The 1986 Baby Name Report

3,557,078 babies, 18,802 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1986

👑 #1 girls: Jessica (2 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (26 years running) 993 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jessica52,684
  2. Ashley49,672
  3. Amanda40,532
  4. Jennifer36,189
  5. Sarah28,164
  6. Stephanie22,648
  7. Nicole21,292
  8. Brittany20,313
  9. Heather19,789
  10. Elizabeth19,074

Top boys

  1. Michael64,236
  2. Christopher56,697
  3. Matthew46,924
  4. Joshua37,541
  5. David37,149
  6. Daniel36,574
  7. James34,055
  8. Andrew33,859
  9. Robert31,351
  10. John30,208

Full top-50 rankings for 1986 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Eliana #2,503 → #451 (+2,052)
  2. Nakita #1,546 → #684 (+862)
  3. Ashton #1,118 → #267 (+851)
  4. Kaleigh #1,484 → #642 (+842)
  5. Addison #1,229 → #514 (+715)
  6. Nikita #961 → #250 (+711)
  7. Cordell #1,185 → #608 (+577)
  8. Kayleigh #794 → #321 (+473)
  9. Halley #1,033 → #580 (+453)
  10. Jaimie #827 → #425 (+402)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Tasia #573 → #941 (−368)
  2. Micaela #546 → #907 (−361)
  3. Linsey #631 → #871 (−240)
  4. Marci #775 → #1,009 (−234)
  5. Kirby #760 → #982 (−222)
  6. Nakia #655 → #872 (−217)
  7. Jeri #810 → #1,024 (−214)
  8. Durell #606 → #818 (−212)
  9. Tarah #678 → #884 (−206)
  10. Colette #710 → #897 (−187)

✨ Never recorded before 1986

Cordero (173) Cordaro (69) Myleka (38) Corderro (36) Cordaryl (28) Chetara (26) Elyana (23) Cordarryl (21) Aasha (20) Cordelro (17)

993 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1986.

Expecting in 2027?
From shortlist to first steps — track your baby's growth and milestones with MyBadak. Free to start.
Start with MyBadak →
What were the most popular baby names in 1986?
Jessica was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1986, out of 3,557,078 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1986?
Eliana made the biggest jump in 1986, climbing 2,052 spots to #451.
How many new baby names appeared in 1986?
993 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1986.