Here are the most popular 1980s boy names in Kentucky
Published 12:25 pm Sunday, May 30, 2021
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Most popular boy names in the 80s in Kentucky
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 Kentucky 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 100 most popular baby names of the 1980s in Kentucky.
Min An // Pexels
#50. Tyler
Tyler is a name of English origin meaning “doorkeeper of an inn” or “owner of a tavern”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,247
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 734 (#80 most common name, -41.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #47
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 86,422
Canva
#49. Shawn
Shawn is a name of Irish origin meaning “God is gracious”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,251
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 190 (#257 (tie) most common name, -84.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #56
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 65,584
pratan ounpitipong // Shutterstock
#48. Bryan
Bryan is a name of Irish origin meaning “noble”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,269
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 220 (#237 most common name, -82.7% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #51
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 80,488
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
#47. Chad
Chad is a name of English origin meaning “from the warrior’s town”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,351
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 33 (#663 most common name, -97.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #55
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 69,040
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
#46. Paul
Paul is a name of Latin origin meaning “humble”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,424
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 261 (#203 most common name, -81.7% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #40
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 104,339
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock
#45. Gregory
Gregory is a name of Latin origin meaning “watchful, alert”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,449
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 170 (#274 most common name, -88.3% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #45
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 93,649
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock
#44. Derek
Derek is a name of German origin meaning “the people’s ruler”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,456
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 158 (#286 (tie) most common name, -89.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #53
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 72,893
Vasilyev Alexandr // Shutterstock
#43. Patrick
Patrick is a name of Latin origin meaning “nobleman”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,524
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 295 (#185 most common name, -80.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #37
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 111,365
Pixabay
#42. Kenneth
Kenneth is a name of Gaelic origin meaning “handsome”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,552
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 376 (#154 (tie) most common name, -75.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #46
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 89,113
Canva
#41. Zachary
Zachary is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God remembers”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,576
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 742 (#79 most common name, -52.9% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #43
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 101,809
Capable97 // Shutterstock
#40. Mark
Mark is a name of Latin origin meaning “God of war”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,858
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 254 (#209 most common name, -86.3% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #34
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 129,371
yifanjrb // Shutterstock
#39. Jacob
Jacob is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “to follow”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,883
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,090 (#8 most common name, +11.0% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #35
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 124,186
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
#38. Kyle
Kyle is a name of Scottish origin meaning “narrow strait”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,893
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 276 (#196 (tie) most common name, -85.4% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #30
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 141,910
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
#37. Stephen
Stephen is a name of Greek origin meaning “wreath, crown”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,907
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 289 (#189 most common name, -84.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #36
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 113,597
Pixabay
#36. Bradley
Bradley is a name of English origin meaning “woodland clearing”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,916
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 343 (#166 (tie) most common name, -82.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #54
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 69,334
PxHere
#35. Nathan
Nathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “given”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,930
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 704 (#83 most common name, -63.5% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #39
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 105,962
2p2play // Shutterstock
#34. Jeffrey
Jeffrey is a name of English origin meaning “pledge of peace”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 1,936
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 182 (#265 most common name, -90.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #29
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 144,781
Pixabay
#33. Travis
Travis is a name of French origin meaning “to cross”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,040
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 212 (#244 (tie) most common name, -89.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #42
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 102,915
Pexels
#32. Richard
Richard is a name of German origin meaning “dominant ruler”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,096
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 340 (#168 most common name, -83.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #27
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 154,710
Canva
#31. Benjamin
Benjamin is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “son of my days”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,335
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,686 (#20 most common name, -27.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #31
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 141,341
Canva
#30. Dustin
Dustin is a name of Norse origin meaning “brave warrior”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,409
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 140 (#313 most common name, -94.2% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #44
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 97,301
Pixabay
#29. Kevin
Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning “noble”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,472
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 449 (#123 most common name, -81.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #23
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 188,638
Canva
#28. Thomas
Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning “twin”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,531
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 968 (#58 most common name, -61.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #24
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,743
Jeremy Bishop // Unsplash
#27. Aaron
Aaron is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “high mountain”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,551
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 643 (#91 most common name, -74.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #32
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 138,343
Unsplash
#26. Ryan
Ryan is a name of Irish origin meaning “little king” or “illustrious”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,770
