Top 20+ popular baby names from the 1980s that are totally awesome

2) Jessica

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 1SSA ranking today: 574Year-over-year change in rank: -24 placesMeaning: "God beholds" or "wealthy"

Though not as much of a powerhouse as Michael, Jessica, as in Tootsie actress Jessica Lange, also had a nice run at the top of the SSA chart in the '80s. It was the No. 1 name in the country from 1985 to 1990 (and then again from 1993 to 1995). Now, it's taken a deep tumble to near the middle of the SSA top 1,000 names — and it's losing steam. It dropped 24 places in rank between last year and the year before, and 175 places in the last five years.

3) Christopher

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 2SSA ranking today: 61Year-over-year change in rank: -6 placesMeaning: "bearer of Christ"

Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Christopher, as in one-time Superman Christopher Reeve, was the runner-up to Michael from 1979 to 1994. Since then, it's fallen even further than Michael, but it remains a top-100 name. Today, parents still go for Christopher over similar names like Christian or just-plain Chris, even though nicknames-as-first-names is a hot trend right now.

4) Jennifer

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 2SSA ranking today: 547Year-over-year change in rank: -26 placesMeaning: "God beholds" or "wealthy"

Whereas Jessica was the dominant name in the second half of the '80s, Jennifer, like Flashdance star Jennifer Beals, reigned supreme in the first half. It was the No. 1 name in the country starting in the '70s, and stayed in the top spot from 1970 to 1984. And like Jessica, Jennifer has fallen to the middle of the top 1,000 names — though their fortunes have reversed, and Jennifer is ranking slightly above Jessica.

5) Matthew

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 3SSA ranking today: 33Year-over-year change in rank: -1 placeMeaning: "gift of God"

The name Matthew, as in Ferris Bueller's Day Off star Matthew Broderick, is as solid and as steady as they come. It started and ended the 1980s in the exact same spot: No. 3. In fact, it was the third most popular boy's name from 1981 to 1994, and again from 1997 to 2001. Today, Matthew remains a top-40 name, but it's currently being outranked by the similar Mateo, which is way up at No. 7.

7) Joshua

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 4SSA ranking today: 57Year-over-year change in rank: +3 placesMeaning: "gift of God"

Joshua, like one-time member of The Goonies Josh Brolin, is one of the few '80s names that actually increased in popularity between last year and the year before, if only slightly. Then again, the name was still on the rise in the '80s, and didn't peak until all the way in 2006. But after a couple of years at No. 60, it's inched its way back to No. 57, which could signal that Joshua's star is about to rise again.

12) Stephanie

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 6SSA ranking today: 533Year-over-year change in rank: -65 placesMeaning: "crown" or "garland"

Stephanie, as in The Wiz actress Stephanie Mills, has the dubious distinction of having the biggest year-over-year tumble out of all the names on this list. In the past 20 years, it's fallen more than 470 places. The name enjoyed its peak in 1987, when it was No. 6, but its fortunes have slipped ever since — possibly because parents are opting instead for Stevie (No. 209), which has that trendy nickname-as-first-name ring to it.

13) Daniel

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 7SSA ranking today: 16Year-over-year change in rank: +1 placeMeaning: "God is my judge"

Daniel, as in My Left Foot actor Daniel Day-Lewis, was a top-10 name in the '80s, and its popularity was only rising. It only hit its peak this century, in 2008, when it was No. 5. Now, it's fallen out of the top 10 but is still in the top 20, and it actually rose a little in rank between last year and the year before, so it might climb even higher.

14) Melissa

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 7SSA ranking today: 378Year-over-year change in rank: +32 placesMeaning: "honeybee"

Melissa, as in U.S. Olympian Melissa Marlowe, was just past its peak in the '80s — it topped out in 1979 at No. 2. It started a slow descent in the '80s, eventually falling out of the top 10 in 1985 and out of the top 20 by 1992. But there are signs things are turning around for Melissa: It took a huge, 32-place jump in rank between last year and the year before — the highest increase on this list by far.

15) Robert

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 8SSA ranking today: 90Year-over-year change in rank: -1 placeMeaning: "bright fame"

Be it Rob, Robby, Bobby or Robert — as in The Cure frontman Robert Smith — the name Robert is so versatile that its appeal is everlasting. The name hit the No. 1 spot in multiple decades, and was the top name in America from 1924 to 1939, and then again in 1953. Now, it's closer to a top-100 name than a top-10 name, but it's still a strong choice for parents who love to have lots of nickname options.

16) Nicole

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 8SSA ranking today: 318Year-over-year change in rank: +9 placesMeaning: "victory of the people"

Nicole — as in actress and AMC pitchwoman Nicole Kidman — had a moment in the '80s. It stayed in the top 10 between 1979 and 1988, and had its peak in 1982, when it reached No. 6 for the first and only time. Now, it's way down at No. 318, but it has fended off trendier nickname versions like Nicky or Nikki. (Sorry to Nicky Hilton or Nikki Haley). And it's even jumped nearly ten places in rank between last year and the year before, the second-highest increase after Melissa.

17) John

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 9SSA ranking today: 17Year-over-year change in rank: -2 placesMeaning: "God is gracious"

Even though Jon, Johnny, Jonathan and Johnathan all make the SSA list of the top 1,000 names, John — as in Full House actor John Stamos — outranks them all, sitting high at No. 17. And yet, it's far from it's heyday, when it was the No. 1 name in the country from 1900 to 1923. In the '80s, it ranked between No. 8 in the beginning of the decade and No. 12 by the end, which is not so far off from where it is today.

18) Elizabeth

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 9SSA ranking today: 21Year-over-year change in rank: -5 placesMeaning: "pledged to God"

For the last century, Elizabeth, as in Big actress Elizabeth Perkins, has rarely dipped below the top 25, and it was in the top 10 for the entire decade of that '80s. That could be because every generation can put its own spin on it, from Betty in the mid-century to Lizzie for the Lizzie McGuire generation to Ellie, which is in the top 25 today its own right.

20) Heather

2) Jessica, 3) Christopher, 4) Jennifer, 5) Matthew, 7) Joshua, 12) Stephanie, 13) Daniel, 14) Melissa, 15) Robert, 16) Nicole, 17) John, 18) Elizabeth, 20) Heather

SSA ranking in the 1980s: 10SSA ranking today: unrankedYear-over-year change in rank: N/AMeaning: "small shrub"

Pity the poor Heather. While it was a top-10 name throughout the '70s and '80s, today it doesn't make the SSA list at all. Heather, like actress Heather Graham, fell off the list in 2017 and hasn't been heard from since. But that just means it's one to consider for parents who are looking for an under-the-radar, but not too obscure, baby name.

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