Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1980

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1980. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby girl names in 1980, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 Jennifer 58,379
2 Amanda 35,817
3 Jessica 33,924
4 Melissa 31,639
5 Sarah 25,758
6 Heather 19,974
7 Nicole 19,921
8 Amy 19,835
9 Elizabeth 19,527
10 Michelle 19,123
11 Kimberly 18,499
12 Angela 17,969
13 Stephanie 17,842
14 Tiffany 16,230
15 Christina 16,140
16 Lisa 15,666
17 Rebecca 15,280
18 Crystal 14,255
19 Kelly 13,718
20 Erin 13,430
21 Laura 12,918
22 Amber 12,555
23 Rachel 11,624
24 Jamie 11,527
25 April 11,475
26 Mary 11,475
27 Sara 11,150
28 Andrea 10,452
29 Shannon 9,668
30 Megan 9,138
31 Emily 9,006
32 Julie 8,910
33 Danielle 8,846
34 Erica 8,760
35 Katherine 8,019
36 Maria 7,866
37 Kristin 7,701
38 Lauren 7,476
39 Kristen 7,315
40 Ashley 7,297
41 Christine 7,085
42 Brandy 6,410
43 Tara 6,284
44 Katie 6,135
45 Monica 6,035
46 Carrie 5,762
47 Alicia 5,752
48 Courtney 5,617
49 Misty 5,542
50 Kathryn 5,528
51 Patricia 5,309
52 Holly 5,284
53 Stacy 5,059
54 Karen 5,055
55 Anna 5,036
56 Tracy 4,969
57 Brooke 4,953
58 Samantha 4,921
59 Allison 4,871
60 Melanie 4,842
61 Leslie 4,776
62 Susan 4,705
63 Brandi 4,704
64 Cynthia 4,701
65 Natalie 4,648
66 Jill 4,558
67 Dawn 4,479
68 Dana 4,439
69 Vanessa 4,428
70 Veronica 4,381
71 Lindsay 4,354
72 Tina 4,260
73 Kristina 4,225
74 Stacey 4,222
75 Wendy 4,144
76 Lori 4,085
77 Catherine 4,081
78 Kristy 4,059
79 Heidi 4,026
80 Sandra 3,999
81 Jacqueline 3,878
82 Kathleen 3,857
83 Christy 3,674
84 Leah 3,639
85 Valerie 3,612
86 Pamela 3,534
87 Erika 3,517
88 Tanya 3,437
89 Natasha 3,427
90 Katrina 3,396
91 Lindsey 3,386
92 Melinda 3,202
93 Monique 3,162
94 Teresa 3,149
95 Denise 3,147
96 Tammy 3,134
97 Tonya 3,081
98 Julia 3,068
99 Candice 3,011
100 Gina 2,989
101 Alison 2,983
102 Nichole 2,938
103 Victoria 2,927
104 Theresa 2,925
105 Margaret 2,862
106 Beth 2,849
107 Renee 2,842
108 Tamara 2,809
109 Robin 2,806
110 Nancy 2,805
111 Linda 2,804
112 Anne 2,779
113 Sabrina 2,778
114 Meghan 2,692
115 Brenda 2,648
116 Jaime 2,647
117 Jenny 2,646
118 Diana 2,616
119 Cheryl 2,609
120 Barbara 2,577
121 Krista 2,531
122 Kristi 2,526
123 Latoya 2,505
124 Bethany 2,498
125 Michele 2,487
126 Kelli 2,486
127 Kara 2,445
128 Miranda 2,416
129 Sharon 2,383
130 Tasha 2,266
131 Mindy 2,262
132 Mandy 2,232
133 Molly 2,203
134 Candace 2,188
135 Casey 2,171
136 Ann 2,170
137 Colleen 2,125
138 Cassandra 2,110
139 Suzanne 2,102
140 Meredith 2,071
141 Latasha 2,058
142 Rachael 2,048
143 Regina 2,044
144 Donna 2,010
145 Marie 1,947
146 Deborah 1,937
147 Carolyn 1,929
148 Nina 1,889
149 Deanna 1,868
150 Cindy 1,866
151 Alisha 1,854
152 Carla 1,832
153 Bridget 1,831
154 Kendra 1,815
155 Desiree 1,789
156 Tabitha 1,788
157 Yolanda 1,777
158 Kari 1,769
159 Summer 1,754
160 Virginia 1,737
161 Trisha 1,732
162 Rebekah 1,728
163 Joanna 1,726
164 Felicia 1,723
165 Joy 1,717
166 Bonnie 1,711
167 Jodi 1,701
168 Jaclyn 1,693
169 Angel 1,692
170 Adrienne 1,670
171 Jillian 1,649
172 Janet 1,610
173 Paula 1,598
174 Aimee 1,590
175 Ebony 1,581
176 Abigail 1,575
177 Debra 1,558
178 Martha 1,554
179 Rhonda 1,534
180 Autumn 1,530
181 Shanna 1,521
182 Robyn 1,501
183 Carmen 1,459
184 Angelica 1,455
185 Shelly 1,452
186 Toni 1,452
187 Shawna 1,432
188 Priscilla 1,432
189 Kristine 1,424
190 Brittany 1,406
191 Claudia 1,405
192 Sherry 1,404
193 Marissa 1,403
194 Janelle 1,396
195 Laurie 1,338
196 Stefanie 1,332
197 Kate 1,330
198 Ana 1,324
199 Melody 1,317
200 Caroline 1,313
201 Diane 1,287
202 Tamika 1,279
203 Cara 1,276
204 Alexis 1,269
205 Rosa 1,268
206 Kellie 1,260
207 Ruth 1,256
208 Tracey 1,255
209 Sonia 1,252
210 Naomi 1,249
211 Cristina 1,247
212 Audrey 1,224
213 Hannah 1,222
214 Sheila 1,213
215 Sonya 1,206
216 Jasmine 1,187
217 Alyssa 1,179
218 Leigh 1,178
219 Whitney 1,169
220 Krystal 1,163
221 Yvonne 1,158
222 Stacie 1,155
223 Anita 1,151
224 Shauna 1,142
225 Rose 1,133
226 Shelley 1,131
227 Traci 1,131
228 Olivia 1,120
229 Kerri 1,119
230 Christie 1,114
231 Tia 1,114
232 Carol 1,106
233 Adriana 1,098
234 Brianne 1,089
235 Marisa 1,085
236 Kelley 1,084
237 Kristie 1,083
238 Jenna 1,074
239 Charlene 1,070
240 Gloria 1,070
241 Leticia 1,070
242 Terri 1,066
243 Morgan 1,062
244 Charity 1,061
245 Latisha 1,057
246 Nikki 1,047
247 Jana 1,046
248 Angie 1,045
249 Jacquelyn 1,036
250 Jeanette 1,026

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Latisha' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Jennifer' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'Melissa' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Jessicas' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Sarah' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Heather' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Michelle' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Nicole' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Amy' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Elizabeth' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1980". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1980/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1980". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1980/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1980. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1980/.