Most popular boy names in the 80s in North Carolina

Most popular boy names in the 80s in North Carolina

Known for the emergence of MTV, the rise of neon, and the invention of the mixtape, the 1980s were certainly a rockin' era in American history. New economic policies were introduced, the news network CNN launched, and, much less enjoyable, Wall Street crashed on the infamous Black Monday—the worst one-day decline in American stock market history. Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated by President Ronald Reagan as the first female Supreme Court justice, the Cold War saw the beginning of the end as the Berlin Wall began to fall, and millions watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on live television.

Among all the big hair, Rubix cubes, and shoulder pads, however, there were still plenty of babies being born during this defining time. And with celebrities like Michael J. Fox and Robert Palmer reaching their peak fame during the '80s, it's no surprise that many parents chose to name their kids after them.

To see just how popular these names were, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for boys in the 80s in North Carolina using data from the Social Security Administration. Names are ranked by number of babies born.

Just like scrunchies and PAC MAN, Americans can still hold onto some of the best aspects of the '80s, including baby names (some things never get old). So whether you're welcoming a new little one into the world this year or just curious, these are the most popular baby names of the 1980s in North Carolina.

#30. Nicholas

Nicholas is a name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,408
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,107 (#117 most common name, -67.5% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 223,320 (#19 most common name)

#29. Richard

Richard is a name of German origin meaning "dominant ruler".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,541
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 577 (#212 most common name, -83.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 154,750 (#27 most common name)

#28. Ryan

Ryan is a name of Irish origin meaning "little king" or "illustrious".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,693
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,531 (#79 most common name, -58.5% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 278,954 (#14 most common name)

#27. Eric

Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning "sole ruler".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,773
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 604 (#201 most common name, -84.0% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 204,246 (#21 most common name)

#26. Travis

Travis is a name of French origin meaning "to cross".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,863
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 345 (#325 most common name, -91.1% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 102,925 (#42 most common name)

#25. Steven

Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning "crown".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,878
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 571 (#215 most common name, -85.3% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,470 (#25 most common name)

#24. Anthony

Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning "praiseworthy".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,965
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,946 (#59 (tie) most common name, -50.9% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 211,870 (#20 most common name)

#23. Adam

Adam is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,164
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 955 (#133 most common name, -77.1% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 195,084 (#22 most common name)

#22. Kevin

Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,221
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 912 (#142 most common name, -78.4% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 188,685 (#23 most common name)

#21. Thomas

Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning "twin".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,438
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,460 (#34 most common name, -44.6% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,817 (#24 most common name)

#20. Jeremy

Jeremy is a name of English origin meaning "appointed by God".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,590
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 504 (#233 (tie) most common name, -89.0% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 153,414 (#28 most common name)

#19. Charles

Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning "free man".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,810
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,442 (#35 most common name, -49.2% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 131,905 (#33 most common name)

#18. Timothy

Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning "honouring God".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,834
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 889 (#144 most common name, -81.6% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 172,834 (#26 most common name)

#17. Brian

Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,013
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 470 (#251 most common name, -90.6% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 233,997 (#16 most common name)

#16. Andrew

Andrew is a name of Greek origin meaning "brave".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,111
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,083 (#52 most common name, -59.2% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 285,094 (#13 most common name)

#15. Joseph

Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,262
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,650 (#30 most common name, -57.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 299,416 (#10 most common name)

#14. Daniel

Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,699
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,898 (#24 most common name, -56.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 345,559 (#7 most common name)

#13. Jason

Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning "healer".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,126
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 945 (#135 most common name, -86.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 292,130 (#11 most common name)

#12. Jonathan

Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has given".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,848
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,705 (#67 most common name, -78.3% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 229,959 (#18 most common name)

#11. Robert

Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning "fame" or "bright".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,993
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,700 (#68 most common name, -78.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,672 (#8 most common name)

#10. John

John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh has been gracious".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,108
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 3,389 (#14 most common name, -58.2% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,161 (#9 most common name)

#9. Justin

Justin is a name of Latin origin meaning "righteous".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,218
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 813 (#156 most common name, -90.1% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 289,826 (#12 most common name)

#8. Brandon

Brandon is a name of English origin meaning "beacon hill" or "crow".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,828
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 868 (#149 most common name, -90.2% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 232,206 (#17 most common name)

#7. David

David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 9,148
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,780 (#27 most common name, -69.6% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 383,702 (#5 most common name)

#6. William

William is a name of Germanic origin meaning "vehement protector".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 10,044
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 5,860 (#3 most common name, -41.7% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 248,286 (#15 most common name)

#5. Matthew

Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Gift of Yahweh".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 10,674
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,386 (#38 most common name, -77.6% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 458,953 (#3 most common name)

#4. James

James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 11,747
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 5,009 (#4 most common name, -57.4% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 356,498 (#6 most common name)

#3. Joshua

Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God Is my salvation".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 12,376
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,314 (#43 most common name, -81.3% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 396,530 (#4 most common name)

#2. Michael

Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 14,246
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 3,156 (#19 most common name, -77.8% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 663,824 (#1 most common name)

#1. Christopher

Christopher is a name of English origin meaning "Christ-bearer".

North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 16,156
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,372 (#42 most common name, -85.3% compared to the 80s)

National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 554,886 (#2 most common name)