How baby names changed, decade by decade.
Official U.S. counts from 1980 to 2024 show which names defined each decade, and how much more varied naming has become.
Decade totals show which names a generation grew up with. Compare them with today’s ranks before deciding whether a name feels classic, current or dated.
The 1980s: Jessica, Jennifer and Michael
Adding up the yearly Social Security counts for 1980 to 1989, Jessica (469,518 babies) and Jennifer (440,916) were the most given girls’ names, with Amanda third. For boys, Michael led by a wide margin (663,824), ahead of Christopher and Matthew.
The 1990s: a slow change for girls, none for boys
Jessica stayed first for girls in the 1990s (303,129), with Ashley close behind and Emily rising to third. The boys’ top three did not change at all: Michael, Christopher and Matthew.
The 2000s: Emily, Madison and Jacob
Emily became the most given girls’ name of the 2000s (223,755), followed by Madison and Emma. Jacob took first place for boys (274,064), pushing Michael to second for the first time in our data.
The 2010s: Emma, Olivia, Noah and Liam
Emma (195,028), Olivia and Sophia were the top girls’ names of the 2010s. Noah (183,330) and Liam led the boys, with Jacob third. In the 2020s so far (2020 to 2024), Olivia and Liam lead.
Naming has spread out
In 1980 the single most common girls’ name, Jennifer, was given to 58,378 babies. In 2024 the top name, Olivia, was given to 14,718. The ten most common names also cover a much smaller share of babies than before, which means a top-ten name today is far less likely to be shared by classmates than it was forty years ago.
Use the decade pages
Each decade has its own page with the top 100 girls’ and boys’ names and where each one ranks today. Names that were everywhere in the 1980s, like Jennifer and Amanda, can be fresh again for a new generation, while today’s favourites may feel dated sooner than you think.