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 901 (#65 most common name, -67.5% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #14
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 278,848
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
#25. Steven
Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning “crown”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,773
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 411 (#137 most common name, -85.2% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #25
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,405
Canva
#24. Anthony
Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning “praiseworthy”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,826
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 924 (#61 most common name, -67.3% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #20
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 211,804
Roman Sorkin // Shutterstock
#23. Nicholas
Nicholas is a name of Greek origin meaning “victory of the people”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,868
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 629 (#92 most common name, -78.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #19
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 223,293
DONOT6_STUDIO // Shutterstock
#22. Eric
Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning “sole ruler”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,004
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 296 (#184 most common name, -90.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #21
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 204,199
Canva
#21. Timothy
Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning “honouring God”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,276
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 537 (#107 most common name, -83.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #26
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 172,811
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
#20. Charles
Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning “free man”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,300
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,282 (#41 most common name, -61.2% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #33
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 131,861
FamVeld // Shutterstock
#19. Adam
Adam is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “earth”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,422
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 469 (#118 (tie) most common name, -86.3% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #22
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 195,049
Yulia Sribna // Shutterstock
#18. Brian
Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning “noble”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,430
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 268 (#200 most common name, -92.2% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #16
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 233,976
Canva
#17. Andrew
Andrew is a name of Greek origin meaning “brave”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,524
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,334 (#36 most common name, -62.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #13
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 285,013
My Good Images // Shutterstock
#16. Jeremy
Jeremy is a name of English origin meaning “appointed by God”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,660
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 227 (#233 most common name, -93.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #28
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 153,418
Pshenina_m // Shutterstock
#15. Daniel
Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is my judge”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,059
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,141 (#48 most common name, -71.9% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #7
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 345,414
Irisska // Shutterstock
#14. Jonathan
Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God has given”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,242
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 880 (#66 most common name, -79.3% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #18
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 229,906
Vasiuk Iryna // Shutterstock
#13. Joseph
Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “he will add”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,776
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,536 (#28 most common name, -67.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #10
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 299,367
PxHere
#12. Robert
Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning “fame” or “bright”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,176
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,009 (#55 most common name, -80.5% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #8
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,598
PxHere
#11. Jason
Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning “healer”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,240
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 552 (#104 most common name, -89.5% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #11
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 292,016
Unsplash
#10. John
John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “Yahweh has been gracious”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,493
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,833 (#10 most common name, -66.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #9
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,034
Pixabay
#9. Brandon
Brandon is a name of English origin meaning “beacon hill” or “crow”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,568
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 586 (#95 most common name, -89.5% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #17
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 232,173
Canva
#8. Justin
Justin is a name of Latin origin meaning “righteous”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,668
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 570 (#98 (tie) most common name, -89.9% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #12
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 289,755
BaLL LunLa // Shutterstock
#7. David
David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “beloved”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,685
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,273 (#43 most common name, -77.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #5
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 383,610
Unsplash
#6. William
William is a name of Germanic origin meaning “vehement protector”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,135
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,309 (#1 most common name, -46.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #15
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 248,240
PxHere
#5. Matthew
Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “Gift of Yahweh”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,973
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,326 (#38 most common name, -81.0% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #3
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 458,894
Canva
#4. James
James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “supplanter”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,639
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 2,628 (#4 most common name, -69.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #6
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 356,362
Vasiuk Iryna // Shutterstock
#3. Michael
Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “who is like God?”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,840
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,711 (#18 most common name, -80.6% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #1
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 663,592
Canva
#2. Christopher
Christopher is a name of English origin meaning “Christ-bearer”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 9,669
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,375 (#32 most common name, -85.8% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #2
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 554,793
marina shin // Shutterstock
#1. Joshua
Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “God Is my salvation”.
Kentucky
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 9,787
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,357 (#33 most common name, -86.1% compared to the 80s)
National
– Rank: #4
– Number of babies from 1980 to 1989: 396,533
