The 1988 Baby Name Report

3,695,043 babies, 20,437 unique names — the risers, fallers, and brand-new arrivals of 1988

👑 #1 girls: Jessica (4 years running) 👑 #1 boys: Michael (28 years running) 1,308 debuts

Top girls

  1. Jessica51,557
  2. Ashley49,975
  3. Amanda39,459
  4. Sarah28,374
  5. Jennifer27,893
  6. Brittany26,817
  7. Stephanie22,844
  8. Samantha20,700
  9. Nicole20,314
  10. Elizabeth20,042

Top boys

  1. Michael64,168
  2. Christopher53,015
  3. Matthew45,875
  4. Joshua42,650
  5. Andrew35,745
  6. David35,330
  7. Justin35,055
  8. Daniel34,718
  9. James32,521
  10. Robert30,317

Full top-50 rankings for 1988 →

🚀 Fastest risers

  1. Taja #3,161 → #724 (+2,437)
  2. Whitley #2,197 → #446 (+1,751)
  3. Jalisa #1,666 → #437 (+1,229)
  4. Jaleesa #1,230 → #345 (+885)
  5. Shanice #1,092 → #270 (+822)
  6. Anais #1,572 → #877 (+695)
  7. Deja #1,340 → #676 (+664)
  8. Geraldine #1,101 → #576 (+525)
  9. Brittny #1,052 → #572 (+480)
  10. Allyssa #1,318 → #876 (+442)

📉 Biggest fallers

  1. Channing #591 → #1,212 (−621)
  2. Eliana #827 → #1,143 (−316)
  3. Nakita #796 → #1,083 (−287)
  4. Mallorie #820 → #1,089 (−269)
  5. Malorie #803 → #1,064 (−261)
  6. Krystina #459 → #698 (−239)
  7. Santana #784 → #995 (−211)
  8. Shanda #836 → #1,024 (−188)
  9. Sherri #541 → #728 (−187)
  10. Brandon #806 → #990 (−184)

✨ Never recorded before 1988

Jalesa (77) Kadeem (52) Jalisha (46) Kiefer (35) Navil (29) Jalysa (28) Neiva (27) Satori (27) Yeraldin (27) Lataja (26)

1,308 names appeared in SSA records for the first time ever in 1988.

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 1988?
Jessica was the #1 girl name and Michael the #1 boy name in 1988, out of 3,695,043 recorded births.
What baby name rose fastest in 1988?
Taja made the biggest jump in 1988, climbing 2,437 spots to #724.
How many new baby names appeared in 1988?
1,308 names were recorded by the SSA for the first time ever in 1988.