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15 Popular '80s Baby Names That Should Make A Comeback

by Sarah Bunton

From film and television to fashion and pop culture, it's never been so "in" to go retro. Just look at the reboot of the sci-fi comedy classic, Ghostbusters, and the Netflix original, Stranger Things, which is chock full of throwbacks. Everything is coming up '80s. Though the '90s still reign supreme —according to Portlandia, at least— the aesthetics and trends of the 1980s are having their own moment, too. The music world mourned the loss of legends like David Bowie and Prince, icons in their own right. So there are plenty of popular '80s baby names that should make a comeback.

Whether you were born in the 1980s or not, anyone can appreciate the totally tubular, rad styles and slang that came out of a decade all about living life to the fullest. Often referred to as the decade of excess, thanks in part to movies like Wall Street which glorified greed, going big wasn't really seen as a bad thing.

So if you want to make a splash with your mini munchkin's moniker and give them a unique story to tell people about their name, then perhaps you'd like to consider some of these popular baby names from the 1980s which are awesomely fresh to the max.

1

Jessica

Taking the top spot for girls' names in the 1980s, according to the Social Security Administration (SSA), is none other than Jessica. Jessica Biel, Jessica Williams, and Jessica Alba were all born in the '80s and totally do a stellar job of repping the name. Jessica means "rich" in Hebrew and Shakespeare introduced the name to the masses in The Merchant of Venice.

2

Michael

Coming at number one for the boys in the '80s is the name Michael, according to the SSA. Plenty of stars in the decade contributed to its popularity, such as, Michael Jackson, Michael J. Fox, and George Michael. The name Michael means "gift from God" in Hebrew.

3

Erin

Erin is gender-neutral choice which came in at number 32 for boys and 28 for girls in the SSA's ranking of 1980s baby names. All born in the rad decade, Erin Richards, Erin Foster, and Erin Heatherton are rocking the moniker. Fun fact, Erin literally means "Ireland" in Irish.

4

Jennifer

Another popular J name in the '80s for girls, according to the SSA, was Jennifer. Before they hit it big, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Love Hewitt were all paying their dues during the '80s. Jennifer, derived from Guinevere, means "fair" in Welsh.

5

Christopher

Christopher was the second most popular boys' name in the SSA's ranking. Maybe it was a good decade for sci-fi heroes since Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Chris Pine (Star Trek), and Chris Evans (Captain America) are all '80s babies. Meaning "carrier of Christ" in Greek, Christopher is overdue for a comeback.

6

Taylor

Over 33 thousand babies in the U.S. were given the name Taylor in the '80s as the SSA lists. An option for either a boy or a girl, Taylor is a great choice especially considering Taylor Swift did a great job representing 1989. Taylor actually means "tailor" and was a last name given to a person in that profession.

7

Justin

From triple threat, Justin Timberlake to gold medal Olympian, Justin Gatlin, the 1980s gave birth to some talented Justins. Considering it came in at number 12 for boys, according to the SSA, it's no surprise the popular name belongs to plenty of stars. Justin comes from the Latin word for "just," which is Justus.

8

Sarah

Number five on the SSA's list for popular girls' names is Sarah. You can probably rattle off 10 Sarahs you know because the name's just that popular (Hi, I'm Sarah, by the way). Sarah Jessica Parker ruled the 80s and Sarah Hyland is making the babes born in that decade proud. Sarah means "princess" in Hebrew.

9

Jesse / Jessie

Though it placed as a boy's name on the SSA's list, Jesse is commonly used for either boys or girls nowadays. The name gained traction in the '80s, perhaps because of the popular character, Uncle Jesse on Full House. The decade also produced Jesse Williams, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jessie J. The name Jesse means "gift" in Hebrew.

10

Matthew

Coming in at number three on the SSA's list is Matthew, which means "gift of God" in Hebrew.

11

Ashley

Just like Sarah, you most likely know plenty of people named Ashley, too. Ranked number three for girls' names on the SSA's list, it was clearly a popular year for the name. The name Ashley means "ash tree clearing" in Old English.

12

Kelly

Although it only ranked on the girls' side in the '80s, according to the SSA, Kelly is considered gender-neutral nowadays. The name Kelly means "bright-headed" in Irish.

13

Amanda

Coming in at number three is Amanda, according to the SSA. It was quite the popular name choice for babies and it's obvious since Amanda Seyfried and Amanda Bynes came from that decade. Amanda means "lovable" in Latin.

14

Joshua

In the 1980s, Joshua was the fourth popular name for boys, according to the SSA. Some famous Joshuas born in that decade are Josh Dallas, Josh Peck, and Josh Groban. The name Joshua means "Yaweh is salvation" in Hebrew.

15

Alex

The name Alex pops up in various forms on both the boys' and girls' side of the most popular baby names in the 1980s, according to the SSA. Alex means "to defend, help" in Greek.