The 1987 Baby Name Report

3,605,614 babies, 19,486 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1987

👑 #1 girls: Jessica (3 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (27 years running) 1,123 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jessica55,996
  2. Ashley54,853
  3. Amanda41,786
  4. Jennifer32,708
  5. Sarah27,895
  6. Stephanie22,402
  7. Brittany22,231
  8. Nicole20,286
  9. Heather18,982
  10. Elizabeth18,608

Top boys

  1. Michael63,663
  2. Christopher54,494
  3. Matthew46,507
  4. Joshua40,004
  5. David36,796
  6. Andrew36,205
  7. Daniel35,875
  8. James32,660
  9. Justin31,492
  10. Robert30,240

Full top-50 rankings for 1987 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Janay #2,204 → #388 (+1,816)
  2. Channing #1,639 → #591 (+1,048)
  3. Ayla #1,379 → #594 (+785)
  4. Yessenia #1,446 → #728 (+718)
  5. Corbin #1,052 → #592 (+460)
  6. Skye #1,208 → #749 (+459)
  7. Cayla #1,035 → #648 (+387)
  8. Spenser #952 → #579 (+373)
  9. Kaila #911 → #608 (+303)
  10. Kelsi #1,063 → #785 (+278)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Halley #580 → #1,737 (−1,157)
  2. Shardae #835 → #1,380 (−545)
  3. Eliana #451 → #827 (−376)
  4. Corrie #800 → #1,084 (−284)
  5. Santana #535 → #784 (−249)
  6. Tami #717 → #943 (−226)
  7. Rosalinda #834 → #1,031 (−197)
  8. Fallon #521 → #714 (−193)
  9. Darcy #667 → #847 (−180)
  10. Kia #690 → #867 (−177)

✨ Never recorded before 1987

Jaleesa (116) Adilene (72) Shakari (37) Teyon (25) Cetera (22) Sagan (19) Cruise (19) Jalessa (18) Casara (17) Epiphany (15)

1,123 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1987.

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What were the most popular baby names in 1987?
Jessica was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1987, out of 3,605,614 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1987?
Janay made the biggest jump in 1987, climbing 1,816 spots to #388.
How many new baby names appeared in 1987?
1,123 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1987.