's popularity in recent years has probably had more due to its similarity to Justin than to idolization of Dustin Hoffman -- himself named after silent screen cowboy star Dustin Farnum -- who certainly was the one to put it on the name map. In recent years, golfer Dustin Johnson has brought fresh renown to the name. Dustin is a character in Netflix hit Stranger Things. After decades in the spotlight, Dustin feels like a classic rather than an upstart. It peaked in the Top 50s in the 1980s.
  5. Courtney
    • Origin:

      English from French
    • Meaning:

      "short nose; courteous, from the court"
    • Description:

      Among the Top 20 names of the 1990s, today's Courtney is more apt to be the babysitter than the baby. Courtney has dropped since its peak at Number 17 in 1995. Familiar from Courtney Love and Courtney Cox.
  6. Cory
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "from the hollow"
    • Description:

      A variation of Corey, this spelling has also been on a steady decline since the early-1990s. Its days are likely numbered on the US popularity charts altogether.
  7. Bryan
    • Origin:

      Variation of Brian, Irish
    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous, and honorable"
    • Description:

      An alternate spelling of Brian, Bryan's one of the most enduring of Irish imports. Bryan is now slightly more popular than the original, with associations to Bryan Cranston, Bryan Ferry and Bryan Brown.
  8. Sara
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Sara, the streamlined form of Sarah, makes this ancient name feel more modern, but perhaps a bit lighter weight.
  9. Shawn
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Sean
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Shawn is a phonetic spelling of Sean that may be past its peak – it was a Top 30 name in the early 1970s – but is still quite popular for boys: over 500 baby boys were named Shawn in the US in the most recent year counted vs 800 given the original Sean spelling.
  10. Erica
    • Origin:

      Norse feminization of Eric or Italian word name
    • Meaning:

      "eternal ruler; heather"
    • Description:

      The straightforward Erica is a Norse feminization that was long associated with the complex, mega-popular character Erica Kane, played by Susan Lucci for decades on the soap opera All My Children. Used in Scandinavia since the early eighteenth century, where it was usually spelled Erika, it was in the Top 50 girls' list in the USA in the 1970s and eighties.
  11. Kelly
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "war"
    • Description:

      Once the quintessential bouncy teenager name, Kelly helped launch the trend of unisex Irish names . But it now takes a backseat to more substantial surname names like Kennedy.
  12. Tiffany
    • Origin:

      English variation of Theophania, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "of divine manifestation"
    • Description:

      One of the first luxury brand names and the quintessential Booming Eighties status-conscious moniker; used by Donald Trump for his daughter, Tiffany has plummeted far from its high in the Top 25.
  13. Jared
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "he descends"
    • Description:

      Jared is an Old Testament name that has been popular for decades--it was revived in the sixties via TV westerns-- and is still an appealing option.
  14. Kristen
    • Origin:

      Danish and Norwegian variation of Christine
    • Meaning:

      "a Christian"
    • Description:

      Kristen may be somewhat past its fashion high point, but it remains forever crystalline clear. Possible problem: confusion with the similar Scandinavian names Kristin, Kirsten, Kirstie, et al.
  15. Lindsey
    • Origin:

      English surname meaning "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Meaning:

      "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Description:

      Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the "ey" ending was usually reserved for women and the "ay" ending reserved for men, and that tradition has continued
  16. Crystal
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "crystal, clear, ice"
    • Description:

      Peaking at #9 in 1982, Crystal's popularity in the 70s and 80s stems from its sparkling natural namesake and several notable bearers, like country music singer Crystal Gayle and Dynasty character Krystle Carrington. But it has since lost some of its luster for American parents, now ranking in the mid-600s. Ruby, Gemma and Pearl are fashionable alternatives, but nowadays Crystal could actually be a more unexpected choice for your little gem.
  17. Brittany
    • Origin:

      English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'
    • Description:

      Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular girls’ name in the country by 1989.
  18. Lindsay
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Description:

      In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10.
  19. Jose
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Portuguese version of Joseph, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"
    • Description:

      Jose is as widespread in the Hispanic community as Joseph and Joe are elsewhere in the U.S., though its numbers here are starting to decrease somewhat. Jose is one of those Spanish baby names that has never crossed over into the Anglo naming culture.
  20. Juan
    • Origin:

      Spanish and Manx variation of John
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is gracious"
    • Description:

      Juan, the Spanish version of John, is ubiquitous in the Spanish-speaking world, and is familiar internationally via such references as Don Juan and San Juan.

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