The most popular baby names of 1985
SSA recorded 3,569,038 births in 1985 across all reported names — 1,720,828 girls and 1,848,210 boys.
Top 100 girls' names in 1985
| # | Name | Births | vs 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 48,345 | +1 |
| 2 | Ashley | 47,010 | +1 |
| 3 | Jennifer | 42,661 | -2 |
| 4 | Amanda | 39,055 | — |
| 5 | Sarah | 24,879 | — |
| 6 | Stephanie | 23,243 | — |
| 7 | Nicole | 22,966 | — |
| 8 | Heather | 21,151 | +1 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 20,545 | +1 |
| 10 | Megan | 20,013 | +1 |
| 11 | Melissa | 19,963 | -3 |
| 12 | Christina | 16,600 | +8 |
| 13 | Rachel | 16,360 | +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 | 14,914 | +3 |
| 20 | Amy | 14,429 | -7 |
| 21 | Crystal | 14,399 | -9 |
| 22 | Michelle | 13,973 | -5 |
| 23 | Tiffany | 13,681 | -9 |
| 24 | Emily | 13,144 | — |
| 25 | Rebecca | 12,705 | -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 | 10,227 | -5 |
| 32 | Katherine | 10,128 | -2 |
| 33 | Andrea | 10,053 | -5 |
| 34 | Erica | 9,525 | — |
| 35 | Mary | 9,240 | -2 |
| 36 | Lisa | 9,012 | -7 |
| 37 | Lindsey | 8,468 | -2 |
| 38 | Kristen | 8,445 | — |
| 39 | Katie | 7,995 | +5 |
| 40 | Lindsay | 7,871 | -4 |
| 41 | Shannon | 7,714 | -4 |
| 42 | Vanessa | 7,563 | +3 |
| 43 | Courtney | 7,531 | +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 | 6,566 | -2 |
| 50 | Jenna | 6,436 | +4 |
| 51 | Tara | 6,102 | -2 |
| 52 | Maria | 6,013 | -2 |
| 53 | Krystal | 5,933 | +21 |
| 54 | Anna | 5,883 | +3 |
| 55 | Julie | 5,761 | -3 |
| 56 | Holly | 5,602 | -3 |
| 57 | Kristina | 5,566 | +11 |
| 58 | Natalie | 5,535 | -3 |
| 59 | Victoria | 5,426 | — |
| 60 | Jacqueline | 5,250 | -4 |
| 61 | Monica | 4,990 | -3 |
| 62 | Cassandra | 4,726 | +1 |
| 63 | Meghan | 4,669 | +2 |
| 64 | Patricia | 4,402 | +2 |
| 65 | Catherine | 4,297 | +4 |
| 66 | Cynthia | 4,129 | -4 |
| 67 | Stacy | 4,109 | — |
| 68 | Kathleen | 4,087 | +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 | 3,607 | -1 |
| 77 | Caitlin | 3,593 | +41 |
| 78 | Leah | 3,572 | +5 |
| 79 | Natasha | 3,553 | -2 |
| 80 | Erika | 3,503 | +1 |
| 81 | Latoya | 3,402 | -21 |
| 82 | Dana | 3,348 | -9 |
| 83 | Dominique | 3,299 | +126 |
| 84 | Brittney | 3,224 | +92 |
| 85 | Julia | 3,206 | +2 |
| 86 | Candice | 3,195 | — |
| 87 | Karen | 3,138 | -5 |
| 88 | Melanie | 3,132 | -3 |
| 89 | Stacey | 3,114 | -10 |
| 90 | Margaret | 3,072 | +2 |
| 91 | Sheena | 3,062 | -11 |
| 92 | Alexandra | 3,017 | +4 |
| 93 | Katrina | 2,978 | +12 |
