Names that Peaked in 1984

  1. Adam
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the red earth"
    • Description:

      Adam -- a primal Old Testament name -- was revived as a 1960s cowboy name. Adam is not as popular as it once was and feels ready for a respite, replaced by newer A names like Aidan/Aiden, Avery and Axel. Its most prominent current bearers include Adams Sandler, Levine, Brody and Driver -- who plays a character named Adam on Girls.
  2. Michael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "who is like God?"
    • Description:

      Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
  3. Christopher
    • Origin:

      Greek and Latin
    • Meaning:

      "bearer of Christ"
    • Description:

      Christopher derived from the Greek Christophoros, which is composed of the elements Christos, referring to Christ, and phero, meaning "to bear."
  4. Jennifer
    • Origin:

      Cornish variation of Welsh Guinevere
    • Meaning:

      "white shadow, white wave"
    • Description:

      Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. It has been in use in the English-speaking world since the 18th century but came to prominence in the 20th. Playwright George Bernard Shaw chose Jennifer for the name of his leading lady in his play The Doctor’s Dilemma, which drew more attention to the name.
  5. Marcus
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "warlike"
    • Description:

      Though ancient, Marcus now sounds more current than Mark, in tune with today's trend towards us-ending Latinate names.
  6. Kara
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Cara or Norse mythology name
    • Meaning:

      "wild stormy one"
    • Description:

      Kara and the soundalike (though not necessarily related) Cara are among the most multi-cultural names around. Cara has roots in Latin, Italian, Irish, Spanish, and Portuguese, and Kara can be viewed as simply as K-starting version of Cara.
  7. Alicia
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Alicia is a Latinized variation of Alice, a name ultimately derived from the German Adalhaidis. It emerged in the 19th century, but the 20th saw many spelling evolutions for Alicia, including Alecia, Alisha, Aleesha, and Alysha. Alyssa originated as a form of Alicia.
  8. Stephanie
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Stephen, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "garland, crown"
    • Description:

      Stephanie is the feminine form of Stephen, derived from the Greek name Stephanos, meaning "crown." It’s been the name of several royal women throughout history, including the medieval Stephanie, Queen of Navarre, and Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, the daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. International variations of Stephanie include the German Stefanie, Italian Stefania, and Spanish Estefanía.
  9. Joanna
    • Origin:

      Variation of Johanna
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached saint status. Other names related to Joanna include Joan, Joanne, Johanna, and Jana.
  10. Dustin
    • Origin:

      Norse
    • Meaning:

      "brave warrior, or Thor's stone"
    • Description:

      Dustin's popularity in recent years has probably had more due to its similarity to Justin than to idolization of Dustin Hoffman -- himself named after silent screen cowboy star Dustin Farnum -- who certainly was the one to put it on the name map. In recent years, golfer Dustin Johnson has brought fresh renown to the name. Dustin is a character in Netflix hit Stranger Things. After decades in the spotlight, Dustin feels like a classic rather than an upstart. It peaked in the Top 50s in the 1980s.
  11. Cassidy
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "curly-headed"
    • Description:

      A lean and lanky Irish cowboy name with great nickname potential to boot (Cass or Sid are both options). This is one of the great under-rated American names!
  12. Tyson
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "firebrand"
    • Description:

      As parents were finding too many Tylers at the neighborhood playground, they began looking to Tyson as an alternative, no longer concerned with possible connections to Mike Tyson or Tyson chicken.
  13. Lacey
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "from Lassy"
    • Description:

      A unique combination of a surname feel and dainty femininity. It's currently associated with actress Lacey Chambert.
  14. Candace
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "white, pure, sincere"
    • Description:

      Candace, an ancient title of a dynasty of Ethiopian queens mentioned in the New Testament, is associated both with actress Candice Bergen and Sex and the City writer Candace Bushnell.
  15. Andre
    • Origin:

      French and Portuguese variation of Andrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Andre is one of the international forms of Andrew that has been familiar in the English-speaking world for decades without any need to be overly Anglicized - though round the world, it is more likely to be written as André.
  16. Kirby
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "church settlement"
    • Description:

      Unisex name around for several decades for boys and now ripe for girls.
  17. Lindsay
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Description:

      In the early eighties, Lindsay, in tandem with Courtney, approached the Top 10.
  18. Lindsey
    • Origin:

      English surname meaning "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Meaning:

      "Marshlands of Lincolnshire"
    • Description:

      Lindsey is one of the few truly unisex names (rather than being a name that has changed genders). Over time the "ey" ending was usually reserved for women and the "ay" ending reserved for men, and that tradition has continued
  19. Trista
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Tristan
    • Meaning:

      "noise or sorrowful"
    • Description:

      This female form of Tristan was featured on the reality-television show The Bachelorette, and has been rocketing up the charts as a new millennium Trisha.
  20. Sheena
    • Origin:

      Anglicization of Sine; Irish variation of Jane
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Animated Gaelic name popularized by singer Sheena Easton, also brings to mind Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, the Amazonian comic book and TV series heroine. Sine is considered to be and English equivalent of Jane or Jean.