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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

80s names

38 replies

SparklyJadeFawn · 21/08/2024 22:55

I was born in the 80s.

I was just thinking of what names were popular in the 80s, it's fun.

I remember:

Jennifer
Nicola/Nicky,
Lynn,
Deborah,
Sarah,
Lisa,
Helen,
Rebecca
Victoria

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Awwlookatmybabyspider · 23/08/2024 07:47

Kayleigh
Jodie.
Natalie
Hannah
Amy
Jessica
Natasha
Lauren
Melanie
Nicola
Laura
Ashley.
Chelsea
Courtney
Melissa
Gemma

Paul
Ryan
Matthew
Anthony
Lewis.
Carl.
Daniel
Andrew
Craig
Shaun
Liam
Bradley
Aiden

Nicebloomers · 22/08/2024 13:21

Boys-

Lee
Mark
Gareth
Gavin
Simon
Ian
Daniel
Jason
Scott

Nicebloomers · 22/08/2024 13:18

Kimberly
So many Laura/ Lauren
Danielle
Hayley/ Kayleigh
Emma/ Gemma
Jessica
Claire

DappledThings · 22/08/2024 09:04

My school year were born 78/79. When I started secondary in 1990 there were about 100 girls altogether in the year, 9 were called Emma.

GymClassHeroes · 22/08/2024 09:02

Lindsey
Tracey
Suzanne
Joanne
Sarah
Nicola
Michelle
Alison
Katie

Lots of Matthews (Matt/Matty) Rob, Lee, Chris & Simon were also popular names at my primary/high school.
Gary
Kev
Martin
Shaun/Sean
Luke

Edit: I was born 86’

StanLeeCameo · 22/08/2024 08:56

fandjango · 21/08/2024 23:58

I sang this! haha

Show quote history

😀😂

ilikeeggs · 22/08/2024 08:55

I was born in the 80s and there were multiples of

Sarah
Lauren
Katie
Charlotte
Emma
Rebecca
Jennifer
Nicola
Danielle
Lindsey
Amy
Kylie!

Tom
Johnathan
Steven
Alex
Ashley
Sam
Joe

SossijRoll · 22/08/2024 08:49

RunningAwayToJoinTheCircus · 21/08/2024 23:36

Most of the names said so far were for people who were teens in the 80s, so 60s and 70s born.
Babies in the 80s - it seemed like every other girl was a hyphenated name-Louise. I worked in a branch library with school class visits in the late 80s, and in one class with 12 girls, 9 of them were something-Louise!
and lots of Kayleighs after the song.
Kylie towards the end of the decade.
Joshua started to get popular for boys, lots of Bens, and Aaron/Arron.

No I don’t agree. I went to school in the 80s and 90s my school was full of:

Sarah
Claire
Laura
Nicola
Gemma
Hayley
Debbie
Rebecca
Katherine
Louise

Matthew
Thomas
Ben
Ian
David
Christopher
Paul
Martin
Andrew

BoleynMemories13 · 22/08/2024 08:38

purpleme12 · 22/08/2024 02:28

This is not my experience at all

Show quote history

Nor mine, and I was born late 80s. There was the odd Joshua, Ben, Aaron and Kayleigh around but I don't feel like any of them hit their peak around me until early-90s (late 90s/early 00s for Joshua). The ones I knew of were all at least 2 years younger than me, so 90s babies. I can think of a couple of girls who were hyphenated with Louise, but not many.

I feel once we firmly hit the 90s, the following started to take over:-

Amy
Sophie
Chloe
Jade
Jessica
Lauren
Lucy
Emily
Bethany
Charlotte
Megan
Holly

Jack
Jamie
Thomas/Tom
Benjamin/Ben
Jake
Bradley
Ryan
Callum
Nathan
Liam
Luke
Joshua/Josh
Samuel/Sam

Hannah, Rebecca and Emma were all still super popular in the 90s, likewise Daniel, Matthew and James. I guess they're all classics which will always be in use, but they all seemed at a peak in the 80s/90s.

Some of the 90s popular names were definitely well in use in the 80s, especially the more classic choices, but seemed to peak more in the 90s from my memory, where they leapt from being a handful in each school to a couple in every class.