| 94 | Bethany | 2,959 | -1 |
| 95 | Nichole | 2,950 | +2 |
| 96 | Carrie | 2,942 | -18 |
| 97 | Alison | 2,829 | +13 |
| 98 | Kara | 2,811 | -3 |
| 99 | Joanna | 2,772 | -11 |
| 100 | Rachael | 2,761 | +3 |
Top 100 boys' names in 1985
| # | Name | Births | vs 1984 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 64,934 | — |
| 2 | Christopher | 59,609 | — |
| 3 | Matthew | 47,075 | — |
| 4 | Joshua | 42,194 | — |
| 5 | Daniel | 38,559 | +1 |
| 6 | David | 38,522 | -1 |
| 7 | James | 35,862 | — |
| 8 | Robert | 32,094 | +1 |
| 9 | John | 31,502 | -1 |
| 10 | Joseph | 30,222 | — |
| 11 | Andrew | 30,178 | +3 |
| 12 | Ryan | 29,905 | — |
| 13 | Brandon | 29,304 | +2 |
| 14 | Jason | 26,039 | -3 |
| 15 | Justin | 25,537 | -2 |
| 16 | William | 24,606 | — |
| 17 | Jonathan | 24,116 | +2 |
| 18 | Brian | 23,069 | -1 |
| 19 | Nicholas | 22,384 | +1 |
| 20 | Anthony | 22,104 | +1 |
| 21 | Eric | 20,844 | +1 |
| 22 | Adam | 20,165 | -4 |
| 23 | Kevin | 18,814 | +1 |
| 24 | Steven | 18,726 | -1 |
| 25 | Thomas | 17,609 | — |
| 26 | Timothy | 17,140 | — |
| 27 | Kyle | 16,523 | +7 |
| 28 | Richard | 15,330 | -1 |
| 29 | Jeffrey | 14,500 | -1 |
| 30 | Jeremy | 13,445 | +1 |
| 31 | Benjamin | 13,423 | -1 |
| 32 | Mark | 13,194 | — |
| 33 | Aaron | 13,137 | -4 |
| 34 | Charles | 12,900 | -1 |
| 35 | Jacob | 12,284 | +2 |
| 36 | Stephen | 12,210 | -1 |
| 37 | Patrick | 11,638 | -1 |
| 38 | Sean | 11,455 | +5 |
| 39 | Zachary | 11,346 | +6 |
| 40 | Nathan | 10,653 | -2 |
| 41 | Dustin | 10,439 | — |
| 42 | Paul | 10,315 | -2 |
| 43 | Tyler | 10,211 | +4 |
| 44 | Scott | 10,145 | -5 |
| 45 | Gregory | 9,767 | -1 |
| 46 | Travis | 9,094 | -4 |
| 47 | Kenneth | 8,992 | -1 |
| 48 | Bryan | 8,717 | — |
| 49 | Jose | 8,403 | — |
| 50 | Alexander | 8,295 | +4 |
| 51 | Jesse | 8,221 | -1 |
| 52 | Cody | 7,096 | +10 |
| 53 | Bradley | 7,011 | — |
| 54 | Samuel | 7,009 | +1 |
| 55 | Shawn | 6,982 | +1 |
| 56 | Derek | 6,661 | -4 |
| 57 | Chad | 6,466 | -6 |
| 58 | Jared | 5,883 | +1 |
| 59 | Edward | 5,869 | -1 |
| 60 | Peter | 5,671 | — |
| 61 | Marcus | 5,586 | -4 |
| 62 | Jordan | 5,460 | +3 |
| 63 | Corey | 5,228 | +6 |
| 64 | Keith | 5,214 | -3 |
| 65 | Juan | 4,851 | -1 |
| 66 | Donald | 4,750 | -3 |
| 67 | Joel | 4,623 | -1 |
| 68 | Shane | 4,549 | +17 |
| 69 | Phillip | 4,496 | +1 |
| 70 | Brett | 4,328 | +2 |
| 71 | Ronald | 4,299 | -4 |
| 72 | George | 4,259 | -4 |
| 73 | Antonio | 4,151 | +4 |
| 74 | Carlos | 4,089 | — |
| 75 | Raymond | 4,085 | -2 |
| 76 | Douglas | 4,021 | -5 |
| 77 | Nathaniel | 4,004 | +3 |
