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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee.
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1 / 30Richard is a name of German origin meaning "dominant ruler".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,684
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 401 (#224 most common name, -85.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 154,750 (#27 most common name)
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2 / 30Benjamin is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "son of my days".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,900
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,369 (#15 most common name, -18.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 141,385 (#31 most common name)
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3 / 30Anthony is a name of Latin origin meaning "praiseworthy".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 2,990
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,133 (#76 most common name, -62.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 211,870 (#20 most common name)
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4 / 30Nicholas is a name of Greek origin meaning "victory of the people".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,065
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 671 (#137 most common name, -78.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 223,320 (#19 most common name)
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5 / 30Kevin is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,199
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 531 (#164 most common name, -83.4% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 188,685 (#23 most common name)
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6 / 30Steven is a name of Greek origin meaning "crown".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,284
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 446 (#196 (tie) most common name, -86.4% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,470 (#25 most common name)
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7 / 30Eric is a name of Norse origin meaning "sole ruler".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,387
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 426 (#209 most common name, -87.4% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 204,246 (#21 most common name)
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8 / 30Dustin is a name of Norse origin meaning "brave warrior".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,608
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 117 (#552 most common name, -96.8% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 97,308 (#44 most common name)
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9 / 30Thomas is a name of Greek origin meaning "twin".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,621
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,804 (#34 most common name, -50.2% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 177,817 (#24 most common name)
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10 / 30Adam is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "earth".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,659
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 634 (#145 most common name, -82.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 195,084 (#22 most common name)
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11 / 30Brian is a name of Irish origin meaning "noble".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,663
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 308 (#280 (tie) most common name, -91.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 233,997 (#16 most common name)
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12 / 30Timothy is a name of Greek origin meaning "honouring God".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 3,861
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 656 (#140 most common name, -83.0% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 172,834 (#26 most common name)
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13 / 30Andrew is a name of Greek origin meaning "brave".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,237
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,447 (#52 most common name, -65.8% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 285,094 (#13 most common name)
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14 / 30Charles is a name of Germanic origin meaning "free man".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,282
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,855 (#29 most common name, -56.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 131,905 (#33 most common name)
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15 / 30Jeremy is a name of English origin meaning "appointed by God".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 4,742
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 385 (#230 most common name, -91.9% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 153,414 (#28 most common name)
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16 / 30Joseph is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "he will add".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,236
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,841 (#30 most common name, -64.8% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 299,416 (#10 most common name)
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17 / 30Daniel is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is my judge".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,482
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,805 (#33 most common name, -67.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 345,559 (#7 most common name)
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18 / 30Jason is a name of Greek origin meaning "healer".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 5,845
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 638 (#144 most common name, -89.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 292,130 (#11 most common name)
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19 / 30Jonathan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has given".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,385
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,172 (#70 most common name, -81.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 229,959 (#18 most common name)
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20 / 30Robert is a name of Germanic origin meaning "fame" or "bright".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,587
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,385 (#60 most common name, -79.0% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,672 (#8 most common name)
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21 / 30David is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,757
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,961 (#25 most common name, -71.0% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 383,702 (#5 most common name)
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22 / 30Brandon is a name of English origin meaning "beacon hill" or "crow".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 6,987
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 641 (#142 (tie) most common name, -90.8% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 232,206 (#17 most common name)
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23 / 30John is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Yahweh has been gracious".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,026
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,902 (#7 most common name, -58.7% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 321,161 (#9 most common name)
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24 / 30Justin is a name of Latin origin meaning "righteous".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 7,450
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 561 (#157 most common name, -92.5% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 289,826 (#12 most common name)
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25 / 30William is a name of Germanic origin meaning "vehement protector".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,268
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 4,706 (#1 most common name, -43.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 248,286 (#15 most common name)
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26 / 30Matthew is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "Gift of Yahweh".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 8,477
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,557 (#45 most common name, -81.6% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 458,953 (#3 most common name)
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27 / 30James is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 10,803
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 3,947 (#3 most common name, -63.5% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 356,498 (#6 most common name)
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28 / 30Michael is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "who is like God?".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 11,002
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 2,169 (#20 most common name, -80.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 663,824 (#1 most common name)
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29 / 30Joshua is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "God Is my salvation".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 11,570
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,590 (#43 most common name, -86.3% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 396,530 (#4 most common name)
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30 / 30Christopher is a name of English origin meaning "Christ-bearer".
Tennessee
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 12,279
- Babies from 2015 to 2024: 1,709 (#39 most common name, -86.1% compared to the 80s)
National:
- Babies from 1980 to 1989: 554,886 (#2 most common name)
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