BoleynMemories13 · 22/08/2024 07:02

I was born late 80s so was at school in the 90s. The most popular names were:-

Sarah
Claire
Samantha
Laura
Emma
Gemma
Rachel
Rebecca
Katie
Danielle
Michelle
Hannah
Hayley
Kirsty
Natalie
Nicola
Carly

Daniel
Michael
Steven/Stephen
James
Matthew
David
Christopher
Lee
Andrew
Mark
Adam
Scott
Anthony(Tony)
Jason
Carl/Karl
Peter
Ian

sel2223 · 22/08/2024 06:37

Born early 80's (UK)

Sarah
Emma
Laura
Rebecca
Natalie
Claire
Vicky / Victoria
Gemma
Karen
Catherine / Kate / Katie
Lucy
Jennifer (Jenny)
Rachel

And almost every girl had the middle name Louise, Jane or Marie

Steven / Stephen
Christopher (Chris)
John
Alexander (Alex)
Nicholas (Nick)
David
Peter
Paul
Andrew
Lee
Gary
Michael
Philip

asbestosmouth24 · 22/08/2024 03:04

Definitely Sarah also lots of Emma's but also
Gemma
Lindsey
Louise
Claire
Nicola
Kelly
Alison
Michelle
Rebecca
Rachael
Chantelle

and boys were
Michael
James/Jamie
Steven
Paul
John
Robert
Ashley
Thomas
Joseph
Scott
Carl
Simon
David
Daniel
Mark

purpleme12 · 22/08/2024 02:32

Sarah - by far the most popular
Louise
Rebecca
Sophie
Laura
Lindsay
Caroline
Amanda
Emily
Suzanne
Amy
Kate/Katie

John
Robert
Jonathan
Adam

purpleme12 · 22/08/2024 02:28

RunningAwayToJoinTheCircus · 21/08/2024 23:36

Most of the names said so far were for people who were teens in the 80s, so 60s and 70s born.
Babies in the 80s - it seemed like every other girl was a hyphenated name-Louise. I worked in a branch library with school class visits in the late 80s, and in one class with 12 girls, 9 of them were something-Louise!
and lots of Kayleighs after the song.
Kylie towards the end of the decade.
Joshua started to get popular for boys, lots of Bens, and Aaron/Arron.

This is not my experience at all

DinnaeFashYersel · 22/08/2024 02:14

In the 80s I went to school with

Linda
Kerri
Terri
Sonya
Leanne
Gillian
Verity
Angela
Karen

Kevin
Scott
Colin
Gordon
Graham
Grant
Alan
Simon

Cattenberg · 22/08/2024 00:35

I was born in 1981. The following names were popular in my peer group:

Sarah (probably the most popular)
Claire
Victoria
Rebecca
Laura
Catherine/Kathryn/Kate etc.
Lisa
Nicola
Kelly
Emma
Gemma/Jemma
Samantha
Hannah

The most popular middle names were Jane and Louise.

James (probably the most popular)
Ben
Paul
Mark
Matthew
Christopher
Robert
Richard

Rockmehardplace · 22/08/2024 00:28

Leanne
Claire-,Louise
Sarah-Louise
Marie-Claire
Laura
Stephanie

John-Paul
Sean
Jamie
Daniel
Ryan
Declan

Bbq1 · 22/08/2024 00:27

Linda
Deborah
Carole
Julie
Andrea
Joanne
Clare
Fiona
Karen
Katherine/Catherine

Robert
Mark
Martin
Stephen
Carl
David
Simon
Philip
Paul

sunshineandshowers40 · 22/08/2024 00:20

Claire
Helen
Sarah
Middle name was always Louise!
Karen

Mark
Paul
Stephen/Steven

WaitingForMojo · 22/08/2024 00:19

Sarah
Catherine / Katherine / Kate
Claire
Emma
Hayley
Kelly
Nicola / Nikki
Victoria / Vikki
Gemma
Rebecca / Becky
Amy

theduchessofspork · 22/08/2024 00:16

Natalie
Lucy

fandjango · 21/08/2024 23:58

StanLeeCameo · 21/08/2024 23:02

Jennifer
Alison
Philippa
Sue

Deborah
Annabel

I sang this! haha

mrsm43s · 21/08/2024 23:56

I was at secondary school from mid 80s. (All girls, indy)

We had multiple of:
Sarah
Emma
Claire
Jo (Josephine, Joanne, Joanna all included in this)

We had two of:
Lucy
Antonia
Charlotte
Julia
Elizabeth

40 girls per year, so that covers most!

Original poster
SparklyJadeFawn · 21/08/2024 23:47

Edel

OP posts:
Daisybuttercup12345 · 21/08/2024 23:39

Kelly and Claire.
Darren and Jason.