If i had given birth in 1988...

[StellaNova]

Highly unlikely, since I was 13 at the time, but if I had, I have just discovered the beautiful 80s names my child would have been saddled with, listed in my diary for the year.Just in case they help anyone still searching for that ultimate name, I share them with you now.

Boys Top Ten - Gary; Mark; Paul; Tony; Scott; James; Ricky; Bobby; Jody; Shane

Girls Top Ten - Samantha; Sara; Sophia; Sandra; Charlotte; Charlene; Christelle; Killashandra ; Dawn; Michelle

Ah, little Charlene Sandra Dawn and Shane Jody Scott. It was not to be.

[LittleBairn]

Killishandra. That was an umm creative name.

[SuperB0F]

Love Killashandra

[whistlestopcafe]

In 1988 my favourite names were Ross and Lucy. Respectable choices.

1987 was a bad year I wanted to name my baby after a fairground ride at Blackpool!

[lisaro]

I'm about ten years older than you - the boys names sound more 70's, and I've never met a Charlene - never heard of Christelle or Killashandra ([hmm), and also Dawn and Michelle are very 60's/70's. Are you not in The UK?

[StellaNova]

I am, but Christelle was my French penfriend and Killashandra (ugh ugh ugh) was the heroine of a book by Anne McAffery, if that is how it is spelt.

I knew a Dawn, and a Michelle.

[StellaNova]

The boys names have a bit of a Neighbours theme...

[UnChartered]

1988?

i was having babies in the mid '80s and only recognise a few of those as popular names

where are the Jasons, the Kylies and the Ryans?

[OddBoots]

My dd (aged 9) has decided that there should be no such things as boys names and girls names and that her first-born will be called 'Lyfe' - hopefully it will be many, many years before she has to make any official decisions of this nature.

[Inneedofbrandy]

I was born in 88, the majority of my friends were Emily, Jenny, and Melanie and had Louise as a middle name.

[StaceymReadyForNumber3]

I was born in 1987 and there were lots of Sarahs and Helens around but none of the names you listed!

[Inneedofbrandy]

Oh Amys were the most popular name in school, how could I forget about 9 in my YR! Charlene's there were 2 of.

[TiggerWearsATriteSmile]

Killashandra is a village in Cavan.

[Boggler]

If I'd had a baby in 1988 I would have called her Holly, as it was I got a puppy called Holly. I knew someone who had a Crystal - I think Dynasty had an effect.

[CakeBump]

I remember being very fond of the name Jessica around that time, and I chose Lucy as my confirmation name in 1989.

I was 10/11 years old though so no danger of children of my own then!

[insanityscratching]

Ds was born in early 89 of his friends born 88/89 there is 1 Scott, 1 James and 1 Ricky. Daniel was by far the most popular name Dean, Kyle and Adam also common in his school year

[Kveta]

I liked Vladimir or Godiva at that age. As one does.

which is why my DC should think themselves bloody lucky to have the most common names of their generation!

[margerykemp]

I think they're better than the old lady names that are popular now.

Give me a Charlene over a Lily-mae any day.

[LiviaAugusta]

Had I had a child in the late 80s I think they'd have been called Connor or Charlton if a boy and Summer or Liberty if a girl. The only name I vaguely like out of all of them now is Liberty but wouldn't use it. Don't know why I chose those names or why it was even something I thought about as I'd always assumed I wouldn't have children. Glad I waited to have children, hope I still like their names in twenty-odd years!

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

The boys' name I liked in 1988 is the name I gave my son when he was born in 2010! :)

[Narked]

The girls names I'd have chosen in 1988 would have been Ella or Chloe. Then they became ridiculously overused.

The boys name would have been Bobby

[StellaNova]

I probably titled the thread wrong; they were the names I would have picked in the 80s, rather than "popular 80s names", although many of them do strike me as being quite 80s.

But I guess I am thinking of "what people I knew/ fancied were called in the 80s" rather than "what people were calling babies in the 80s" - most of my girl names (apart from Killashandra, ahem) were girls of my own age in my class, apart from Charlene which was obviously my Kylie tribute. So 80s names really, I suppose.

I knew boys of my age called all of those names, apart from Jody, which was a boy in a ghost story I read once, and Gary, which I liked because of a one-off character on Star Trek

[StellaNova]

I mean "70s names really I suppose" Duh.

[rockinastocking]

Colette or Simone for girls, Luke or Lance for boys.

Luke only passable one, really.

[GoSakuramachi]

Is killashandra after the song or the town?

[LittleWhiteWolf]

I was born in 1985 and my name is on your list OP.