Birth year roster
Top names in 1988
The names most likely to appear on 1988 birth certificates, ranked by SSA records.
Jessica and Michael led the 1988 baby-name charts, a pair that captures the naming culture of mid-century America — Jessica, which rose to prominence in this era and Michael, a perennial powerhouse that would anchor the decade. The full top 25 below reveals which names defined the 1988 classroom and how many have since faded or endured.
Girls
- #1Jessica51,556
- #2Ashley49,977
- #3Amanda39,459
- #4Sarah28,374
- #5Jennifer27,893
- #6Brittany26,816
- #7Stephanie22,843
- #8Samantha20,700
- #9Nicole20,315
- #10Elizabeth20,042
- #11Lauren19,637
- #12Megan18,570
- #13Tiffany18,364
- #14Heather18,033
- #15Amber16,676
- #16Melissa16,546
- #17Danielle16,253
- #18Emily15,869
- #19Rachel15,348
- #20Kayla13,433
- #21Michelle13,339
- #22Christina12,954
- #23Laura12,126
- #24Courtney12,043
- #25Kimberly11,948
Boys
- #1Michael64,171
- #2Christopher53,014
- #3Matthew45,876
- #4Joshua42,653
- #5Andrew35,745
- #6David35,329
- #7Justin35,055
- #8Daniel34,718
- #9James32,523
- #10Robert30,319
- #11John29,427
- #12Joseph29,019
- #13Ryan27,747
- #14Nicholas25,303
- #15Jonathan24,349
- #16William24,126
- #17Brandon23,744
- #18Anthony23,644
- #19Eric20,175
- #20Kevin20,168
- #21Kyle19,895
- #22Brian19,532
- #23Thomas18,806
- #24Steven17,865
- #25Timothy16,807