| 78 | Ian | 3,998 | — |
| 79 | Craig | 3,952 | -4 |
| 80 | Alex | 3,909 | +13 |
| 81 | Cory | 3,868 | +2 |
| 82 | Gary | 3,812 | -6 |
| 83 | Derrick | 3,779 | -4 |
| 84 | Philip | 3,735 | -3 |
| 85 | Luis | 3,706 | +3 |
| 86 | Casey | 3,490 | -4 |
| 87 | Erik | 3,372 | -3 |
| 88 | Victor | 3,341 | +2 |
| 89 | Brent | 3,321 | — |
| 90 | Frank | 3,302 | -4 |
| 91 | Evan | 3,219 | +7 |
| 92 | Gabriel | 3,215 | -5 |
| 93 | Adrian | 3,132 | +14 |
| 94 | Wesley | 3,043 | +7 |
| 95 | Vincent | 3,040 | — |
| 96 | Jeffery | 2,947 | -2 |
| 97 | Larry | 2,946 | -6 |
| 98 | Curtis | 2,943 | -2 |
| 99 | Todd | 2,941 | -7 |
| 100 | Blake | 2,922 | +3 |
Names that climbed fastest in 1985
Ranked by places gained against 1984, among names with at least 200 births in both years.
| Name | Rank 1985 | Rank 1984 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra girls | 216 | 715 | +499 |
| Ciara girls | 409 | 705 | +296 |
| India girls | 318 | 562 | +244 |
| Santana girls | 522 | 756 | +234 |
| Caitlyn girls | 532 | 762 | +230 |
| Brittani girls | 406 | 626 | +220 |
| Hailey girls | 537 | 724 | +187 |
| Kaitlyn girls | 284 | 465 | +181 |
| Taryn girls | 227 | 407 | +180 |
| Britney girls | 267 | 447 | +180 |
| Desirae girls | 586 | 758 | +172 |
| Juliana girls | 425 | 593 | +168 |
| Maegan girls | 519 | 684 | +165 |
| Tasia girls | 572 | 732 | +160 |
| Ashely girls | 489 | 645 | +156 |
Names that fell fastest in 1985
| Name | Rank 1985 | Rank 1984 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirby girls | 758 | 526 | -232 |
| Marquita girls | 417 | 195 | -222 |
| Sherrie girls | 813 | 652 | -161 |
| Irma girls | 793 | 641 | -152 |
| Candy girls | 715 | 572 | -143 |
| Marques boys | 588 | 447 | -141 |
| Shameka girls | 647 | 510 | -137 |
| Peggy girls | 698 | 563 | -135 |
| Rhiannon girls | 665 | 533 | -132 |
| Dara girls | 767 | 635 | -132 |
| Wanda girls | 737 | 611 | -126 |
| Malinda girls | 789 | 666 | -123 |
| Tanesha girls | 813 | 691 | -122 |
| Andria girls | 762 | 641 | -121 |
| Jodie girls | 559 | 441 | -118 |
Names that first appear in 1985
1985 is the earliest year these names clear the SSA reporting threshold of five births.
- Sade 393
- Shardae 129
- Sharde 124
- Sharday 100
- Charde 67
- Chardae 50
- Tempestt 36
- Ikea 35
- Shardai 33
- Lakin 29
- Shadae 29
- Topacio 28
- Yarenis 28
- Rishawn 25
- Catelyn 24
- Charday 24
- Seirra 22
- Caitlynn 19
- Sharayah 18
- Ceaira 17
Names that peaked in 1985
For these names, 1985 is the single biggest year in the whole 1880–2025 record.