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Baby names in Kentucky in the 1980s

In Kentucky in the 1980s the most given names were Joshua (9,788 boys) and Jessica (8,868 girls), of 474,352 births recorded.

Babies SSA recorded in Kentucky each year, the 1980s shaded
Kentucky births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251980-1989BoysGirls
Kentucky births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251980-1989BoysGirls
Kentucky births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101930195019701990201020251980-1989BoysGirls
Kentucky births by year and sex10k20k30k40k19101950199020251980-1989BoysGirls

Births under names given to 5 or more babies of one sex in the state that year.

Kentucky, 1980-1989: SSA state baby-name file, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s state data.

The top names in Kentucky, 1980s

Girls, 1980-1989
#NameBirths
1Jessica8,868
2Amanda8,684
3Ashley7,726
4Jennifer6,439
5Sarah4,970
6Heather3,937
7Brittany3,714
8Tiffany3,422
9Stephanie3,294
10Amber3,196
11Elizabeth3,172
12Amy3,143
13Melissa2,814
14Rebecca2,780
15Crystal2,716
16Emily2,520
17Kimberly2,491
18Megan2,484
19Mary2,438
20Samantha2,406
Boys, 1980-1989
#NameBirths
1Joshua9,788
2Christopher9,668
3Michael8,843
4James8,642
5Matthew6,974
6William6,135
7David5,685
8Justin5,668
9Brandon5,571
10John5,493
11Jason5,241
12Robert5,175
13Joseph4,777
14Jonathan4,242
15Daniel4,063
16Jeremy3,659
17Andrew3,524
18Brian3,432
19Adam3,422
20Charles3,301

Births summed over 1980-1989, per sex.

The names most over-represented in Kentucky in the 1980s

Each figure is the name’s births in the state in the decade against the births its national share, year by year, would predict (names with at least 100 births in the state).

Girls

Boys

Ratios: observed over predicted births, 1980-1989.

More about names in Kentucky

  1. The 1980s across the U.S.The most given names of the decade nationally.
  2. Kentucky: 2025 and every year since 1910The state’s top names now and its number ones by year.
  3. Kentucky in the 1990sThe next decade in the state.
  4. The top names of 1980The first year of the decade, nationally.
  5. Every state’s most given namesEach state since 1910.
  6. Look up any nameIts rank, births since 1880 and the people alive with it.

Back to Kentucky: 2025 and every year since 1910