Most popular baby names of 1985

In 1985, the most popular names for US babies were Michael for boys (64,936 babies, 3.5% of boys) and Jessica for girls (48,348 babies, 2.8% of girls). The rest of the top five were Christopher, Matthew, Joshua and Daniel for boys and Ashley, Jennifer, Amanda and Sarah for girls. SSA recorded 7,587 different boy names and 12,506 different girl names that year.

Top 100 boy names, 1985
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Michael	64,936	–
2	Christopher	59,616	–
3	Matthew	47,079	–
4	Joshua	42,198	–
5	Daniel	38,564	▲ 1
6	David	38,527	▼ 1
7	James	35,864	–
8	Robert	32,095	▲ 1
9	John	31,499	▼ 1
10	Joseph	30,219	–
11	Andrew	30,180	▲ 3
12	Ryan	29,909	–
13	Brandon	29,307	▲ 2
14	Jason	26,036	▼ 3
15	Justin	25,536	▼ 2
16	William	24,608	–
17	Jonathan	24,116	▲ 2
18	Brian	23,068	▼ 1
19	Nicholas	22,384	▲ 1
20	Anthony	22,099	▲ 1
21	Eric	20,843	▲ 1
22	Adam	20,165	▼ 4
23	Kevin	18,813	▲ 1
24	Steven	18,728	▼ 1
25	Thomas	17,607	–
26	Timothy	17,138	–
27	Kyle	16,520	▲ 7
28	Richard	15,328	▼ 1
29	Jeffrey	14,501	▼ 1
30	Jeremy	13,446	▲ 1
31	Benjamin	13,427	▼ 1
32	Mark	13,197	–
33	Aaron	13,138	▼ 4
34	Charles	12,899	▼ 1
35	Jacob	12,286	▲ 2
36	Stephen	12,210	▼ 1
37	Patrick	11,641	▼ 1
38	Sean	11,455	▲ 5
39	Zachary	11,346	▲ 6
40	Nathan	10,652	▼ 2
41	Dustin	10,439	–
42	Paul	10,315	▼ 2
43	Tyler	10,211	▲ 4
44	Scott	10,146	▼ 5
45	Gregory	9,769	▼ 1
46	Travis	9,094	▼ 4
47	Kenneth	8,994	▼ 1
48	Bryan	8,717	–
49	Jose	8,402	–
50	Alexander	8,298	▲ 4
51	Jesse	8,222	▼ 1
52	Cody	7,095	▲ 10
53	Bradley	7,012	–
54	Samuel	7,010	▲ 1
55	Shawn	6,981	▲ 1
56	Derek	6,661	▼ 4
57	Chad	6,467	▼ 6
58	Jared	5,883	▲ 1
59	Edward	5,869	▼ 1
60	Peter	5,674	–
61	Marcus	5,586	▼ 4
62	Jordan	5,461	▲ 3
63	Corey	5,230	▲ 6
64	Keith	5,215	▼ 3
65	Juan	4,852	▼ 1
66	Donald	4,750	▼ 3
67	Joel	4,623	▼ 1
68	Shane	4,549	▲ 17
69	Phillip	4,495	▲ 1
70	Brett	4,328	▲ 2
71	Ronald	4,299	▼ 4
72	George	4,260	▼ 4
73	Antonio	4,150	▲ 4
74	Carlos	4,089	–
75	Raymond	4,085	▼ 2
76	Douglas	4,021	▼ 5
77	Nathaniel	4,003	▲ 3
78	Ian	3,999	–
79	Craig	3,954	▼ 4
80	Alex	3,907	▲ 13
81	Cory	3,868	▲ 2
82	Gary	3,812	▼ 6
83	Derrick	3,779	▼ 4
84	Philip	3,736	▼ 3
85	Luis	3,705	▲ 3
86	Casey	3,490	▼ 4
87	Erik	3,372	▼ 3
88	Victor	3,342	▲ 2
89	Brent	3,321	–
90	Frank	3,303	▼ 4
91	Evan	3,219	▲ 7
92	Gabriel	3,215	▼ 5
93	Adrian	3,132	▲ 14
94	Wesley	3,044	▲ 7
95	Vincent	3,040	–
96	Jeffery	2,947	▼ 2
97	Larry	2,946	▼ 6
98	Curtis	2,943	▼ 2
99	Todd	2,939	▼ 7
100	Blake	2,922	▲ 3

