Popular Names of 1981

The 20 most popular names given to female and to male babies born in 1981, as recorded, with each name’s rank in 2025.

Table 1. Female names, 1981
Rank	Name	Number	Rank in 2025
1	Jennifer	57,046	586
2	Jessica	42,531	665
3	Amanda	34,372	493
4	Sarah	28,175	90
5	Melissa	28,005	420
6	Amy	20,345	257
7	Nicole	20,310	383
8	Stephanie	20,212	557
9	Elizabeth	20,168	17
10	Heather	17,946	1,264
11	Michelle	17,781	465
12	Rebecca	16,737	350
13	Kimberly	16,689	303
14	Tiffany	16,416	880
15	Angela	15,924	408
16	Crystal	15,888	1,145
17	Christina	14,392	770
18	Lisa	14,294	991
19	Erin	13,853	833
20	Amber	13,814	520

Table 2. Male names, 1981
Rank	Name	Number	Rank in 2025
1	Michael	68,750	21
2	Christopher	50,221	68
3	Matthew	43,330	32
4	Jason	41,927	165
5	David	40,629	35
6	Joshua	39,024	66
7	James	38,283	6
8	John	34,868	23
9	Robert	34,395	92
10	Daniel	30,985	22
11	Joseph	30,761	29
12	Justin	27,307	233
13	Ryan	26,811	99
14	Brian	26,583	339
15	William	24,798	9
16	Jonathan	22,588	89
17	Eric	20,712	273
18	Andrew	20,232	73
19	Brandon	20,206	261
20	Adam	20,044	101

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As recorded on the Social Security card application. Names given to fewer than five babies of a sex in a year are not published, so the file is a floor.