Known for the emergence of MTV, the rise of neon, and the invention of the mixtape, the 1980s were certainly a rockin' era in American history. New economic policies were introduced, the news network CNN launched, and, much less enjoyable, Wall Street crashed on the infamous Black Monday—the worst one-day decline in American stock market history. Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated by President Ronald Reagan as the first female Supreme Court justice, the Cold War saw the beginning of the end as the Berlin Wall began to fall, and millions watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on live television.
Among all the big hair, Rubix cubes, and shoulder pads, however, there were still plenty of babies being born during this defining time. And with celebrities like Michael J. Fox and Robert Palmer reaching their peak fame during the '80s, it's no surprise that many parents chose to name their kids after them.
To see just how popular these names were, Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for boys in the 80s in North Carolina using data from the Social Security Administration. Names are ranked by number of babies born.
Just like scrunchies and PAC MAN, Americans can still hold onto some of the best aspects of the '80s, including baby names (some things never get old). So whether you're welcoming a new little one into the world this year or just curious, these are the most popular baby names of the 1980s in North Carolina.
You may also like: Richest billionaires in North Carolina
Tatiana Chekryzhova // Shutterstock
1 / 30Nicholas is a name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,408
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,107 (#117 most common name, -67.5% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 223,320 (#19 most common name)
Adrie Molco // Shutterstock
2 / 30Richard is a name of German origin meaning "dominant ruler".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,541
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 577 (#212 most common name, -83.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 154,750 (#27 most common name)
Minnikova Mariia // Shutterstock
3 / 30Ryan is a name of Irish origin meaning "little king" or "illustrious".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,693
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,531 (#79 most common name, -58.5% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 278,954 (#14 most common name)
wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock
4 / 30Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning "sole ruler".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,773
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 604 (#201 most common name, -84.0% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 204,246 (#21 most common name)
Irisska // Shutterstock
5 / 30Travis is a name of French origin meaning "to cross".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,863
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 345 (#325 most common name, -91.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 102,925 (#42 most common name)
You may also like: Most commonly hunted migratory birds in North Carolina
FamVeld // Shutterstock
6 / 30Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning "crown".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,878
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 571 (#215 most common name, -85.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,470 (#25 most common name)
Lipatova Maryna // Shutterstock
7 / 30Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning "praiseworthy".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,965
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,946 (#59 (tie) most common name, -50.9% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 211,870 (#20 most common name)
yifanjrb // Shutterstock
8 / 30Adam is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,164
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 955 (#133 most common name, -77.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 195,084 (#22 most common name)
Tomsickova Tatyana // Shutterstock
9 / 30Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,221
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 912 (#142 most common name, -78.4% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 188,685 (#23 most common name)
Tatiana Chekryzhova // Shutterstock
10 / 30Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning "twin".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,438
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,460 (#34 most common name, -44.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,817 (#24 most common name)
You may also like: Coldest Decembers in North Carolina since 1895
marina shin // Shutterstock
11 / 30Jeremy is a name of English origin meaning "appointed by God".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,590
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 504 (#233 (tie) most common name, -89.0% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 153,414 (#28 most common name)
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock
12 / 30Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning "free man".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,810
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,442 (#35 most common name, -49.2% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 131,905 (#33 most common name)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
13 / 30Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning "honouring God".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,834
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 889 (#144 most common name, -81.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 172,834 (#26 most common name)
Capable97 // Shutterstock
14 / 30Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,013
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 470 (#251 most common name, -90.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 233,997 (#16 most common name)
Thammasak Lek // Shutterstock
15 / 30Andrew is a name of Greek origin meaning "brave".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,111
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,083 (#52 most common name, -59.2% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 285,094 (#13 most common name)
You may also like: Highest-rated beer in North Carolina
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
16 / 30Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,262
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,650 (#30 most common name, -57.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 299,416 (#10 most common name)
Katrina Elena // Shutterstock
17 / 30Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,699
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,898 (#24 most common name, -56.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 345,559 (#7 most common name)
Oksana Kuzmina // Shutterstock
18 / 30Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning "healer".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,126
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 945 (#135 most common name, -86.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 292,130 (#11 most common name)
rSnapshotPhotos // Shutterstock
19 / 30Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has given".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,848
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,705 (#67 most common name, -78.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 229,959 (#18 most common name)
yifanjrb // Shutterstock
20 / 30Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning "fame" or "bright".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,993
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,700 (#68 most common name, -78.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,672 (#8 most common name)
You may also like: Hottest Januarys in North Carolina since 1895
MIA Studio // Shutterstock
21 / 30John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh has been gracious".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,108
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 3,389 (#14 most common name, -58.2% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,161 (#9 most common name)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
22 / 30Justin is a name of Latin origin meaning "righteous".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,218
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 813 (#156 most common name, -90.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 289,826 (#12 most common name)
Samuel Borges Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 30Brandon is a name of English origin meaning "beacon hill" or "crow".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,828
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 868 (#149 most common name, -90.2% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 232,206 (#17 most common name)
Africa Studio // Shutterstock
24 / 30David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 9,148
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,780 (#27 most common name, -69.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 383,702 (#5 most common name)
2p2play // Shutterstock
25 / 30William is a name of Germanic origin meaning "vehement protector".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 10,044
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 5,860 (#3 most common name, -41.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 248,286 (#15 most common name)
You may also like: Easy as pie: See the most uniquely popular pie in North Carolina
Shutterstock
26 / 30Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Gift of Yahweh".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 10,674
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,386 (#38 most common name, -77.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 458,953 (#3 most common name)
Yulia Sribna // Shutterstock
27 / 30James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 11,747
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 5,009 (#4 most common name, -57.4% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 356,498 (#6 most common name)
Vasiuk Iryna // Shutterstock
28 / 30Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God Is my salvation".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 12,376
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,314 (#43 most common name, -81.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 396,530 (#4 most common name)
Anna Grigorjeva // Shutterstock
29 / 30Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 14,246
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 3,156 (#19 most common name, -77.8% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 663,824 (#1 most common name)
Flashon // Shutterstock
30 / 30Christopher is a name of English origin meaning "Christ-bearer".
North Carolina
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 16,156
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,372 (#42 most common name, -85.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 554,886 (#2 most common name)
You may also like: Cities with the most UFO sightings in North Carolina