Top 100 girl names, 1985
Rank	Name	Babies	Change
1	Jessica	48,348	▲ 1
2	Ashley	47,008	▲ 1
3	Jennifer	42,660	▼ 2
4	Amanda	39,056	–
5	Sarah	24,878	–
6	Stephanie	23,244	–
7	Nicole	22,967	–
8	Heather	21,152	▲ 1
9	Elizabeth	20,545	▲ 1
10	Megan	20,012	▲ 1
11	Melissa	19,963	▼ 3
12	Christina	16,600	▲ 8
13	Rachel	16,361	▲ 2
14	Laura	16,002	▲ 5
15	Lauren	15,768	▲ 6
16	Amber	15,506	▲ 2
17	Brittany	15,437	▲ 24
18	Danielle	15,417	▼ 2
19	Kimberly	14,913	▲ 3
20	Amy	14,429	▼ 7
21	Crystal	14,398	▼ 9
22	Michelle	13,976	▼ 5
23	Tiffany	13,681	▼ 9
24	Emily	13,143	–
25	Rebecca	12,704	▼ 2
26	Erin	11,384	▼ 1
27	Jamie	11,038	▲ 4
28	Kelly	11,031	▼ 1
29	Samantha	10,658	▲ 10
30	Sara	10,562	▲ 2
31	Angela	10,225	▼ 5
32	Katherine	10,129	▼ 2
33	Andrea	10,053	▼ 5
34	Erica	9,525	–
35	Mary	9,239	▼ 2
36	Lisa	9,015	▼ 7
37	Lindsey	8,468	▼ 2
38	Kristen	8,445	–
39	Katie	7,996	▲ 5
40	Lindsay	7,871	▼ 4
41	Shannon	7,714	▼ 4
42	Vanessa	7,564	▲ 3
43	Courtney	7,530	▲ 3
44	Christine	7,441	▼ 1
45	Alicia	7,122	▼ 5
46	Allison	7,028	▲ 5
47	April	6,691	▼ 5
48	Kathryn	6,634	–
49	Kristin	6,567	▼ 2
50	Jenna	6,436	▲ 4
51	Tara	6,102	▼ 2
52	Maria	6,013	▼ 2
53	Krystal	5,933	▲ 21
54	Anna	5,885	▲ 3
55	Julie	5,763	▼ 3
56	Holly	5,602	▼ 3
57	Kristina	5,566	▲ 11
58	Natalie	5,536	▼ 3
59	Victoria	5,426	–
60	Jacqueline	5,250	▼ 4
61	Monica	4,989	▼ 3
62	Cassandra	4,727	▲ 1
63	Meghan	4,670	▲ 2
64	Patricia	4,402	▲ 2
65	Catherine	4,297	▲ 4
66	Cynthia	4,130	▼ 4
67	Stacy	4,109	–
68	Kathleen	4,086	▲ 3
69	Brandi	4,045	▼ 8
70	Brandy	3,901	▼ 6
71	Valerie	3,881	▲ 5
72	Veronica	3,875	▼ 2
73	Whitney	3,832	▲ 52
74	Diana	3,686	▼ 2
75	Chelsea	3,613	▲ 9
76	Leslie	3,606	▼ 1
77	Caitlin	3,593	▲ 41
78	Leah	3,572	▲ 5
79	Natasha	3,553	▼ 2
80	Erika	3,504	▲ 1
81	Latoya	3,402	▼ 21
82	Dana	3,348	▼ 9
83	Dominique	3,299	▲ 126
84	Brittney	3,224	▲ 92
85	Julia	3,205	▲ 2
86	Candice	3,195	–
87	Karen	3,138	▼ 5
88	Melanie	3,132	▼ 3
89	Stacey	3,114	▼ 10
90	Margaret	3,071	▲ 2
91	Sheena	3,062	▼ 11
92	Alexandra	3,017	▲ 4
93	Katrina	2,978	▲ 12
94	Bethany	2,957	▼ 1
95	Nichole	2,950	▲ 2
96	Carrie	2,943	▼ 18
97	Alison	2,829	▲ 13
98	Kara	2,811	▼ 3
99	Joanna	2,772	▼ 11
100	Rachael	2,761	▲ 3

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1985. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.