The data experts at MooseRoots, a genealogy research site, decided to find out which names definitively rocked the 1980s. To accomplish this, they calculated the average annual frequency of names during all decades. They then found the average annual frequency for all names in the 1980s. Names that were two standard deviations greater than the inter-decade average in the 1980s were determined to have a higher performance relative to all other decades.
Note: The names on the list all have higher-average frequency during the '80s as compared to their inter-decade averages. Some names on this list can also qualify to have rocked other decades, along with the 1980s.
Jared is a Biblical name that saw its highest average popularity during the 1980s, but the name achieved an all-time high in 1998, when it ranked No. 51.
Courtney
Gender: Female
1980s Frequency per 1M Babies: 4,458
Average Frequency per 1M Babies: 911
A transferred use of the surname, Courtney was common among girls born in the 1980s, but more popular during the 1990s. The name peaked at the rank of No. 17 in 1994.
Derek is a name with English roots that held the average rank of No. 53 among baby boys throughout the 1980s.
Jamie
Gender: Female
1980s Frequency per 1M Babies: 5,181
Average Frequency per 1M Babies: 1,198
Jamie was originally a nickname for boys named James. This Scottish name earned the average rank of No. 33 for girls born in the 1980s, but peaked in 1977 at the rank of No. 18.
Kyle, an English, Scottish and Yiddish name that translates to "narrow," was popular during the 1980s and continued to grow even more widespread in the 1990s.
Lauren
Gender: Female
1980s Frequency per 1M Babies: 7,679
Average Frequency per 1M Babies: 1,537
A name of English and French origin, Lauren peaked at the rank of No. 9 in 1989, and went on to realize its highest average popularity during the 1990s.
Defined as "Earth and man," Adam has English, Greek, Hebrew and Jewish roots. The name peaked at the rank of No. 18 in 1984.
Rachel
Gender: Female
1980s Frequency per 1M Babies: 7,814
Average Frequency per 1M Babies: 1,731
While Rachel was a common choice for girls born in the 1980s, this English, Hebrew and Jewish name was even more prevalent in the 1990s. It reached its pinnacle in 1996, when it ranked No. 9.
A Biblical name meaning "God has given," Jonathan has English, Hebrew and Jewish roots. The name reigned throughout the 1980s, holding the averaging rank of No. 17.
Meaning "broom, gorse and hill," Brandon is a name of English origin. While the name was hugely popular during the 1980s, it became even more widespread in the 1990s.
Defined as "God is salvation" in Hebrew, the English name Joshua was very popular for boys born in the 1980s, but it was most prevalent during the 2000s. Joshua reached its pinnacle in 2006, at the rank of No. 3.
